Simple Time

"The ordinary acts we practice every day at home are of more importance to the soul than their simplicity might suggest."

- Thomas Moore

Simple time. It's more flexible than regular time.

Before, when my life was busy and complex, the way I perceived time was much different than after retiring early to the simple life.

Back then I resented the time I had to spend doing things like cooking, dish cleaning, and other household chores. 

I wanted to live!

Just that we refer to them as "chores" tells us something about general attitudes towards such things.

A chore is defined as "an unpleasant or burdensome task". Not something you want to spend too much of your precious time completing.

Tasks. Another one of those words - a task is "a difficult or tedious undertaking". 

Yuck. Who wants to do those?

I was always watching the clock to see how many stretched out minutes my tasks were taking, and when I could look forward to getting back to more pleasant activities.

After simplifying, my attitude towards everything has changed, and my chores and tasks have been redefined.

Now I never watch the clock. Things take as long as they take. 

Because of this, I often enter into what is known as a flow state. This occurs when one is absorbed in and concentrating on an activity. 

Specifically, an enjoyable activity, or one that elicits passion. Could one actually look at household obligations in such a way?

When flow occurs, the result is a loss of self-consciousness and a distortion of time. Much time may pass, but instead it feels fleeting. You get lost in it.

Living simply turned my chores and tasks into something more like play.

A friend of mine used to call this Rubber Time, when the minutes and hours get all bendy and flexy according to what you are doing and how you feel about it. 

Other more relaxed cultures know more about Rubber Time than we do in western cultures ruled by an unrealistic and unhealthy work ethic. 

For those that live to work, there is only one time, and that is clock time. Tick, tick. 

We are told that this form of time keeping represents money. If you aren't working, you are wasting time.

Now I don't think about getting things done while I am doing them. I never look forward to switching to something "better" or "more fun" or more "leisurely" when they are complete.

I have come to see that essential daily activities don't actually get in the way of life, which is the way I viewed them before. 

These are the necessary foundational requirements of living.

I have come to the realization that they are life, rather than impediments that get in the way of what we are told are more important, like shopping.

The Zen masters say, "when eating a banana, just eat the banana".

I am just eating the banana, the whole banana, and nothing but the banana.

In doing so, time has become not only rubbery and relative, but also irrelevant. 

I have entered into timelessness, and am at peace with the things that must be done.