“Timepass”

So this is a word that’s super Indian (aka if you know what this means then either you have a LOT of Indian friends or well..you know. You’re very Indian.)

But I was really intrigued by this word when I first got here because I had no idea what it meant. It’s basically one word for the phrase “the things that I do when I’m super bored and really have nothing better to do.” It’s not the same as a hobby, or even “what I do in my free time” because even that implies enjoyment or some greater purpose (at least when someone asks you what you do in your free time, you have to say SOMETHING otherwise you sound like a strange person).

This concept is foreign to me, because I’ve had almost every hour scheduled for most of my life, so I did not understand this word at ALL. In college the scheduling was like…down to the 15 minutes. I also suffered from a lot of anxiety, so…it explains a lot.

But lately I feel like it may be a healthy thing to do. I have lots of “timepass” recommendations. Especially from le Netflix. I still don’t know how I feel about it though. Does that mean I’m not living intentionally? The overachieving, type – A version of me is dying a little, and quite mortified that I’m even considering something like this. HOW CAN YOU DO THINGS WITH NO PURPOSE?!?! NOOOOOOOO!!!!!

But I think this whole concept of “scheduling” and “productivity” is very very American. I can’t even say “Western” because I think other European cultures are very different.

Why does every moment of every day need to be productive for me to feel…I don’t even know. Accomplished? But to what end? What am I accomplishing? Am I getting an award for being the most productive individual or something? And even so, what does that even mean? Am I happier? Whose agenda is this serving, really? Because in all of this, I’m usually an anxious, nervous wreck.

I know an alternative now because my husband is appalled at the fact I have a calendar FOR PERSONAL PURPOSES. WHO DOES THAT?! And the American in me is like HOW DO YOU NOT SCHEDULE YOUR LIFE TO OPTIMISE EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY?!

It’s an interesting cross roads. I have no idea what the conclusion is, but I thought I would present the case, to the general internet audience. Just for kicks.