My compulsion to accomplish is fueled by a computer the size of the pack of cigarettes my mom used to slide into her purse. Portable devices allow us to learn foreign languages, listen to books, and attend lectures, all while we work out, make dinner, pull weeds, ride the bus, or wash dishes. Mine serves as my calendar, my watch, my address book, and my to-do list. Its podcasts accompany me on my walks with my dog. Such current-day multi-tasking mania feeds my fears of sloth, conceived in my Midwest, Missouri Synod Lutheran upbringing. However, I don’t think I’m alone in my uneasiness with moments of seeming non-productivity.
There’s so much in 21st Century American life that denies inherent value in meandering, sitting, or observing without hurry or efficiency. I recall a day, though, when my workout with the dog stretched longer than usual, beyond the length of the hour-long program I typically listen to. Even after nearly forty years of sitting in silent Quaker meetings, I resisted…
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