Plastic Chairs

sitting.

What does it mean to be productive? Why do we feel this need to be actively producing something all the time? Is there something wrong with just sitting and doing nothing? Is sitting really just doing nothing? I came across the following quote which accurately describes an activity that I’ve spent a large chunk of the past year doing: just sitting down, in the company of other people.

The Psychology of Sitting:

“People in Western civilization no longer have time for each other, they have no time together, they do not share the experience of time. This explains why Westerners are incapable of understanding the psychology of sitting. In villages all over the world, sitting is an important social activity. Sitting is not a ‘waste of time,’ nor is it a manifestation of laziness. Sitting is having time together, time to cultivate social relations.” ~Andreas Fuglesang

still sitting.

When I stop by someone’s house, the first thing they do, sometimes before they even ask how I am, is put out a chair or bench for me. Once you’re seated, even if you meant to just pop in for a minute, you may find yourself still in the chair anywhere from ten minutes to three hours later. Some of that time will be spent conversing; some, just sitting. Luckily for a chatty [ahem] person like myself, you’re not expected to talk for the entire time. As Americans we don’t like silence, every gap in the conversation must be quickly filled, or it’s awkward. In Nauela, it's ok to not say something every minute. 

The important part is that you're sitting, together.

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