I read a wonderful book called How to be Idle written by Tom Hodgkinson in which he discusses a variety of different ways of how people are “idle”. In this book, he discusses how people need to slow down in life and just relax because relaxing can be just a productive as working for endless hours. From taking naps, the art of conversation, or holidays, our leisure time can really help us step back from life and gather our thoughts from our busy lives. In fact, sometimes using our imagination can help us be more productive. “Our dreams take us into other worlds, alternative realities that help us make sense of day-to-day realities.” (Hodgkinson)
I personally can relate to the ideas of Tom Hodgkinson because I also believe that while working is very productive, having leisure time can also be beneficial to our development. I have family in Hawaii so I have visited Hawaii many times and it is one of the most relaxing places for me to go to. It is not the pina coladas, palm trees or beaches that make it the leisure capital of the world, it is the atmosphere and the mellowness of the Hawaiian residents. In Hawaii, it is nice because Hawaiian residents are more engaged and interested in meaningful conversations. I have gathered with my friends and family in Hawaii and had deep conversations on the meaning of life.
My family is enjoying their time in Hawaii because it is their leisure time. Everyone is so relaxed and calm in Hawaii.
On my mission trip this break, I went to Apalachin, NY to help with the flood restoration with people involved in Greek life. In the times we did not work or have discussions, we had leisure time. In that leisure time, we played soccer outside in the parking lot, played card games and took naps. We ended up agreeing that despite all of the flood restoration we had to do, we considered this a vacation because we were able to spend time with one another and escape from all of the college work we had to do.
Us on a hike. This was quite a vacation for all of us, including our faculty advisors.
While Hodgkinson does emphasize the importance of leisure time, he is very specific about how we spend our leisure time and what is involved with our leisure time. For example, eating is a great way to spend our leisure time but only if we eat and enjoy and not simply swallow our food with big bites. Basically in his book, he wants us to not only have leisure time but enjoy it and not think too much about what we need to do after our leisure time is over.
In relation to the course, it can also preserve our environment because by enjoying our leisure time, we use resources at a reasonable yield. This article lines up with what Hodgkinson discusses. http://benefitof.net/benefits-of-leisure-time/ Hawaii, for example, has one of the most sustainable environments in the country because the residents spend more time in leisure and actually enjoy their leisure time. Because of that leisure time, their social relationships are strong, health is great and their environment remains preserved. We could all learn from the people of Hawaii about how to spend our leisure time and why it is important for us.