On The Death of Daydreaming

I invited Christine to present a section or idea from her book for After Babel. She chose one of my favorites: the loss of “interstitial time.” Interstices are the gaps between things, as with the cells in your body or the spaces between architectural columns. When applied to time, it means the many bits of time scattered throughout the day such as the five minutes that students have in between classes, or the unknown number of seconds that pass while you are waiting for an elevator. These moments used to be given over to silent reflection or conversation with whoever is around. Now, for most of us, nearly all of them are grabbed by our phones.

I’ve noticed I tend to bring my phone with me during small moments throughout the day—times when I really don’t need it. Whether I’m heading to the garage, walking upstairs, or waiting for the microwave, it’s like a security blanket that keeps me from just being alone with my thoughts. I’m going to make a conscious effort to stop doing that and try to appreciate those quiet, in-between moments instead.