Recreation
Leisure is time at one’s own disposal; time which we can spend as we like. At one extreme are the so-called “leisured classes”, the whole of whose time is leisure. At the other are those who get little or no leisure. Neither of these two classes or people are to be envied. Most of us, however, have to work most of our time for a living, and yet have more or less leisure time at our disposal. What use do we make of our leisure hours ?
We can excuse some greatly over-worked folk if they use what little leisure they have simply for rest. They are so tired that they can do nothing else. But many who have no other excuse simply waste their leisure time in doing nothing. They will just sit and smoke with vacant minds, or potter about and idle round in an aimless way. What they miss! Others, craving for change and excitement, spend all their leisure in a giddy round of noisy amusements. An occasional dance, or cinema, or variety show is all right; but to spend all one’s time in a restless rush of exciting pleasures is in the end exhausting and unsatisfying, and certainly does not fit one for serious work. And some, tired of innocent though silly amusements, are led to spend their leisure in vicious pleasures, which do them moral harm, such as gambling, drunkenness and worse.
All these ways of spending our leisure time are an abuse of leisure. How can we use our leisure wisely, so as to get real benefit and lasting enjoyment from it ? Leisure should be used for recreation — that is, “recreation”. Besides bringing relief and change from our regular work, leisure should restore our energies, and so fit us for work again. Leisure need not be mere rest, or doing nothing. As Gladstone used to say, a change of occupation is rest; and the best way of using our leisure is to find something definite to do that interests us, and that is quite different from our regular work. A clerk, for example, who needs fresh air and exercise, will find gardening an excellent employment for his leisure hours; while a professional gardener, who needs physical rest, will find pleasure and relief in a game of chess, or a good book, or a chat with friends round the fireside. This is where a good hobby comes in; for it gives us something definite and interesting to do in our leisure time.
