“what Is This Life If, Full Of Care, We Have No Time To Stand And Stare?”

HariLakhera · Feb 20, 2026

“WHAT is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare?”
W H Davies
If we just look around, we will find that we have surrounded ourselves by gadgets that help us save time.
A peek in the kitchen and here you have a mixture, grinder, juicer, oven, microwave, water heater, rice cooker, roti maker, and now robots, and what next? The basic purpose of these gadgets is to make life comfortable and save precious time so that it may be used for some leisure activity.
A look into our day-to-day life will reveal that we have phones to get connected with friends and family at any time of the day or night. This is not only quick and comfortable but also saves time and money, which we would have otherwise spent by visiting them personally.

We have vehicles of all sorts to save time and, of course, for comfort. We have laptops and iPods that go with us wherever we go for our comfort and time-saving. We take flights to save time, we order a quick lunch to save time, we take our breakfast/coffee, and talk on the phone while driving or even walking. All this we arguably do to save time and to be used for some leisure.
The more time-saving devices or modes we add, the busier we become. The very fact that we added these facilities to our lives to save time for ourselves is lost somewhere on the way. We wanted to improve our quality of life by inventing these gadgets and succeeded to a great extent, but at what cost?
I am reminded of the very old poem by W. H. Davies, ‘Leisure’:

“WHAT is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare?”

Life is much more than living a life of all work and no play. Take a break from routine and go away. The world was here before you were born and will still be here after you are no more.

Go and meet your friends. Go and visit places you always wanted to. Just stroll aimlessly.

HariLakhera · Feb 28, 2026

HariLakhera said: ↑

“WHAT is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare?”
W H Davies
If we just look around, we will find that we have surrounded ourselves by gadgets that help us save time.
A peek in the kitchen and here you have a mixture, grinder, juicer, oven, microwave, water heater, rice cooker, roti maker, and now robots, and what next? The basic purpose of these gadgets is to make life comfortable and save precious time so that it may be used for some leisure activity.
A look into our day-to-day life will reveal that we have phones to get connected with friends and family at any time of the day or night. This is not only quick and comfortable but also saves time and money, which we would have otherwise spent by visiting them personally.

We have vehicles of all sorts to save time and, of course, for comfort. We have laptops and iPods that go with us wherever we go for our comfort and time-saving. We take flights to save time, we order a quick lunch to save time, we take our breakfast/coffee, and talk on the phone while driving or even walking. All this we arguably do to save time and to be used for some leisure.
The more time-saving devices or modes we add, the busier we become. The very fact that we added these facilities to our lives to save time for ourselves is lost somewhere on the way. We wanted to improve our quality of life by inventing these gadgets and succeeded to a great extent, but at what cost?
I am reminded of the very old poem by W. H. Davies, ‘Leisure’:

“WHAT is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare?”

Life is much more than living a life of all work and no play. Take a break from routine and go away. The world was here before you were born and will still be here after you are no more.

Go and meet your friends. Go and visit places you always wanted to. Just stroll aimlessly.
Click to expand...

Thank you Syamalaji for reading and liking the post.

Thyagarajan · Feb 28, 2026

HariLakhera said: ↑

Just stroll aimlessly
Click to expand...

You summed up nicely the chaotic world and every one trying to save time using comfort or convenience gadgets and the quantum of time saved ought to be enormous but to what purpose that time is utilised. It is used only to have useless chat or go through information overload. Every one seems to be in a tearing hurry to save time and money and in that process lose health and to recover spend the saved money! And time?

Spouse & me got into a city bus bought holiday ticket that permit travel till midnight of the day travel in any of city bus plying in other routes within city limits. Entire day we travelled from one terminus to another alighting and boarding another route bus. She sat by window in the middle of the bus and I sat by her side near aisle. It was aimless travel. We broke journey once for lunch and evening refreshments. No meeting or visiting any place or temple. We selected routes where bus ply through long stretch of avenues that offered cool breeze while it is hot in April/May. We were amused, entertained, fascinated watching other passengers struggling & getting in and out and being crushed by others in varying moods and distressed!

At some spots the bus gets over crowded or jampacked . Some with their infants struggling to get a seat. Young man stubborn to leave the seat reserved for senior citizen when senior old woman beseech him. Another young lady pull the young fellow dragged him out from the seat and told the old woman to occupy it. The male conductor was a sorry spectacle.

Two medium aged women sitting side by side offered to hold infant while baby's mother was standing. She handed the baby to the sitting woman and a while later she wigh her friend stood up handing the baby back to the lady and both alighted at the next halt. Moments later, the young lady shouted that baby silver anklets missing and those two women alighted are thieves!
A nice day baby’s Day like.

HariLakhera · Mar 1, 2026

Thyagarajan said: ↑

You summed up nicely the chaotic world and every one trying to save time using comfort or convenience gadgets and the quantum of time saved ought to be enormous but to what purpose that time is utilised. It is used only to have useless chat or go through information overload. Every one seems to be in a tearing hurry to save time and money and in that process lose health and to recover spend the saved money! And time?

Spouse & me got into a city bus bought holiday ticket that permit travel till midnight of the day travel in any of city bus plying in other routes within city limits. Entire day we travelled from one terminus to another alighting and boarding another route bus. She sat by window in the middle of the bus and I sat by her side near aisle. It was aimless travel. We broke journey once for lunch and evening refreshments. No meeting or visiting any place or temple. We selected routes where bus ply through long stretch of avenues that offered cool breeze while it is hot in April/May. We were amused, entertained, fascinated watching other passengers struggling & getting in and out and being crushed by others in varying moods and distressed!

At some spots the bus gets over crowded or jampacked . Some with their infants struggling to get a seat. Young man stubborn to leave the seat reserved for senior citizen when senior old woman beseech him. Another young lady pull the young fellow dragged him out from the seat and told the old woman to occupy it. The male conductor was a sorry spectacle.

Two medium aged women sitting side by side offered to hold infant while baby's mother was standing. She handed the baby to the sitting woman and a while later she wigh her friend stood up handing the baby back to the lady and both alighted at the next halt. Moments later, the young lady shouted that baby silver anklets missing and those two women alighted are thieves!
A nice day baby’s Day like.
Click to expand...

We seem to lack civil sense also. I have seen young men occupying seats reserved for seniors, looking into their phone pretending as if they did not see. Handing over your kid to any strange fellow is foolish now.
I understand senior citizen discounts have been withdrawn in trains.