Juggling

In the states we have a phrase about walking and chewing gum at the same time. This is not a particularly difficult feat to achieve; the meditative motions of one foot moving in front of the other, and then again, and again, combined with the simple vertical jaw movement of mastication, is about as difficult as watching TV while sipping a coke. The idea that clearing such a bar qualifies you as someone who can balance multiple tasks roughly at the same time is laughable, but that's how the New Yorkers (or whoever came up with the phrase) wanted to convey the point.

In this context, I often wonder what people do in their free time. We've all been guilty of wasting away on some internet site, or being out drinking too late, or maybe sleeping for 12 hours on a Saturday. On one level we rationalize that we need this. Our body needs the rest, or a tough week has necessitated long stretches of uninterrupted social time, or killing hours on the web with mindless 'social' facebook nonsense comes in tandem with being plugged in to a world that seems to incessantly move faster and faster.

Yet while I'm busy, I'm really not that busy. I have plenty of time to sleep, to spend with my brother, to see friends. I even have time to party and to occasionally surf mindlessly on facebook, engaging in the rare political argument or laughing about a photograph. I've met a significant amount of vibrant and passionate people while studying at UU, but still there remains countless others who seem totally disengaged—who feel that their participation begins and ends with class attendance or a workday. In a world with so many different opportunities to get involved in any passion, one in which information has never been easier to access and where collaboration can yield incredible results, there should be more people eying up packs of gum and some running shoes.

Take the plunge and see what you can do when you exert some effort towards something you care about; start chewing and go for a walk.