FREE TIME

While performing the marriage of Dave and Chris Foote, Neal A. Maxwell said that one of the reasons we are so fascinated and preoccupied with time here on this earth is because, in the eternities, we exist as timeless beings. There is one particular aspect of the principle of time which has occupied more than a few moments of my thoughts during my life, and that is the concept of ‘free time.’

I guess by universal understanding, if not by exact definition, ‘free time’ could be said to be that time when we are able to do exactly what we wish to do, even ‘nothing’ if that is our desire. (Another concept of living that I don’t really understand – I think that if you are, you are doing something.), Since logic tells us we are always in the process of doing, then we should immediately come to the conclusion that ‘free time’ in reality becomes a time when we enter into the process of choice. We seem to be living in a continuous stream of borrowing time from one activity of life in order to participate in some other activity of life.

What we do in life is buy minutes from the ‘this of life’ in order to do the ‘that of life.’

Sleep time may be bought with recreation time

Recreation time may be bought with fix-it time

Fix-it time may be bought with television time

Television time may be bought with work time


Work time may be bought with family time

Family time may be bought with over-time

Over-time may be bought with hobby time

Hobby time may be bought with grooming time

Grooming time may be bought with worship time

Worship time may be bought with meditating time

Meditating time may be bought with education time

Education time may be bought with creating time

Creating time may be bought with sleep time

And so, in the cycle of life we finally come to understand that perhaps ‘all time’ becomes ‘free time,’ for each of us is truly left free to choose what we will do ‘this time.’

Can we really say with any validity, “I wish I had time to do ‘whatever?”

Go ahead – take the time to do ‘it,’ but understand those moments will be paid for out of your bank of limited resources.

If you choose to sleep one-third of your life, go ahead, but don't bemoan the added freedom your fellow time travelers gain by only sleeping one-fourth of theirs.

If you choose to formally dine one-sixth of your life, go ahead, but don't bemoan the added freedom your fellow time travelers gain by only eating one-twelfth of theirs.

If you choose to work one half of your life, go ahead, but don't bemoan the added freedom your fellow time travelers gain by only working one-third of theirs.

If you choose to watch television one-eighth of your life, go ahead, but don't bemoan the added freedom your fellow time travelers gain by only watching one-twenty-fourth of theirs.

So, my fellow time travelers, we have a life of ‘free time’ given to each of us. Let us choose wisely and without regret, because at the end of our journey we will have done with ‘this moment’ that which we purchased with our choices.

Soon enough, we will all have an eternity of ‘timelessness’ where we can make endless choices of what to do with our ‘non-moments.’ (That thought is going on the shelf of things to ask those with greater knowledge who reside in a higher sphere)