Don’t be afraid to waste time

I have heard many times that “time” is one of those things you cannot get back. I also find myself occasionally repeating this same message when giving advice. It makes sense that time won’t be given back to you, and you should cherish it, but I feel people abuse the saying — even for the smallest of things.

Whenever I’ve heard the idiom or said it myself, it has always been about little things like events or random occurrences that get in the way of what I will call “Business” for the rest of this column. Now, Business is the champion for many things: healthy and harmful pastimes, scholastic or academic endeavors, business itself and more. Simply put, Business represents responsibility: that ugly thing we have all come to terms with (or at least should have by now) as we blossom into adulthood and old age.

The little things mentioned earlier that get in the way of Business will be referenced to as “Not Business” for the rest of this column; it’s clever, I know. Characteristically, Not Business and Business share the fact that they are vague. Not Business could be anything. It could be watching a TV series, exercising, playing a sport you enjoy, playing video games, watching videos on YouTube, eating, sleeping, complaining about not getting enough sleep, going to the beach, lying in the sun, reading, writing, etc.

Anyway, Not Business is seemingly portrayed or criticized as a bad thing whenever it interferes with Business — and I believe, to an extent, that this is a flawed concept. Not Business is not a bad thing; it’s just not Business. The lack of cold is not heat; it is just not cold. So, when someone gets in your face and tries to push responsibilities down your throat as you play video games, tell them that is not cool.

This is not to say that the previously mentioned idiom of time is worthless. I actually believe the idiom is valuable. However, I think it is overused and used on too many sensitive issues. For example, telling another that he or she cannot get their time back is appropriate if that person plans to spend the next 10 hours binge-watching “Game of Thrones” before season seven starts,  instead of writing his or her paper that is due in three days. Sometimes, however, it can get ridiculous. For instance, when you have been living at the library for the past 2 1/2 months studying for one exam, and you decide to relax for an hour doing what you enjoy. Then, someone has the nerve to tell you that you will not get that hour back for the exam. That’s when it is too much. I worked for that hour. Do not take that time away from me.

Regardless, I probably should be told by someone soon that I will not get my recent Not Business time back. I spent way too much time Not Business-ing when I should have been working on my internship. I guess I will have to repent for my scholastic sins. If you know my face, you will probably see me in the academic holiness that is Library West, repenting and regretting.

James Hardison is a UF English sophomore. His column appears on Tuesdays.