How To Be Idle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

How To Be Idle - Essay Example Individual benefits can easily come from having an early evening drink, meditating, and rambling about aimlessly. While societal benefits may be more easily found in savoring the mid-day meal, leisurely naps, and conversing with people. Though touting the benefits of alcohol may start rumors of alcoholism, it can have benefits physically and figuratively. The evening drink marks the end of the work day. All the frustration, endless reports, and endless traffic now become a distant memory against the backdrop of cheerful conversation and the promise of a relaxing evening. Hodgkinson likens this to a transformation into Buddhism, where thoughts of past or future cease and only the present remains. He paints the picture rather well that it is at this time that people become their â€Å"own master's once more† broken free from the chains of â€Å"wage slavery† (113). It is true that there are those who would take this evening drink and continue into a stupor, but that would be missing the point. The point is to become reinvigorated, not comatose. Achieving a balance of working hard while still pursuing other interests in life including daydreaming is important for people if the goal is quality of life. Hodgkinson suggests using general moments of idleness to meditate, or simply day dream such as waiting for a friend, or bus or while being stuck in a traffic jam (228) . Meditation is world renown as being a soothing exercise to de-stress, and clear one's mind. This helps people to realign themselves with what is really important in life and releases them from that feeling of bondage that the modern trappings of consumerism and debt can have. Some promise that alternative lifestyles will help to free oneself from the feeling of bondage, but consequently they only offer an â€Å"alternative set of rules† that have their own complications (Hodgkinson 228). Of course, it is difficult to ignore the honking of cars and the endless dribble of half hear d conversations, but it is achievable and certainly admirable in the attempt. Walking around aimlessly was once the sole right of the elderly, but no longer. Granted it is not a requirement to be without a destination when rambling, but it is crucial not be fixated on it. Take in the sights. Smell the roses, so to speak. Be a loafer. It is amazing what a person can find when not looking. In truth, rambling is another form of meditation. It is meant to gain appreciation and wonder for everyday scenes like a leaf falling from a tree or the way the clouds move with an oncoming storm. Henry Thoreau said that it is easy â€Å"to become a slave driver of yourself† (qtd. in Hodgkinson 228). Rambling is a way of unlocking the chains of slavery that we have placed on ourselves much like the evening drink unchains us from the bondage of the work place. There was once a time when the mid-day meal meant something in society other than just an energy boost to employees so they can keep sl ugging away at the office or factory. It was a chance to get shade from the sun, catch up with friends, and take a leisurely nap. In short, it was a real energy boost. Right now in most western countries it is simply a legal obligation on behalf of the boss. Otherwise, it seems doubtful a person would ever see it. The average Joe looks forward to lunch all morning only to barely get enough time to eat it.