<p>Prompt: Should people try to be as active and busy as they can, or should they try to have more free time for themselves?
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What was the last time we sat in the park on a Sunday morning to relish the smell of the leaves and the warmth of the sunlight? What was the last time we heard the government say they need more artists, not astronauts? We cannot answer? Indeed, the fast-paced society we are living in has long rendered us rushing machines that careen to work and hurtle home, dragging work to dinner or even to bed. Then we start to question, is material wealth worth the effort? Is ephemeral personal success worth the time we spent? It is by such self-inquiry that we figure out, after all, we have missed so many things, just because we are too busy. Acute examples from Mary Shellys Frankenstein and from Adeles life help illustrate that having more free time for ourselves is vital.</p>
<p>Haunted by his mothers death, the young Victor Frankenstein has persevered to unfold natures deepest secret: a way to bestow life upon his dead mother again. So determined is he, Victor sacrifices his youth to penetrate the branch of natural philosophy at a far away university. What is more, he also spends many sleepless nights to collect and experiment with corpses. However, Victor ends up creating an abominable monster which he himself abhors. Even worse, the good nature monster, ostracized by the whole society and its creator, takes revenge on Frankensteins family. Therefore, what is the point of being busy and active, when even a minute of peace in mind, Dr. Frankenstein couldnt afford? Had he realized such notion sooner, Victor would have ceased to lament the already dead, and would have learnt to appreciate and enjoy the love from his family.</p>
<p>Unlike Frankenstein, Adele, a singer endearingly called by musical critics, the nightingale of Britain, does not fall in the same tragedy. Adele was elevated to international stardom the moment she released her 21 album in 2012. Immediately after that, she won six Grammy Awards, and was called the golden Grammy girl. Nevertheless, even though surrounded by many live shows and record contracts, which promise a prodigious amount of money, Adele just doesnt yield either to her busy life or to material temptation. In fact, her only concern is to have a true home constructed by marital happiness and by the laughter of her children. Such concern implies the urgent need of almost everyone to view hard work as a means of achieving simple happiness, not as the ultimate goal for life. At a guess, Adele must have realized that fame is transitory, and that free time spent with the people she loves is the biggest award a singer and a person can receive. </p>
<p>Inevitably, some may argue that too much free time obstructs progress, and drives people to the bottomless abyss of self-indulgence. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, more free time spent for ourselves helps us re-evaluate our function in a larger historical context. It is a reminder, that when we die, we would leave no more trace of our existence on earth than a stone thrown into a river leaves on the surface of the water, let alone fame or personal achievements.</p>