Take Back Your Time

Feeling frazzled? Overworked? I know I am, and I'm not alone--Americans work longer hours than they did in the 1950s, and a stunning nine weeks per year more than Europeans do. Makes me tired just thinking about it. Toss in our consumer-oriented, car-dependent lifestyle and it's no wonder we're spending more time acquiring things and less time enjoying them. (Hectic schedules have also fueled environmentally unfriendly trends toward driving more, buying more pre-packaged food and other goods, and being less engaged with our communities.)

I'm thinking about this today because October 24 is Take Back Your Time Day, an annual event to raise awareness about the "epidemic of overwork, over-scheduling and time famine that now threatens our health, our families and relationships, our communities and our environment." This year's theme is "Let's Get Back to the Table." So instead of eating on the run tonight, gather with friends or family, savor some good food (locally grown or organic, of course!) and talk about things that matter. It may be just one meal, but it's time to start somewhere.