Really?

Do you worry that being out in the cold without enough warm clothing might give you a cold? Or, does it seem to you that people have less free time than they used to -- that everyone seems to be running around more? Or, perhaps you feel that running around is necessary because it now requires two incomes to keep a home going.

You should have watched John Stossel's program on Myths, Lies and Downright Stupidity on 20/20 this week. You would have found out that these are just three of the 10 most common myths about life. For example, regarding free time Mr. Stossel reports:

Surprisingly, since 1965 we've gained almost an hour more free time every day.

"There is a discrepancy between what people say and what they report when they keep a time diary," [sociologist John Robinson of the University of Maryland] said.

We have more free time now, say the experts, because we're working less, marrying later, having fewer children, and retiring earlier.

If we're so stressed for free time, it's hard to explain how 36 million people can find time to golf, and 65 million go camping, and hundreds of millions go to the beach, the movies, and sports events.

He has a new book out, too, describing how he has exposed hucksters and other scam artists.

You can read about other popular myths at the 20/20 Program site -- that may help you decide if you want to buy the book. Now that you know you have more free time than you thought, this might be a way to find out about other things you didn't know you had.