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Leisure
Finding the right leisure is an essential part of regaining a natural balance in our lives. But not all types of leisure restore the balance; some might actually aggravate the tensions in our lives. With the beginning of the Industrial Age in the 1800s, people’s way of life changed dramatically. Millions moved from the open countryside to increasingly urban, crowded cityscapes. The natural rhythms of agricultural life were replaced by the artificial clock and the factory whistle. With the move to urban scapes, humans began to suffer extraordinary hardship. In some cities, the coal dust clouded out the sun, and children suffered from rickets. Some social visionaries soon thereafter made a connection between renewed health and that of adequate leisure. Social activists agitated for limits to the work day and a six day work week. Child labor laws were put in place to assure children had leisure time to play. Emerson and Thoreau, among others, advocated people return to the country to regain their balance.
The problems of the harried urban existence and inadequate
leisure time remain with us today. But what is leisure,
and how much is enough? The entertainment-recreation-leisure
industry works hard to convince us what is 'fun'; what is
'relaxing' is what they offer. Is this true? Just think: if a
gambling trip to Atlantic City were effective leisure, then why
all the advertising? It is because people are not sure how to
regain the balance. We hope this page helps connect you
with those more natural forms of leisure that you can use to
regain your balance.