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60
9
February, 1952
more leisure. As to new books, I find that I can save time by going through the book catalogues and marking the books that I want, then throwing the catalogues in the waste basket.
THERE are a few ways of utilizing time that would otherwise be wasted. At the family dinner table, a really good book, read aloud to the family, will raise the tone of the dinner; but it is difficult to manage with a full mouth. I have read some Shakespeare, and a lot of Mark Twain in this way, discussing them with the family. A book would not need to be very good to run somewhat above the ordinary dinner table patter.
And I am no longer a joiner. I want to do what I want to, when I want to. I think we must be individualists, stubborn individualists, if we are to have any time. We must learn to enjoy being thought a bit crazy, perhaps even somewhat impolite. For instance, it has become a fashion to send out Christmas cards to all our relatives, friends, acquaintances, and some strangers in various parts of the world from Siberia to Guadalcanal. In my timid youth I fell in with the fashion, until I had to fix up a card index to keep track of my friends et cetera, and was on the point of engaging a secretary to manage the business.
Then a great hght fell upon me, and I sent a notice to several hundred thousand people that I was their very dear friend, loved them and would treasure their love and friendship till purgatory froze over or until further notice; that in the meantime would they please put my name down as a friend and think of me at Christ
mas time or as soon thereafter as convenient and practicable, as I would also vice versa and reciprocally; but I would not spend two weeks before the birthday of the Prince of Peace getting out enough Woolworth cards to give the mailman arthritis for his Christmas. Oh, I do care for my friends, and I reply to all such cards if I can, but not in Christmas vacation , and I don't just send the printed lines about the joys of the non-existent peace; but tell them how I am, and my wife, and the boys and the dog — something intimate and confidential. Similarly I long ago dropped the custom of giving anyone but the children presents. If it's the custom, I'm against it, particularly since by being so I can save money and time.
I have discovered, finally, that to a considerable extent we must choose between leisure and personal importance. I had much more leisure when I held a less important job than the one I now hold — there is a less important job than that of professor. As assistant professor, I let the deans make the speeches, and let the older professors serve on the committees to guard student morals. I had no car, belonged to no clubs, owned no radio, of course, had few responsibilities of any kind, and could often take a long, leisurely walk on Sundays, or could read books that I wanted to read.
Like most men, I find that as I grow older I take on some new functions and new responsibilities; but I am learning to choose. And I'm learning that most of what I do is of little importance. I'm making progress, and perhaps I may solve my problem. If