How do you waste the most time every day?
The content reflects on the nature of time and the concept of wasting it. The author discusses watching a demolition video of the iconic Empire Theatre in Jabalpur, contemplating its historical significance, and emotions tied to its loss. While expressing nostalgia for the past, he acknowledges the need for progress and the inevitability of change. He argues that time can’t truly be wasted, as its value depends on how it is utilised. A balanced approach to time management is essential, promoting productivity while recognising individual choices without fostering guilt or pressure about perceived wastefulness.
Wasting anything requires no time or effort. A simple but haphazard hammering, and you are done. While watching a demolition video of the iconic Empire Theatre, Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh), he murmured to himself. Seeing me in front of him on the sofa, he smiled and, as if feeling embarrassed, he grinned and spoke in a rather high-pitched voice. What a time! He said and rolled back on the chair, he was on.
“It would have taken a lot of time to construct”, he continued, murmuring on the demolition of the more than a century-old Theatre, which has gone into oblivion. “They say a new building and a mall would be constructed, but what about the attachment people of Jabalpur had with the Theatre building?” He continued his argument as though he were in a monologue.
He has never been to Jabalpur, nor has he seen the theatre he was thinking about. According to whatever information he gathered, the building was built in 1918, more than a century ago. It was a grand edifice where English films were exhibited. Once, the legendary Bollywood actor Mr. Premnath scaled the boundary wall of the theatre to watch a film. Maltreated by the ticket checker, he vowed to buy the theatre building. He later bought it in 1952. The edifice used to be an insignia of Jabalpur and was important because of the connection with Premnath and Raj Kapoor, who were related to each other.
He realised he was becoming emotional about something he had never seen or visited. Feeling emotionally attached to the theatre hall, he was lopsidedly venting out his emotions, ignoring peripheral things like the dilapidated condition of the building. Due to a lack of maintenance, it was heavily encroached by weeds and infested with stray animals, becoming a threat to people as well.
His train of thought was running on the broad-gauge line at a high speed. The old, worn-out building without proper maintenance was bound to become a ruin. It has to give way for more useful and productive things, benefiting people according to the changing times. He realised that every old thing or organism has to go after its life is over. He shuddered away his emotional thoughts.
It sounds waste, but no, it is not. What seems a waste is a means of new construction for others. White ants (Termites) are harmful, for they destroy furniture and doors, but are helpful in the jungle, where they carry out an important task – the task of eliminating the dead wood by disintegrating its complex compounds. They substantially help because they contribute their share to the ecological cycle of death and destruction, an important part of life.
Nothing goes to waste in the natural cycle. It seems to be a waste because of the non-utility of an object or thing.
Nothing goes to waste in the natural cycle. It seems to be a waste because of the non-utility of an object or thing. People become indifferent to “waste” material and want to discard it. The thing, nevertheless, does not lose its nature and in turn its utility. Many people who survive difficult or dangerously inhospitable situations save their lives by using insignificant-looking or discarded things.
Like material things, time can also not be wasted. It is used. The way it is used determines how it is used. Time is eternal. It does not end. It was there before the birth of the universe and an individual. It is currency and it shall stay in future. It is we who have divided it into seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months and years for our convenience. Wasting time is a misnomer. The mendacious tendency of thinking according to whims and fancies leads to the concept of waste. The limited life span has probably given the concept of “wasting time”.
A student, for example, has a limited time of one year to pass a class. He has to learn his lessons, finish the prescribed course and take up the examination. The quantity of labour and time devoted to that is a determining factor for success in the examination. The student, thus, can’t splurge time on doing other things that don’t contribute to the studies. Using time in activities other than studies is wasteful and can lead to failure. The student needs to be conscious about managing time. A judicious time management is required that can keep a balance between the hours of studies, entertainment and relaxation.
People’s thought process and their actions are mostly centred around themselves. Their expression sounds haughty to the extent that what they do is ultimate. The supercilious approach often leads to a lopsided thought process, which is not so good. The dogma plays a key role in shaping life. It is necessary to have a blended approach. In our daily lives, it is of common observation that to have the comfort of cotton and ease of use without looking wrinkled, a garment needs to have the qualities of both. Here comes the blending where polyester and cotton are blended in a ratio to give a desired texture, fall and softness to the cloth along with absorbability and breathability. This simple example shows the importance of blending.
Most of us talk in the first person, giving sole credit to ourselves. The majority would find it hard to accept the fact that they “waste” time. They would offer several arguments to prove themselves right. The defensive approach nurtures narcissistic feelings, and people draw pleasure from self-praise. Whatever they do, they feel is good and just in absolute terms. It is a watertight form of compartmentalisation that leaves no room for correction or amendments, trapping a person in an invisible dungeon.
People are free to use their time in a way they like. Imposing an artificial absolution is fake and overpowers the natural and good human qualities. Boasting about “best time management” is a futile activity. We weave a cocoon and try to inculcate a feeling of safety around, forgetting that it creates yet another type of phobia.
A flower looks beautiful in its bright colours and soft breeze. Its bright colour lures an insect which comes to it for nectar and pollen. The relation of give and take is established, and both feel satisfied because the purposes of both are fulfilled. Being a human being is not taming falsehood and vying to achieve absolute perfection. Burdening the mind with feelings of “wasting time” and “perfectly using time” is nothing more than a fruitless effort. What we need the most is a free mind without any baggage like the flower and the hovering insect in the example above.
Some would say that a flower and an insect have no feelings like human beings. It is correct, but it is human nature and behaviour that can be refined to uphold high human values. Instead of thinking negatively, using time productively should be the goal. Life is short, allowing a limited amount of time. The priorities are the key factors. How a person leads their life is the absolute choice of a person. It is not the question of wasting time or utilising it, but its management.
Doesn’t the concept of “wasting time” deserve a reevaluation? Fair and unbiased comments from esteemed readers are solicited.
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