One time I saw Andy unwrap two pieces of gum and put them both in his mouth.

I watched him, puzzled, as I ripped mine in half, unwrapped one half of it, and put it in my mouth.

“Why are you wasting so much gum?” “I feel like one piece isn’t enough.” “Okay, but your gum is going to run out twice as fast. I only chew half in case I have to spit it out sooner than I wanted to. What’re you going to do when you realize you ran out of gum?” “I’ll buy more gum!”

In theory this seems like a pretty trivial conversation, but in reality Andy was onto way more than he probably expected.

We live in a world where cutting back, conserving time, and being productive every second of every day is expected. Any time spent on other things is time wasted.

At first when I would spend a whole day watching TV or sitting in bed I would feel extremely guilty. I felt like a failure. Like I couldn’t get anything done.

Little did I know that I was making myself feel guilty for using my own time doing what I wanted. What in the world is wrong with that? If you pay your bills, and you take care of yourself and your responsibilities, why not allow yourself to use the time that is left over however you want?

Next time you feel guilty for “taking too long in the shower” or “eating too much food” or even something as necessary as sleep, think about that!

If you enjoy these things and you’re using them, there shouldn’t be any reason why you have to feel guilty about that. There isn’t some asshat all knowing human out there who will deem you unworthy of life for deciding to continue the next season of your F.R.I.E.N.D.S. marathon on Netflix, I promise you.

Hell, go out and blow some money on shopping or clubbing if you want to. After your bills are paid, your money is your money as well. You can choose to save or you can choose to spend. The choice is up to you! Ain’t having control of your life grand?

There are even productive/social things that can make you happy. Hobbies, walks, working out, spending time with friends, reading a book, and cooking are all great and therapeutic things you could do. The point is, you choose what you want to do.

Enjoy the time that is rightfully yours. No one should be able to take that away from you.

Listen to Andy. He is extremely wise. I’m a lucky girl!

-Jess