So true.

I've watched multiple family members retire and only then start asking questions about the society they grew up in. But not too hard, cuz they're old and tired and very much set in their ways. My father refuses to believe there's any better way to do things than the way we currently do them, despite me pointing out that at one point it was normal for children to work 12 hour shifts, so obviously things can change for the better.

Both my parents worked from the time they were in high school to the time they retired. Unbroken. Never got to explore. Just plugged into the system the entire time. Neither one of them know what to do with themselves now because they never had hobbies. Go to work. Come home. Take care of kid. Go to sleep. Repeat.

I've been through a few periods of unemployment and I learned so much during those periods. In so many ways. Things I would absolutely not had time for if I was pounding out 40+ hours a week. I remember during a summer I was unemployed and had no money to spare, so every day I would just grab a book and bike to the river and lay on the beach and read. It was amazing. We all need more time for things like that. Or you know, actually raising our kids instead of hoping the system does it for us while we're at work.