Examples of the elements of leisure abound, as in some of my photographs from previous posts: a walk on the beach with family, a libation to lighten the mood and make hearts glad. But, what is leisure really? It is not idleness; it is not the absence of activity:
"Leisure has had a bad press. For the puritan it is the source of vice; for the egalitarian a sign of privilege. The Marxist regards leisure as the unjust surplus, enjoyed by the few at the expense of the many. No body in a democracy is at ease with leisure, and almost every person, however little use he may have for his time, will say that he works hard for a living - curious expression, when the real thing to work for is dying...we mistake leisure for idleness, and work for creativity. Of course, work may be creative. But only when informed by leisure. Work is the means of life; leisure the end. Without the end, work is meaningless...leisure is not the cessation of work, but work of another kind, work restored to its human meaning, as a celebration and a festival."
R. Scruton
March 1998
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