The hidden hours, repurposed

This past weekend, I took a trip out to west Texas.  It’s truly amazing country, if you’ve never had occasion to visit there yourself.  I know the sky is the same size wherever you go, but somehow it seemed bigger there.  And living in cities for most of my life, I had forgotten what a sky full of stars could look like.

I went on this trip craving a bit of solitude.  It was a weekend designed as a restorative stop-gap, a little something to take back with me into a tight and busy life.  I thought it would be a nice bookend for the last days of summer, and would prepare me for a new, brisk fall season in Austin.

As with most trips, it had an assortment of shared dinners and sunsets, quarrels, hikes, and naps.

As far out in west Texas as I was, there was no cell phone reception or internet access.  I was astonished to find hidden hours in my day.  You know, the ones typically consumed by the invisible and incremental work that can suddenly, without announcement, swallow an entire afternoon.

I set about reclaiming those hours as my own.  I finished a long book.  I enjoyed slow and thoughtfully-prepared meals, went swimming when I felt like it.

It was nice.  I had begun composing my next visit out before the trip had finished.  It had been too long since I had so many hours all to myself.

When was the last time you had a day to yourself?  I mean a no-strings-attached, unplugged, leave-your-troubles-at-the-door kind of day?

I’m guessing most of us are overdue for something like that.  We have so many obligations and technologies that tie us into our calendars.

As for me, I am excited to see if I can discover a few of these “hidden” hours at home.  I suspect that it is more a matter of retooling my priorities rather than something special in the water in west Texas.  I bet I have all kinds of wayward hours in my days, waiting to be reclaimed and gently repurposed.

And what about you?  Do you have hours that want to be repurposed, too?  What sorts of things would you put into those hours, if you could?  What tasks or projects have you set aside for the time being, and is it time to revisit those?