If we're saving so much time, how come we all feel spent?

I am a decidedly low-tech person. I prefer hanging my laundry on the line to putting it in the dryer; washing dishes by hand to putting them in the dishwasher; walking to driving; train travel to plane travel; writing to calling; wood fire to natural gas. The fact that I have a computer at all surprises me, and if it weren't for the fact that it makes a very handy reference tool, communication facilitator and plant stand I would likely be able to get along just fine without one.

I realize that most people's love of new gadgets stems from a desire to get things done quickly: I don't have time to wait for popcorn to pop in five minutes on top of the stove; I'd rather nuke it for three. I can't wait five days for Aunt Myrtle to get my letter asking her to send money; I need the money tomorrow. And I can't spend the whole day travelling to Toronto; I need to be there and back by tonight if I want to watch Desperate Housewives.

It might just be me, but I suspect that a lot of the time we "save" with every new gadget we add is immediately filled with other things we feel we have to do. We all have computers at work, designed to save us time - but who's working less today than they did 10 years ago? And then, when we get home, instead of taking time to relax with our families, a lot of us shift into Martha Stewart mode, making sure that the gardens look perfect and the house looks perfect - never mind that what's going on inside the house is NOT perfect.

Consider kids. As soon as they're old enough, which is not very old, kids get shunted into enrichment programs, so between the time they spend at daycare, or school plus a sitter, and the time they spend learning how to play the violin/kick a soccer ball/paint like Renoir, they're home just long enough to eat dinner with their parents (during which time they're supposed to debrief them on the events of the day, as long as they don't talk with their mouths full), have a bath and go to bed.

And people wonder why our kids display a lack of responsibility to, involvement in or compassion for their families? How can they be involved in something that has nothing to do with them?

Consider also that on the whole North Americans are getting fatter. That's largely due to the fact that a lot of the grunt work has been taken out of everyday life. People don't walk anywhere, unless you count the trip from their car to the restaurant. No one scrubs floors on hands and knees, they use their Swiffer mops instead (and fool themselves into thinking the floors are clean). They don't cook meals from scratch, they vacuum instead of sweeping, they ride lawn tractors instead of using push mowers, use snow and leaf blowers instead of shovels and rakes. And yet people are consuming more calories today than they did 50 years ago, when everyone had to do a little manual labour each day, even if that just meant climbing stairs to get to their office.

I can hear people's arguments now: but I NEED those time-saving doodads to complete all the stuff I have to do on any given day. What, exactly, do you have to do on any given day? Keep the house and grounds tidy? Feed yourself (or the kids)? Do some take-home work from the office? Watch TV? Are you sure that's the best use of your time?

Truthfully, I suspect that a lot of us want to rush through our daily tasks so we can sit undisturbed and vegetate for a couple of hours at the end. Perhaps if we did less, we'd accomplish more. Sit with the kids at dinner, then have them help with the washing up. Blow bubbles at each other. Turn off the TV until bedtime and see if you get bored. With a little luck, maybe turning off the TV will mean an earlier bedtime for some couples - who wouldn't rather create their own all-time favourite sex scenes than watch some other couple get it on?

Again, I'm not telling anyone else how they should live their life, but if you feel like you're over-taxed or empty at the end of the day, look at where you're investing yourself. It's never too early or too late to rearrange your priorities.

And if anyone wants me for the next half hour, I'll be doing dishes with my kids.