TIB: I believe in free time.
Near the end of my sophomore year of high school, I found myself with an abundance of free time. My friends weren't hanging out as often because they (unlike me) focused hard on their school work and understood what GPA meant. I hadn't joined any clubs at school, I didn't have hobbies, other than playing video games, which I wouldn't really count. My free time was expansive and empty. As boredom set in, as well as some light depression, I sought out activities. As my birthday approached, I set my sights on the coolest thing I could think of: the bass guitar. I watched videos, tutorials, reviews, everything I could to assist in the purchase process. I presented my findings to my parents, who were amazed that I sought out something creative and engaging to invest my free time into. Enthused, they split the price of my first bass guitar with me. With nothing else to do, I practiced my eyes out. I never became, and will probably never become, a master of the bass guitar craft, but I'd say I'm fairly decent. The skills, while encouraging, were not the game changer that came with my new musical escapades. The real gain was the realization that free time does not need to be free. I can trade some of it for something worthwhile. For me, that was music. Now, music is necessary for my daily life. I wake up to my daily mix of music, anytime I drive there's music on in the car, and taking the T, music is a must. Understanding, to an extent, the art and intricacies of music expands my world view, and provides me with a deeper understanding of culture. I listen to music with a purpose: to enrich myself. Each time I put on a song, there is something to gain. New bass lines, sure, but different genres provide new methods to interpret lyrics. Different cultural music teaches me applicable knowledge of tradition and practices within said culture. The arts, for myself specifically music but to anyone else it could be any form of art, enhance my abilities in other areas of life. Spanish music, for instance, has greatly assisted my endeavors in learning Spanish. As simple as it seems, this is a practice that took me a great while to realize, and even longer to purposefully execute.
I believe in free time, just as I believe in the arts. The next span of time that presents the opportunity to lounge on the couch, I recommend you put on some music, or scroll through some famous artwork; find something which engages your mind in some minute way, and you might soon find yourself actively seeking out a new interest.
Image: Electric Bass; Source: Pixabay
This is such a cool way to frame your ideas; I like your exploration of "free time" here a lot! It definitely made me think about how I define and spend my own free time. The connection to the arts makes so much sense because it's something that often influences our free time, but I don't think most people would interpret like you did at first. Great food for thought!
ReplyDeleteMike i gotta agree with you on the Spanish music because I love Spanish music as well, but In general i love music in totality because It is soothing. I also have a guitar and I haven't really played it in a while especially now that I get loads of homework but it is definitely a cool hobby to have. I also have a game console but I can't stay on it all day because I have a job and bills to pays but usually when time permits I play some COD. Free time is important for the mind, because it removes all the clutters and stress from the mind which also promotes better health. I like listening to variety of music in my car and when I get stuck in traffic I turn the music up to forget I am in traffic. I am also athletic so I like to run outside or go the gym and get some proper blood flow though out my body.
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