And isn’t it about that age of 50 when we become so aware of passing time and its value? Some understand the value of slowing down and savoring the moment at any age. For me when I reached 50 some few years ago, I became more appreciative of time. But having made that statement, I now recall being 20 and aimlessly wandering from country to country in Europe over several months. I had no agenda; I had always very little money. It was an open-ended adventure. I remember seeing exhausted vacationing Americans with Eurail passes hell-bent on “seeing” the sights in as short a time as possible. They were on a different time plane from me. (I’m British and live in America). Perhaps I have always valued my own time. It’s had its costs, but unlike Lamb, that cost has been so worthwhile.

I know of Lamb only through his quotes. I’ll add “The Superannuated Man” to my reading list. Thank you

Something else you might find pleasure reading (and commenting on) is Patrick Leigh Fermor’s little book, “A Time to Keep Silence.” He forsakes the stimulations of Paris to find solitude in monasteries. First, he visits The Abby of St. Wandrille de Fontanelle, where he undergoes a sort of stimulation-withdrawal. Like a drug addict shaking off his habit goes through discomfort, including boredom and insomnia. But then it falls away. He comes to find a piece with himself: a lightness of being. Leigh Fermor is a fascinating character the more you learn about him. This was the first book I read by him, and so eloquently written, that it catapulted my own interest knowing more about such a being. And there is quite a bit to know.

Thanks again for your piece on Lamb and time. Time poverty is an interest of mine.