It's time to quit wasting my time

It seems I barely got on Missouri’s “No Call” list just in time before all the unsolicited e-mails began to pour in. Otherwise, the time I would have spent answering annoying telephone calls, plus the time I spend deleting unwanted e-mails, would have equaled the time I spend sleeping. One can only wonder at the miracles that might take place if these marketers would devote as much time trying to improve the status quo as they do in creating ways to make nuisances of themselves.

I often think about how people of my mother’s generation seemed to have so much leisure time, in spite of the fact that they had so few labor-saving devices. In our house, there was only a wringer-style washer for the laundry and our clothes had to dry on the line. The only work-saver I recall was a vacuum cleaner. Clothing and linen had to be ironed because there were no permanent press fabrics. Nevertheless, my mother always had time to read books and teach us girls the fine points of sewing, embroidery, knitting and crochet. And more important, there were always those memorable hours spent in conversations, which were great adventures in learning. There was no end to new topics to discuss, intriguing theories to investigate and introductions to other cultures that needed to be explored.

Maybe it was because there was so much to be accomplished in a day that I learned early on the importance of not wasting time, and I continue to be impatient with time wasters and time-wasting devices.

Little did I realize my upbringing would be so ill-suited to a culture of endless consumption, the constant pursuit of pleasure and the lack of intellectual stimulation. I marvel at the hours some acquaintances obviously spend watching movies that they admit merely hold their attention. I deliberately shy away from people whose conversations are invariably about their children, their grandchildren and their latest health report. I find it difficult to believe there would be so much to be learned and so many avenues to pursue that goal that so many people would be content to languish in knowledge common to most 10-year-olds. I never thought the day would come when the desire to learn would become a liability in everyday conversation.

There are so many issues of importance for this nation to consider at this time that it seems absolutely astounding the amount of time spent by the national media on celebrity trivia. I just keep waiting for some authority to emerge from out of the midst to call a halt to it. Of course, normally, that would be “we the people” because we have the ultimate control. The fact that most people seem to feel such a sense of powerlessness, makes me feel at odds with the world I live in. Since the Vietnam War, I have had a sense that things would never be allowed to get totally out of hand because “we the people” would rise up and exert our influence. At this point, I can only conclude “we the people” are not the same people who believed in the Declaration of Independence.

For example, with the retirement of Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, many feel with the appointment of a more conservative judge the Roe v. Wade decision will be reversed. That could well happen because the generation of men and women who fought for that ruling has given way to a new generation. Obviously, it should be up to those whose lives will be affected by that reversal to make their approval or disapproval known. On the other hand, if they persist in allowing political leaders to make decisions for them, they will simply have to live with it. Frankly, I’m bewildered that with the number of birth control methods available that many women would experience unwanted pregnancies. Movies and television programs that sanction irresponsible and unprotected sexual exploits as the nation’s favorite pastime has taken its toll. In an environment more given to self-discipline rather than self-indulgence, at this point in time, the matter of Roe v. Wade should not be viewed as threatening by anyone.

The freedom to follow where others lead and to behave like others behave may be what some believe to be the substance of democracy.

My special delight these days is not only to encounter individuals who think outside of the box but those who also look inside the box and evaluate the information in a totally new light. Believe it or not, quite a few of them are still around.

Otherwise, these days, my favorite button to push, on the computer and in daily activity, reads DELETE. Things have gotten so bad that I can liken a five-minute televised national newscast to a 24-hour stint in the desert without water.

The only thing I feel I can count on is that by next week it will only be worse.

You can join the conversation with Rose M. Nolen by calling at 882-5734 or e-mailing her at nolen@iland.net