It's easy to feel worthless when living in a society that tells you worth equates productivity and output. It is, I think, the reason why so many of us get caught up in this rat race, where we feel compelled to make, to earn, and then subsequently to spend. It feels like that's us meaning something, and it fits nicely with this modern focus on individualism - all you need to focus on is you. What you do. What you make. What you buy (ideally for yourself).
Except maybe that's not where it's at.
I spent a very nice day in the country yesterday, something I haven't done in a while, and I wasn't sure I was gonna like it. I get antsy when I'm pulled from my usual rhtythm, and more so when I feel like I'm wasting time. I can be very chill, but only if I allow myself beforehand to hang loose, and I happened to do that, just in time. 'Cause there was this part of me convinced it was gonna be a bit of a waste of time - why do nothing in the country when you can do something in the city? Ideally something productive?
But so often, our thoughts and expectations set patterns, and I knew if I was gonna see it like that, I was better off staying home. So I made the effort to shift my attitude, and figured fuck it, let's do a day in the country.
And not see it as a waste of time, but as being productive in a different way. For better or worse, 2025 has so far meant hanging out with my extended family a fair bit. It's a pretty large and unusual clan and someone was saying recently how interesting it might be to have so many cousins all around the same age, and I thought you know, they're not wrong. Sure, like all families, we have our disagreements. It's not nothing to have all these someones in my life who have been ever-present, and for whom I've been a constant, as well. A few days ago, one of them reminded me of walking through Lyon together a few years ago and I thought hey yeah, we've seen quite a few different stages of each other, haven't we? Isn't that exciting?
That was maybe why I agreed to visit my aunt in the country. I thought there was something to gain, and I wasn't wrong. I found, once you give yourself permission (if, like me, you're someone who needs to do that), a whole wealth of experiences opens up to you. I spent hours talking with my aunt, listening to her, having a genuine, beyond-surface talk. I shared morning coffee with my uncle for the first time ever. I observed. I took in. I tried to be truthful without depleting myself.
I met this wonderful lovely guy:
Look at him. He's huge. And also really cuddly. Once he'd established there was room for cuddles and scruffles, he wouldn't get out of the kitchen. It was great, 'cause I didn't want him to.
I think one of the drawbacks with making your own schedule and working, as I do, a loose, freelance style, is that you can easily slip into a tyrant. At the office, there's a clear clock-in and clock-out time, but when it's me making the rules, I can sometimes feel like I'm not doing enough. So it was damn fine giving myself a break for once and opening myself up to the people around me who, for better or worse, are family. Who are there for good. Who mean something.
It was a good day. A really happy, really chill day, and it sounds like cliche, but I found an ease washing dishes, sharing stories over coffee, and watching old movies in the middle of the day. And I realize it might sound like complete nonsense - so you watched an old film at noon instead of working, so what? It's not like I have a strict, rigid job. Thankfully, none of us do. Which means we get to share moments like this every once in a while. Hanging out in the middle of a Wednesday doing fuck all. Chatting. Breaking bread. And I realize now I have no idea right now how valuable these memories will be someday.
But I have a feeling they'll come in at a lot more than a day spent writing shit I'm gonna delete anyway in editing or driving myself up the wall. I'm not materialistic by nature. I don't give a fuck about expensive things. But I do understand how people get hooked on spending the money they earn - after all, this losing important moments, this driving yourself up the wall needs to be for something. And for me, I can say it is. But it shouldn't be at the expense of days like this.
P.S.: Cheers @graveyardpat for the pic!
Hive is my job so I spend a lot of time here. Lately my efforts has been rewarded but sometimes I still make posts that get less votes than I would like. In that case I often try to make a second post the same day. This takes time. I been buying some HBD as well. But I still wonder if I am doing enough. I want to gather as much Hive/ HBD as possible before I am forced to use them. One thing I should do better is commenting on others posts more. Right now I am engaging more than I did in the past but I can still improve.
It can be hard to keep up with leaving as many comments as we'd like to. I tend to go on comment sprees when my Adhd slips up and I remember how much I miss all my friends on Hive 😂! I also don't post too often though, so with this it is easy for me to leave many more comments than posts on chain.
If saving up hive is a priority to you, I was wondering if you'd considered delegating to a project that pays out delegation rewards? A shameless shill, I run one such project called @hive-up, which is dedicated to supporting authors who are consistently growing stake on chain. After the 7-day curation window cycles, you begin receiving 100% of the curation rewards that your contribution earned in liquid hive daily! Of course, we are just one of many projects that offer this.
Cheers to growth and connection 😄
Thank you but I prefer to use my stake myself instead of delegating it.
From what I've seen, too many posts in a 24 hour period doesn't go down too well. My personal experience has been that, while I do treat Hive very seriously, I'm trying to ignore the money aspect as much as I can. I've noticed once you start angling for the cash reward alone, it seldom goes your way... Still, good luck with gathering as much Hive/HBD as possible :)
I'm so glad you listened to your instincts and learned that 'wasting time' actually is the best gift we can give ourselves in the times we live in. We don't need to always be 'busy' being busy!
My cousins and I don't have much in common except that we share the same DNA. But when we get together it's always such a happy occasion.
Nice that you have this memory dear @honeydue ❤️
There's a trend in the modern world to say "what does DNA matter" and cut out the people in our family all too easily. It's not nothing, this bond.
That's spot on @lizelle! <3
The constant feeling that we have to do something that creates value to someone or something chases most of us I think. I'm glad you slipped through the ropes of that to enjoy a day in the countryside!
For me, it's been easy to waste months that turn into years just being "productive" without making many actual memories. I think you're spot on that these simple days getting down to basics and enjoying good company end up sticking with us SO much more than the money we made or things we achieved.
That doggo is one cute fella! Here's to days with sweet pups and family! 🥂
100% agree to everything you said there! There needs to be a balance. Sometimes a break from being "productive" allows us to be much more so when we come back with batteries replenished. lovely to see you my dear! I'll drink to that ;)
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