Are jigsaws a waste of time?

My wife likes to do jigsaw puzzles. My mum also enjoys them, though she can only do 500 piece ones these days. I quite like the cartoon ones but I have always found jigsaws a bit of a waste of time. Surely I could be doing something more productive than moving bits of cardboard around a table.

This week I have really been enjoying building this space shuttle jigsaw. It is three dimensional and built of wood, so feels more like a model than a toy but it is still a jigsaw. It was a secret Santa present so I felt obligated to build it. I am glad I did because it felt like a real achievement to complete it.

So is doing a jigsaw a waste of time? Have I been wasting my time? Maybe I have but I have also been watching TV this week and how productive is that? And I have read the latest Rory Stewart book, which was also given to me at Christmas. For some reason, reading does not feel like a waste of time, but what good does it really do?

Also I am very aware of Mandy reminding me that we are retired and entitled to relax.

So will I start doing more jigsaws?

Probably not. They are a waste of time.