You are granted a secret one hour every day, during which you can do whatever you wish.
The conditions:
[ul]
[li]The rest of the world stops, but you are not allowed access to it. In other words, you can’t steal money from banks or go through your neighbor’s panty drawer[/li][li]You must do the same activity every day for one year, after which you can change to a different activity if you choose (same one year commitment)[/li][li]You may not engage in any illegal activity[/li][/ul]
I think I would practice the piano for my first year. I’ve considered just sleeping - which is very tempting - but I would love an hour every day of dedicated playing time.
Year 2: Either continue the piano, or read for an hour
Since I can’t go through my neighbors’ panty drawers or do anything on the sly, I would spend the extra hour sleeping. Then I could get up an hour earlier or go to sleep an hour later and still get a full night’s sleep. I could then use the extra waking hour without any of the restrictions imposed on the extra hour.
I want to say I’d use it to learn another language or study Science! or something useful like that, but realistically if I wasn’t using it for an extra hour of sleep, I’d likely be playing computer games, reading a book or watching one of the “must-see TV” shows that it’s physically impossible to keep up with nowadays.
If I was feeling particularly motivated I might go for a bike ride or something sensible occasionally, too.
If the rest of the world just stops and is frozen still then I would go for a walk. Great way to get that exercise I need and go explore my surroundings free of danger or annoyance.
There’s so much to gain by having time to study the world without distraction, eyes and ears open. I imagine it would be quite enlightening.
I already have too many hours, owing to the reduced time needed for sleeping in my old age. I wake up an hour or two earlier than I want to, and it takes a conscious effort to pace myself through a whole day which seems too long. I’d function a lot better on a 23- or even a 22-hour day.
One of the restictions is a problem I wouldn’t be able to watch any live-stream sports events online, because (I an told) that is an “illegal activity”.
Home repairs. Catch up all the stuff around my place that I don’t have time to do otherwise, unless it’s a day off like today. For year two, it would be all craft projects (to sell and as gifts), all the time.
I’ve read similar polls in the newspapers over the year, and the usual number one answer is “Read”, so that’s my answer too. I’d catch up on newspapers I never get to, tackle that bookshelf of books I’ve bought but never read, or re-read my old favorites.
I would definitely use the time to read recreationally. I am so busy typically, that the only time I have to read recreationally is in the middle of the night on those nights when insomnia keeps me awake. I would love to have one hour, each day, guilt free, that I could read a good book and give it my full attention.
Normal people manage to balance work, family, hobbies, exercise, and they still have time and energy for some random goofing off. Clearly, everyone else already has at least 72 hours in a day, and I’m the only one stuck on 24. I’ve known that for years. Don’t try to tell me otherwise.
So if you’re giving me just one extra hour, you’re being a cheapskate.
We probably need to define “interact with the world” better. Does that mean that electronics would be frozen, and you couldn’t watch TV/use your DVR, or surf the web or whatever?
Or are you just stuck in your house with whatever you can do within your house?
I mean, the sleeping one is really compelling, because I’d like more sleep anyway. If that’s not an option, I think I’d exercise in some fashion- make a home gym, get an exercise bike, etc…
