How do I pass idle time?
November 29, 2022 4:57 AM Subscribe
I recently uninstalled social media and blocked a way for me to check it. But now, when I'm waiting in line, or on the subway, or something else...I am a little at a loss about how to spend my time. Ideas?
I'm agnostic about what I can do. Time intervals are usually five minutes/20m max. Bonus points if it's productive in some way. Or extends joy to someone else. I don't like games/sodoku/etc.
Some ideas to kick things off:
1) A nice text to someone saying that I love them
2) haiku writing
3) meditation?
I'm agnostic about what I can do. Time intervals are usually five minutes/20m max. Bonus points if it's productive in some way. Or extends joy to someone else. I don't like games/sodoku/etc.
Some ideas to kick things off:
1) A nice text to someone saying that I love them
2) haiku writing
3) meditation?
Read a book.
posted by Ookseer at 5:01 AM on November 29, 2022 [29 favorites]
posted by Ookseer at 5:01 AM on November 29, 2022 [29 favorites]
Meditation is a great one. Settle into your body, notice your breath and take note of your emotions but don't identify with them. If your mind gets lost in thought, notice it and begin again. I've been working on this and my anxiety has really taken a nose dive as my practice has improved.
Modern e-readers are pretty small. If you've got a bag, having a Kobo (my personal preference) or a Kindle available to read a little at a time could be nice. You could also get a magazine subscription and keep the current edition on you. I've been doing that with Harper's -- the content in those things is all over the place (in a good way).
posted by sewellcm at 5:14 AM on November 29, 2022 [1 favorite]
Modern e-readers are pretty small. If you've got a bag, having a Kobo (my personal preference) or a Kindle available to read a little at a time could be nice. You could also get a magazine subscription and keep the current edition on you. I've been doing that with Harper's -- the content in those things is all over the place (in a good way).
posted by sewellcm at 5:14 AM on November 29, 2022 [1 favorite]
Origami and leave it for the next person to find.
posted by tipsyBumblebee at 5:15 AM on November 29, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by tipsyBumblebee at 5:15 AM on November 29, 2022 [3 favorites]
I look for the shape of a heart in my environment. It doesn't have to be a heart, you could use a different shape like a star, or a color or object.
posted by 10ch at 5:18 AM on November 29, 2022 [8 favorites]
posted by 10ch at 5:18 AM on November 29, 2022 [8 favorites]
I read or people watch.
posted by phunniemee at 5:23 AM on November 29, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by phunniemee at 5:23 AM on November 29, 2022 [2 favorites]
I have the Kindle app on my phone, so I don't have to carry a separate Kindle. I also have the Audible app on there. So I can read or listen to a book whenever I want.
I really like the Workflowy app for making lists. I keep shopping lists for all the stores I frequent, meal plans, vacation plans, goals, To Do lists... any kind of list you can think of. I especially like how well it syncs between my phone and computer. So I can add to my grocery list while sitting at the computer at work, and my list is always with me at the store because I never go anywhere without my phone. So you could do your weekly meal planning, make a To Do list, or a bucket list, plot your novel, or make random lists just for fun... like all the dog breeds you can think of, or your top 15 favorite movies.
I can access my bank through an app, as well as most of the places I pay bills to (most are on autopay these days, but I still have a few that aren't.) So I can log into the bank, check my money situation, figure out my budget, and log into the cable company website to pay the bill, all through my phone.
You can download a tarot card app and give yourself a reading.
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 5:30 AM on November 29, 2022
I really like the Workflowy app for making lists. I keep shopping lists for all the stores I frequent, meal plans, vacation plans, goals, To Do lists... any kind of list you can think of. I especially like how well it syncs between my phone and computer. So I can add to my grocery list while sitting at the computer at work, and my list is always with me at the store because I never go anywhere without my phone. So you could do your weekly meal planning, make a To Do list, or a bucket list, plot your novel, or make random lists just for fun... like all the dog breeds you can think of, or your top 15 favorite movies.
I can access my bank through an app, as well as most of the places I pay bills to (most are on autopay these days, but I still have a few that aren't.) So I can log into the bank, check my money situation, figure out my budget, and log into the cable company website to pay the bill, all through my phone.
You can download a tarot card app and give yourself a reading.
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 5:30 AM on November 29, 2022
One nice thing about winter is that most coat pockets are big enough to hold a paperback.
posted by escabeche at 5:34 AM on November 29, 2022 [7 favorites]
posted by escabeche at 5:34 AM on November 29, 2022 [7 favorites]
I have an ebook reader app on my phone and keep it well-stocked with books.
I spend a lot less time reading than I used to, because of distractions and procrastination, and being stuck somewhere with nothing else to do is one of the few opportunities I have to actually start a book without getting distracted by something else.
(I have an Android phone; I use FBReader as the reader and Calibre Companion to download books from Calibre onto my phone. I use Calibre to manage my collection on the desktop.)
posted by confluency at 5:40 AM on November 29, 2022 [2 favorites]
I spend a lot less time reading than I used to, because of distractions and procrastination, and being stuck somewhere with nothing else to do is one of the few opportunities I have to actually start a book without getting distracted by something else.
(I have an Android phone; I use FBReader as the reader and Calibre Companion to download books from Calibre onto my phone. I use Calibre to manage my collection on the desktop.)
posted by confluency at 5:40 AM on November 29, 2022 [2 favorites]
people watch
posted by Grandysaur at 5:47 AM on November 29, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Grandysaur at 5:47 AM on November 29, 2022 [1 favorite]
Read library books (mostly via the Libby app, but also for some libraries Hoopla and/or cloudLibrary apps) on iphone or ipad, or (I assume, but I don’t have one) android phones or tablets. You can also read books from Libby (not sure about the other apps) on Kobos and Kindles.
Listen to podcasts.
posted by 2 cats in the yard at 5:59 AM on November 29, 2022 [1 favorite]
Listen to podcasts.
posted by 2 cats in the yard at 5:59 AM on November 29, 2022 [1 favorite]
Read a book.
On your phone, a book of poems might fit well on the smaller screen. (Emily Dickinson would be good because hr poems are only a few lines, but you can ponder them for as long as you have time.)
If you have a Kindle or other e-reader, it starts up instantly and weighs nearly nothing.
If you enjoy physical books, paperbacks are often inexpensive at your local library's "Friends" booksale, or of course can be borrowed for free!
posted by wenestvedt at 6:07 AM on November 29, 2022 [2 favorites]
On your phone, a book of poems might fit well on the smaller screen. (Emily Dickinson would be good because hr poems are only a few lines, but you can ponder them for as long as you have time.)
If you have a Kindle or other e-reader, it starts up instantly and weighs nearly nothing.
If you enjoy physical books, paperbacks are often inexpensive at your local library's "Friends" booksale, or of course can be borrowed for free!
posted by wenestvedt at 6:07 AM on November 29, 2022 [2 favorites]
One of my anti-doomscrolling tactics is to nibble away at my language learning. Duolingo can provide short bits of learning, or, depending on the language, there can be simpler standalone apps (I have 2 standalones that are quieter and don't have Duolingo's bells and whistles, but are useful and pleasant).
posted by theatro at 6:13 AM on November 29, 2022 [5 favorites]
posted by theatro at 6:13 AM on November 29, 2022 [5 favorites]
On your phone, you could install a drawing app and practice drawing the things around you. Could make for an interesting kind of record, too.
1) A nice text to someone saying that I love them
This (or just saying hello) sounds nice!
posted by trig at 6:59 AM on November 29, 2022 [2 favorites]
1) A nice text to someone saying that I love them
This (or just saying hello) sounds nice!
posted by trig at 6:59 AM on November 29, 2022 [2 favorites]
You can carry postcards or blank paper and envelopes with you (attach the postage stamps ahead of time) and use loose time like this to write messages to people you care about. Or to prisoners -- back when she was in prison, I recall writing several letters to Chelsea Manning while I was sitting on the subway.
posted by brainwane at 7:00 AM on November 29, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by brainwane at 7:00 AM on November 29, 2022 [4 favorites]
If you just want mindless doomscrolling - https://www.reddit.com/r/all/
posted by achrise at 7:01 AM on November 29, 2022
posted by achrise at 7:01 AM on November 29, 2022
You can journal, which can be done on a phone, for as long or a short as you'd like.
Someone else said duolingo, which is one I do. I also practice my geography, so if you consider learning productive the app Seterra (technically a game I guess) is great for geography.
Also since I cut myself off from social media I now send my goofy nonsense thoughts to my friend group chat and my friendships are way better off for it, so your initial instinct is great and I support it.
posted by wellifyouinsist at 7:03 AM on November 29, 2022 [1 favorite]
Someone else said duolingo, which is one I do. I also practice my geography, so if you consider learning productive the app Seterra (technically a game I guess) is great for geography.
Also since I cut myself off from social media I now send my goofy nonsense thoughts to my friend group chat and my friendships are way better off for it, so your initial instinct is great and I support it.
posted by wellifyouinsist at 7:03 AM on November 29, 2022 [1 favorite]
I write things, plan, ideate, and play out conversations or scenarios in my head. It doesn't matter if I remember them or not. Just the act of doing it is fun and productive.
I've found that the more I do this and let the ideas go (instead of trying to document or otherwise capture them), the better and faster I am at writing, planning, and having actual conversations in general.
There's something about the internal practice that reinforces a belief that I'll be able to write it again later (probably something even better!) or that if it's a truly important or good idea, it'll come up again.
Which is I guess to say that I pass idle time with creative play and abundance thinking (as opposed to scarcity thinking which says things like, “must. not. forget. this. precious. idea” Or “take picture of thing before the moment is gone forever” or “this is the only good idea you'll have so you must document it now”).
posted by iamkimiam at 7:25 AM on November 29, 2022 [3 favorites]
I've found that the more I do this and let the ideas go (instead of trying to document or otherwise capture them), the better and faster I am at writing, planning, and having actual conversations in general.
There's something about the internal practice that reinforces a belief that I'll be able to write it again later (probably something even better!) or that if it's a truly important or good idea, it'll come up again.
Which is I guess to say that I pass idle time with creative play and abundance thinking (as opposed to scarcity thinking which says things like, “must. not. forget. this. precious. idea” Or “take picture of thing before the moment is gone forever” or “this is the only good idea you'll have so you must document it now”).
posted by iamkimiam at 7:25 AM on November 29, 2022 [3 favorites]
If you'd like a more intentional Internet experience, you could read the front page here at www.metafilter.com and leave nice comments on the posts that you like (as someone who makes front page posts, I can assure you that they are very welcome).
If you'd like to keep up with friends or interesting writers who are writing weblogs, you can use a feed-reading app to do that in odd spare moments.
posted by brainwane at 7:34 AM on November 29, 2022 [2 favorites]
If you'd like to keep up with friends or interesting writers who are writing weblogs, you can use a feed-reading app to do that in odd spare moments.
posted by brainwane at 7:34 AM on November 29, 2022 [2 favorites]
I people watch or read but since I got new earbuds I might listen to podcasts or music. I got some that have ambient sound control so I can let as much or as little outside sound in as I like.
posted by fiercekitten at 7:47 AM on November 29, 2022
posted by fiercekitten at 7:47 AM on November 29, 2022
Use a flashcard app or physical flashcards to study something. Vocabulary of a language you're interested in? I use Flashcards Deluxe.
posted by umber vowel at 7:55 AM on November 29, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by umber vowel at 7:55 AM on November 29, 2022 [3 favorites]
I'm trying to get better at just letting my mind wander, daydreaming, as tiny frying pan suggests. I think it's easy to really feel uncomfortable with that - even before computers, people used to read cereal boxes while eating breakfast. I do think smartphones have made it worse though. At some point, I realized I was constantly filling my brain with other people's ideas - not giving myself space to come up with my own thoughts. I think I'm just more creative when I let my thoughts go where they want to. I write, and sometimes I'll come up with solutions to writing problems - it's different from the time I spend sitting in a chair ready to write. I also really like this quotation from Thoreau: "As if you could kill time without injuring eternity."
posted by FencingGal at 8:05 AM on November 29, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by FencingGal at 8:05 AM on November 29, 2022 [4 favorites]
Sketch in a small book.
posted by haplesschild at 8:07 AM on November 29, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by haplesschild at 8:07 AM on November 29, 2022 [2 favorites]
Oh, speaking of sketching. Frederick Franck's The Zen of Seeing is an awesome style to draw in when you're passing time.
posted by 10ch at 8:31 AM on November 29, 2022
posted by 10ch at 8:31 AM on November 29, 2022
Nth-ing the ebook app of your choice recommendations, and the knowledge most public libraries let you borrow ebooks. I'm working to revert to that to extract myself from the death spiral of Twitter (which was, sadly, my default time-killer the last year or two).
Also consider a challenging game of Quordle, or a good crossword puzzle or solitaire app of your choice.
The haiku idea is good and takes me (being an old) back to the days before smartphones when I always had a notebook in my backpack or jacked pocket for jotting thoughts or lines of poetry. Or, if you have any artistic inclination, an ever-handy small sketchpad is great too to creatively use slack time.
posted by aught at 8:35 AM on November 29, 2022
Also consider a challenging game of Quordle, or a good crossword puzzle or solitaire app of your choice.
The haiku idea is good and takes me (being an old) back to the days before smartphones when I always had a notebook in my backpack or jacked pocket for jotting thoughts or lines of poetry. Or, if you have any artistic inclination, an ever-handy small sketchpad is great too to creatively use slack time.
posted by aught at 8:35 AM on November 29, 2022
In addition to keeping books on my phone, I also use Instapaper a lot. See an article online that looks interesting? Shoot it to Instapaper so you can read it at your leisure (articles are cached locally, so it works on airplanes too).
posted by adamrice at 8:36 AM on November 29, 2022
posted by adamrice at 8:36 AM on November 29, 2022
Consider exploring photography, with your phone camera or a small camera carried with you. Use this time to sharpen your eyes, your ability to notice things, and your sense of composition.
posted by fake at 8:43 AM on November 29, 2022
posted by fake at 8:43 AM on November 29, 2022
Read. Crochet. Write a book. (Yes, really.)
posted by stormyteal at 8:49 AM on November 29, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by stormyteal at 8:49 AM on November 29, 2022 [2 favorites]
I don't like games/sodoku/etc.
Me neither. So, what interests you? The Internet is like a library of libraries. When you go to the library, what do you look for? Use a search engine and look for that topic online. Skip over the first page(s) of commercial suggestions. Be amazed at the new stuff you learn about <topic>.
posted by Rash at 9:02 AM on November 29, 2022
Me neither. So, what interests you? The Internet is like a library of libraries. When you go to the library, what do you look for? Use a search engine and look for that topic online. Skip over the first page(s) of commercial suggestions. Be amazed at the new stuff you learn about <topic>.
posted by Rash at 9:02 AM on November 29, 2022
This is a great opportunity to cultivate a little mindfulness in daily life. For me this often means settling into the feeling of my belly as my breath goes in and out. So I’ll loosely hold my awareness in a palm-sized area just above my navel, noticing the expansion and contraction as I inhale and exhale. Sometimes I might use a mental note too: “In”… “Out”… (or rising/falling, or “I have arrived / I am home / In the here / And the now”).
Alternatively, if it’s quite a loud or sonically difficult environment I’d be aware of the sound (instead of fighting against it with mental talk or distraction). Or I might be aware of the feeling of my feet in my shoes.
Doing some sitting meditation helped me get these practices “installed”. So I’d suggest starting there if this seems too difficult or hard to find. It does get much easier over time and becomes a very restful and pleasant way to pass the time and arrive more calmly for whatever life next asks of you.
posted by d288478 at 9:02 AM on November 29, 2022
Alternatively, if it’s quite a loud or sonically difficult environment I’d be aware of the sound (instead of fighting against it with mental talk or distraction). Or I might be aware of the feeling of my feet in my shoes.
Doing some sitting meditation helped me get these practices “installed”. So I’d suggest starting there if this seems too difficult or hard to find. It does get much easier over time and becomes a very restful and pleasant way to pass the time and arrive more calmly for whatever life next asks of you.
posted by d288478 at 9:02 AM on November 29, 2022
I heard something in an interview with Laurie Santos about a psychologist who was so convinced by the evidence that talking to strangers makes you happier that he switched from a smartphone to a basic phone so he would be forced to talk to people in lines and stuff.
posted by catquas at 9:08 AM on November 29, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by catquas at 9:08 AM on November 29, 2022 [2 favorites]
memorize poems.
posted by theora55 at 9:12 AM on November 29, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by theora55 at 9:12 AM on November 29, 2022 [2 favorites]
I practice waiting patiently.
I don't think patience is an attribute that people either have or don't; I think of it as a skill that anybody can add to their personal repertoire and hone with repeated, deliberate practice. Adding it to mine has certainly saved me vast amounts of stress over many years.
A thought I remember finding very helpful when I first decided to do this: Here I am waiting to do X. There is nothing I can do to bring the start of X any closer, and I've already done all the other things I need to have done to make X go smoothly, so until it's time for X to start I can either wait patiently or wait impatiently. Waiting patiently feels a lot more relaxing and a lot less frustrating, so here's an opportunity to practice doing just that.
Advertisers, of course, would rather that none of us ever developed patience. They'd much rather we all found inactivity completely intolerable so that we'll keep on buying stuff to fill it with, but fuck those people. They ruin everything. I don't need to do what they want me to. I can just teach myself to wait, patiently and therefore contentedly, at zero cost and considerable benefit.
posted by flabdablet at 9:19 AM on November 29, 2022 [15 favorites]
I don't think patience is an attribute that people either have or don't; I think of it as a skill that anybody can add to their personal repertoire and hone with repeated, deliberate practice. Adding it to mine has certainly saved me vast amounts of stress over many years.
A thought I remember finding very helpful when I first decided to do this: Here I am waiting to do X. There is nothing I can do to bring the start of X any closer, and I've already done all the other things I need to have done to make X go smoothly, so until it's time for X to start I can either wait patiently or wait impatiently. Waiting patiently feels a lot more relaxing and a lot less frustrating, so here's an opportunity to practice doing just that.
Advertisers, of course, would rather that none of us ever developed patience. They'd much rather we all found inactivity completely intolerable so that we'll keep on buying stuff to fill it with, but fuck those people. They ruin everything. I don't need to do what they want me to. I can just teach myself to wait, patiently and therefore contentedly, at zero cost and considerable benefit.
posted by flabdablet at 9:19 AM on November 29, 2022 [15 favorites]
there are kindle and other reading apps for your phone. Install those, get a bunch of ebooks of different types (so you always have something that suits your mood) and have that be the thing you use for phone distraction. And good for you for uninstalling the SM! You'll be happier.
posted by fingersandtoes at 9:24 AM on November 29, 2022
posted by fingersandtoes at 9:24 AM on November 29, 2022
Read a book. Listen to podcasts or music. Play retro videogames on an old skool Gameboy. Get into knitting/crochet. Pick your nose.
posted by 0bvious at 9:31 AM on November 29, 2022
posted by 0bvious at 9:31 AM on November 29, 2022
I look around and try to find all the letters of the alphabet, in order. You can make the rules as wide-open or constrained as you like. If you're standing in line by some magazine racks, you might even be able to get 'em all! (DAMN YOU J AND Z!)
posted by kinsey at 9:54 AM on November 29, 2022 [5 favorites]
posted by kinsey at 9:54 AM on November 29, 2022 [5 favorites]
See if there are others who are looking for something to do and have a brief conversation. I know Metaites are freaked about chatting with strangers, but I’ve always had lovely experiences while waiting on line, taking the train etc..
posted by Ideefixe at 10:05 AM on November 29, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by Ideefixe at 10:05 AM on November 29, 2022 [3 favorites]
fidget spinner. new language (duolinguo?). learn some knots and practice them.
one reason this is hard is because you used to be able to strike up a conversation with another person waiting in line. Now, that other person is invariably glued to their phone. Makes it lonely.
oh, audiobooks?
posted by tacit_urn at 10:33 AM on November 29, 2022
one reason this is hard is because you used to be able to strike up a conversation with another person waiting in line. Now, that other person is invariably glued to their phone. Makes it lonely.
oh, audiobooks?
posted by tacit_urn at 10:33 AM on November 29, 2022
For short reading on my phone, I'm using the Serial Reader App to get a small daily dose of some classic/public domain book I would otherwise never get around to. Related, I do some of the Dracula Daily/Whale Weekly kind of emails that break classic books into bite sizes.
posted by gentlyepigrams at 11:11 AM on November 29, 2022
posted by gentlyepigrams at 11:11 AM on November 29, 2022
listen closely to your environment.
posted by j_curiouser at 11:11 AM on November 29, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by j_curiouser at 11:11 AM on November 29, 2022 [1 favorite]
The NYT Spelling Bee game can keep one busy for 20 minutes or so. Oops sorry, seeing now that you don't like games.
Journal writing or planning a calendar
posted by winterportage at 11:47 AM on November 29, 2022
Journal writing or planning a calendar
posted by winterportage at 11:47 AM on November 29, 2022
Listen to a podcast or audiobook that's a novel or short stories. Carry a magazine to read. Carry a novella or book of short stories to read. Call [person in your life who would really appreciate a quick hello]. Say hello to a stranger who is also waiting. Carry a small notebook and jot down notes and observations of the day.
posted by bluedaisy at 12:15 PM on November 29, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by bluedaisy at 12:15 PM on November 29, 2022 [1 favorite]
I second the audiobook. I listen to audiobooks through Audible and it is such a game-changer. The audio component completely changes the book. I listened to books I had read and re-read in the past but a good narrator completely changes the book. I can also listen to it while walking to places or waiting or taking a moment.
posted by ichimunki at 5:39 PM on November 29, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by ichimunki at 5:39 PM on November 29, 2022 [1 favorite]
Do nothing. Live. Life is good in itself, not because it is productive.
posted by wps98 at 6:33 PM on November 29, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by wps98 at 6:33 PM on November 29, 2022 [3 favorites]
Duolingo.
posted by maighdeann mhara at 6:53 AM on November 30, 2022
posted by maighdeann mhara at 6:53 AM on November 30, 2022
Use a flashcard app like Anki to learn things you want to learn.
Load up some good poetry on your phone and memorize poems.
A mindfulness thing I like to do is to notice my surroundings, and then think:
* I am here in this moment (noticing something particular about the place and the moment)
* I am connected to the others here in this moment (noticing the other people and dogs and birds and squirrels I can see)
* This moment is unique and will never be again
The peace of being with yourself, whether to notice where you are or to fall more in love with a poem, can be lovely. Enjoy.
posted by kristi at 11:41 AM on November 30, 2022
Load up some good poetry on your phone and memorize poems.
A mindfulness thing I like to do is to notice my surroundings, and then think:
* I am here in this moment (noticing something particular about the place and the moment)
* I am connected to the others here in this moment (noticing the other people and dogs and birds and squirrels I can see)
* This moment is unique and will never be again
The peace of being with yourself, whether to notice where you are or to fall more in love with a poem, can be lovely. Enjoy.
posted by kristi at 11:41 AM on November 30, 2022
Nthing read a book. But also, news and magazine articles, if you have a short wait and don't want to read half a page and then have to abandon it. I use the Pocket app to save articles and other stuff online that I'd like to read, and then scroll through it and read and article or two when I have some down time.
posted by decathecting at 12:16 PM on November 30, 2022
posted by decathecting at 12:16 PM on November 30, 2022
Oh, I forgot about another tactic I've been trying: I got the "Poetry" app (from the Poetry Foundation), which has a "spin" function that will choose a random poem for you. You can also turn a couple of intersecting subject wheels to browse poems that are about various sets of the subjects.
Spinning up a random or semi-random poem is an excellent redirection for my fidgety hands and eyes and brain.
posted by theatro at 3:31 PM on November 30, 2022
Spinning up a random or semi-random poem is an excellent redirection for my fidgety hands and eyes and brain.
posted by theatro at 3:31 PM on November 30, 2022
listen closely to your environment
That one's fun.
So is listening farly to your environment - searching for the sounds of the furthest-away things you can detect.
posted by flabdablet at 6:16 AM on December 1, 2022
That one's fun.
So is listening farly to your environment - searching for the sounds of the furthest-away things you can detect.
posted by flabdablet at 6:16 AM on December 1, 2022
Mending socks! I have a little pouch that goes everywhere with me. Inside are tiny folding scissors, a little ball of scrap yarn, a BIG needle, and a sock that needs some help. Perfect for bits of time in waiting rooms, public transit, etc.. It's practical, contemplative, and satisfying. I walk a lot and get nice wool socks (Smartwool, Darn Tough, etc.). Instead of throwing away a sock that is 95% still good, a quick mend keeps it out of the landfill and prevents production of new goods that are unneeded.
posted by Mournful Bagel Song at 3:39 AM on December 2, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Mournful Bagel Song at 3:39 AM on December 2, 2022 [1 favorite]
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