Taxes

I get very disappointed with time lately. I have taken to putting on my disapproving grandma look as the tick tocking clock merrily ignores the grunts and mumbles passing under my breath.

Time reminds me a lot like my salary. It looks amazing on the whole – a full 24 hours a day! And then, whoosh! I am levied a tax of 33% towards sleep-related activities from birth. On top of it, I am taxed at the rate of 40% as duty towards my employer. In a matter of seconds, my disposable income is down to about 25% of what I earn as time. Out of 24 hours, I effectively have only 6 hours to do as I please.

Unlike my salary, I don’t get any hikes or increment. Neither do I get any paid leaves or bonuses or other benefits. No matter what insanely amazing activity I pull off in those remaining 6 hours, they remain the same. But again, like my salary if I avoid paying those taxes – one day it will come down on me for ignoring to put aside that required amount of time on those necessary activities such as employment, sleep and daily ablutions.

Taking a look at tax-saving schemes, different rules have been created for each and every one of us – nature has been thoughtfully generous in giving us the freedom to do our tax planning and does nothing more than rolling her eyes when we change the plan almost the moment it is made.

I have been given the option of multi-tasking so that I can focus a little more on say, self-learning or binge watching The Newsroom all over again. I can spend a part of those six hours coloring away at my book to simply drain out the toil of those hours spent at work. I have the option of staring at a sunrise on top of a hill which makes time itself transient and gives me hope that it is not too late yet. Walking with an old friend at night while giving up a part of my due to sleep tax is acceptable since it rests me more that any siesta in the world. Also, you can plan for retirement by not delaying the payment!

I have it in my hands to make full use of those six-seven hours left over and make them count so that their worth spills over and above the 24 hours. That is more than what any increment in my time can give me! And time has a tendency to make itself disappear if you give it a chance to. It is tired of flowing and running; it likes to sit on clouds and fish for stars as well. But its freedom depends on our freedom! We can help it by not worrying about the taxes due and instead focus on making the ones paid work. Unlike some governments, time truly wants to use the tax it collects for our enhancement.

I realize that I can make my taxes disappear by paying them wholeheartedly, because then they cease to be a duty and start looking like an investment with guaranteed returns! I just need to find the time to do that…

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