Evidently, only some folks get it.
If you have ever lived in the South, you are lucky to know the value of piddlin’.
“Piddlin’” means almost nothing according to Merriam-Webster. I typed in the word, and it came back as an adjective, can you believe it?
Now, all y’all know that piddlin’ is an action verb! Yes, that’s right and action implies you are doing something even when it looks like yer doin’ nothin’.
I didn’t find much on the verb “piddlin.” It used to mean “to urinate.”
A deeper Google dive found “pathetic, trivial.” More adjectives. And pejorative ones to boot.
A few minutes ago, I found the verb definition and got:
“to waste time doing something that is not important or useful.”
“to spend one’s time idly or inefficiently.”
Hey. Hey! HEY!!!
Piddlin’ is most definitely productive and incredibly useful. In fact, I wish I had more time to do it.
On days where there are no commitments or obligations, I piddle.
Sit and drink my coffee, pet the dog, walk around the yard just because.
Sometimes it is talking on the phone to a friend for no reason. Or looking at all the cartoons in the latest New Yorker.
It can also be surfing the Interwebs for nothing in particular. Not hoping to find anything special. Seeing what the mountainside looks like in India. Looking up my house on Google Earth. Cruising Zillow for the house I am not going to buy.
After a day of piddlin’ my mind is clear. I feel more relaxed. Less stressed. Even more energetic in a weird way. Sounds a lot like meditation, doesn’t it?