Now There’s A Word..

…that I haven’t heard in quite a bit: lollygagging! A nice rolypoly, fulsome kind of word, made all the more interesting by its meaning. Which I didn’t know pat, but knew it had something to do with time-pass…. as used in the Bombay-sense, with all its delightful overtures and possibilities. For instance, the peanut-vendors along the highway who go along vending ‘time-pass’… utterly delightful - the understanding of the need of long-distance commuters for refreshment, not just of the body, but also of the mind.

So this piece of writing, which combined lollygagging, with the caption ‘…Maybe you need to work harder on working less,’ proved to be irresistible. Thanks to KRNS for the pointer. Here’s a bit from the complete piece by Steve J Vaughn:

Every writer knows you can’t sit down in front of a notebook or computer screen and wait for ideas to simply show up. You’d better have some ideas before you sit down, and you’d better figure out a system for harvesting those ideas.

Ironically—and happily—one of the best ways to achieve this is to do…nothing. Well, not nothing, exactly. Think of it as “creative lollygagging.”

Picture yourself as a satellite dish. The way a dish receives signals is a decidedly passive activity, but nothing comes in until the equipment is properly charged and opened to the universe. A few years ago, ensconced in one of my “brewing” modes—done with my last novel, waiting for the next to come a-knockin’—I decided to take my dish to the beach and open ‘er up.

Sounds to me like a philosophy for leading life! And by the way, lollygagging, as per the American Heritage Dictionary means: To waste time by puttering aimlessly; dawdle. And it thoughtfully adds ‘Origin Unknown!’ :o)