[Bulkington]

I can say this: As much as I believe anything, I believe I was born to write a widely acclaimed novel. But I'm also a rational person who recognizes this is ridiculous. Even a person seriously dedicated to writing a novel faces a long shot. I'm not a serious person, even though I've made a decent living as a journalist/propagandist. Now I'm of an age that my failure bothers me. But I just don't have the time--or, more accurately, I don't have the wil--to forego pleasant distractions. Priorities. Make a call.

More practically, maybe a counterpoint, maybe not: My wife's constant scrolling of her social media feed drives me crazy. What a waste of a time, I insist. Yet moments ago she shows me the below. Does it qualify as learning something new, a diversion worthwhile? It's a lifesaving technique I didn't know; arguably an investment of a few minutes that's more valuable to me than the weeks/months/years I might spend to craft a piece of fiction that likely would be unread.

tl;dr: utility has limits in making life choices.

https://youtu.be/VUsnmGXJ70E