I suppose I was in my late thirties-early forties when I came to the realisation that, like most people I knew, I had been brain-washed by Society to conform to the norm. I had been educated to tertiary level, I had been engaged, then married and had the required two children.

To support that 'standard' family, I had to have the prestigious job, I had to have a prestigious house along with its required burdensome mortgage, and I had to drive the prestigious car.

That meant I was continually 'chasing my tail', forever being obliged to spend increasing amounts of time at work, and spending increasing amounts of time fitting in with the social mores of my community.

I wasn't doing those things that I enjoyed. Instead, I was doing things that Society demanded of me. I wasn't living, I was merely being a 'pack-horse' carrying the demands and externally-imposed responsibilities of a wider community.

When I got kids and looked back at my twenties, I can't remember what the hell I did with all that time.

Every day at work. My career is going nowhere. It took me a few years of getting screwed over to realize it.

that implies it's possible to waste time.