In Pursuit of Useless Skills

A defense of wasting time.

Photo by Peggy Anke on Unsplash

When I was little, my mother was constantly telling me that I was unfocused. Not when it came to school, I did just fine there. I could devour books for days on end, but when it came to trying new hobbies, anything was game.

I dabbled in many things.

I played seven instruments — but none of them well. (Bassoon was my mother’s personal…