How many times have you been asked, “What do you like to do during your free time?” Whenever I am asked this question, I simply answer, “What do you mean, ‘free time?’” This idea of free time assumes that there is time in our day when we do not need to be doing anything else; it assumes that we have time to set aside for leisurely activities. Let me get something straight; this does not happen.
Now, you might be asking how this is the case if people do in fact participate in leisurely activities. Yes, you are right, this does happen; however, these activities take place during what I like to call false-free-time. During this time, we convince ourselves that we are free. We tell ourselves that there is nothing else we could be doing in that moment, even though we know very well that there are a hundred different things we could be doing. These thoughts, even as we try to expel them from our minds, are always present during our “free time,” holding us captive and hindering any chance we have at true liberty.
I know that as a college student this happens to me all of the time. At college, the work is never done; there is always some reading that could be done or some assignment that could be started. In any case, I am always searching for free time and convincing myself that I have done enough work for the day. Still, my responsibilities call to me and mock me whenever I take a moment for myself. With every new episode I start on Netflix, I am more and more aware of the things that I am ignoring, including both work and sleep, and yet, I know that I will probably start another episode after the one that I’m watching finishes.
It is true; genuine free time does not exist. It is a fallacy of our minds. We can tell ourselves over and over again that we are “free,” but this is not true. Despite this unfortunate truth, this lie that we tell ourselves is a good lie. We need to convince ourselves that we have time to spend on us without actively worrying about the other aspects of our lives. Without such a lie, we would all go crazy, and there would be no fun in our lives. Sometimes it is completely acceptable, and almost necessary, to make the work wait and to find some time to focus on what we want to do. The bottom line is, no, “free time” does not actually exist; however, false-free-time does, and this kind of free time is a beautiful lie that we must all embrace whenever we get the chance.
