There is a difference between dilly-dally and linger. Lingering is not procrastination. Lingering is purposeful. Lingering doesn’t cause you to miss your flight or a deadline. Pokey Pete is not a lingerer.
Plus it is a fun word to say. It makes your mouth feel good to say. You pucker your lips at the beginning and end. Linger upon that exercise a few times. I bet money you end up saying the word aloud…a few times. I did a bunch of lingering this weekend. I did the things I needed to complete, but along the way I was diverted. I sat texting until I killed the battery on my phone when I could have been writing (this post). I sewed a quilt, a whole quilt top. It wasn’t my goal. It just happened. Admittedly, I was daydreaming a bit while I did it. Lingering is closely related to fiddling and I like to do that, too. Lingering is that space cats have perfected. Lounge in the sun, look through a magazine or cookbook or your fabric stash. Linger while watering plants and touch all the leaves and fronds. Lingering is often misconstrued as daydreaming. Daydreaming is when you are off in space, some other time or imagining. Linger is in the present, right where you stand (or lie or recline) and you are captivated in the moment, the sensation, the idea. To linger is to be RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW sans urgency or hastiness. Lingering is the “Whoa Nellie!” commandment. Slow the sh*t down and smell the roses. Be amused. Be astounded. Feel something. Don’t flee or fidget. Let whatever yanked your emergency brake hold your attention….until it doesn’t hold your attention. There is no gluttony in the lingering space. You don’t gobble it up and hunt for more. It self-satisfies. It is enough. Until the next time. Linger is not obtrusive or petulant. No foot stomping or hostage demands. No extortion by shoulda, coulda or woulda. Linger is cool with that. I love to linger.