Making a Dog Happy and 24 Other Things That Are Always a Good Use of Time

Mindful Living in the Time of the Quarantine

Any time spent reading is time well spent is an idea I’ve thought and shared for years. This strongly held belief is reinforced every time I open a book and learn something new, connect to someone else’s story, spill the creative juice goblet onto the floor of my brain, or simply become more familiar with the nuances of the English language — ultimately improving my speech and writing.

A few years ago, I added anytime spent walking to my mental list of life’s simplest joys that always prove to be a good use of time. Walking is moderate exercise, fresh air is good for the soul, and the explorer in me loves taking in the street view at a walk’s pace. It’s the only pace that allows one to notice the squirrel shooting up the tree, the hand-painted welcome above the doorbell, or the fight for real estate between nature and concrete happening in the cracks below your feet.

Today, as I walked my roommate’s dog, Eco, a very good boy, he looked back at me smiling and I thought, Making a dog happy is always a good use of time.

I was also walking myself, taking in the homes and streets that make up my neighborhood, so it was a double whammy. We proceeded to walk for an hour while having a competitive one-on-one smiling contest.