Leisure and how to spend it:
Leisure is the spare time when a person is free from his duties. We are living in an age of machines. Machines help us in every walk of life. The work that used to be done with hands is now done with the help of machines. So work is done quickly. Consequently, much time is saved. Every person has some leisure these days. This free time has become a problem for some people. They do not know how to make proper use of it.
Leisure is a source of comfort and recreation if it is properly utilized. But it can result in misery if spent in evil ways. We must understand that leisure does not mean idleness. It is, of course, freedom from our daily work, but some kind of activity must be followed at this time. It is rightly said, “An idle brain is devil’s workshop”. We may try to be idle, but the brain is always doing work. If it is not given some healthy occupation, it will think out mischiefs which will prove harmful to us.
We may utilise our leisure time in one of the following ways. In leisure, one should practice a hobby. Some of the important hobbies are- swimming, riding, hiking, photography, kite-flying, gardening, stamp-collecting and painting. One should select a hobby to his taste and follow it in his free time. It makes life interesting and worth living.
Change is the spice of life and leisure can be useful in changing our work. Persons whose occupations require brainwork can utilise their leisure in doing some kind of hard work. This change will give them recreation. A labourer who is normally engaged in bodily work should take to reading and writing in his spare time.
Leisure may be utilised in adding to one’s knowledge. One may go to a library to study books on new topics or may visit places of historical and scientific interest. In this way, one can increase one’s knowledge of places, persons and things.
Another useful way of spending leisure is to do social service. Some people are not so fortunately placed as we are. We should help them in overcoming difficulties. In India, especially, we have the majority of illiterate people. It is our duty to teach them reading and writing. Leisure may be used to make these people literate.
Leisure is a blessing if used properly but may prove a curse if spent in unsocial activities.
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