Lucky Half-Hours

Every so often, even in a very busy life, a person has a half-hour. A half-hour between drop-off and work. A half-hour, because suddenly, a meeting is delayed. A half-hour, because the bus or train gets you there quicker than you planned.
 
I used to think that those half-hours were an invitation to "play hooky," to do some window shopping--or real shopping, to stop for a smoothie. In general to do something "decadent" that, without that half-hour, I would never have the time to do. It was satisfying.
 
What I am discovering these days is that there is something equally satisfying about spending those half-hours accomplishing things that seem hard to get done in the rest of the time that you have, but that need to get done (preferably sooner rather than later). Not the "buy milk," because you will do that regardless, but the "make annoying insurance phone call," because you will try to put that off forever. Not the "write a note to the teacher," because that is a must, but the "buy stamps for the letters that will need to go out in a few weeks," because that will make life a whole lot easier in a few weeks.
 
Essentially, I have discovered that a little thought to filling some of those half-hours differently makes the rest of my hours more than just a little better. It's not that I will never "play hooky" again. It's just that sometimes, I find satisfaction in making my life more pleasant for the long haul, not just for the half-hour.
 
So, here's to having those lucky half-hours--as often as possible. And here's to all the different ways we can use them well!