What, you might ask, are “dawdlers”? We can remember the word “dawdle” because it rhymes coincidentally with the word, “waddle”. Ducks are “waddlers”. There is a certain relationship between the two words since both have to do with a more relaxed and less rapid style of locomotion. The word “dawdle sprung from the roots of daddle, doodle and dally in 17th century England. Jane Austin used the term to describe “idleness.” Other kinder definitions include, “to linger”, “to amble”, and “to stroll”. These actions are rarely seen in the 21st century United States.
Those who don’t know me well are often surprised to learn that in my childhood I was called a “dawdler”, usually by my mother who agreed with Jane Austin. The scenario would go something like this:
Signs of an Emerging Dawdler
Mom: (calling from the kitchen) “Sherry, would you please dust the furniture in the living-room.”
Me: (agreeably) Sure, mom. (finding a dust cloth and beginning to dust)
Mom: (after 15 minutes) How’re you doing, in there?
Me: (Polishing the coffee table) Great!
Mom: (after 30 minutes) Are you almost done?
Me: (Tracing the whorls in the wood) I’m getting there….
Mom: (after 45 minutes) Are you finished NOW ?
Me: ( entranced by the colors in the wood) Ummm. Not QUITE yet.
Mom: You should have finished by now! How long can it take to dust a few pieces of furniture?
Me: (Choosing not to answer)
There is the sound of rapid footsteps
Mom: (Standing over me) Sherilyn Ann, How long have you been “DAWDLING” over that coffee table?!!!
Point being, I am still am capable of being a dawdler and seriously, it has its advantages! If you never stop to look at the clouds you will miss the moment they all combine in some extraordinary way. If you don’t stop to watch the snow, you’ll miss the moment when the sunbeams catch it drifting down from the trees. It’s really not about wasting time. It’s about taking the time to see what non-dawdlers rarely ever see!
By Sherilyn Rivera
