A quick little note for today:
A friend sent me a link to this piece of fluff. When I was finished visiting the site, my immediate reaction was, “Well! That was certainly a waste of time!”
But then I reconsidered: I had spent perhaps five minutes (if that) doodling and watching to see what would come next. I enjoyed myself, felt gratified that someone had provided a bit of levity in my day, and admired the creativity behind the scenes. My day was somewhat brightened, and I felt comfortable enough to share the enjoyment with a few folks on my email list (and via this post).
So: Did I waste that time, or did I spend it well?
I vote for the latter.
Questions: Do you ever do something just for the fun of it, heedless of its cost—temporal, or otherwise? Is there room in your life for frivolity? What benefits might accrue from seemingly pointless behavior? What would it really cost you, either to do something frivolous, or to avoid such behavior?