Recreation ’26

“Recreation is not a secondary concern for a democracy. It is a primary concern, for the kind of recreation a people make for themselves determines the kind of people they become and the kind of society they build.”  Harry Allen Overstreet

This week’s conversation is around recreation; it is described as “leisure time” and an activity that one does when not working.  This then, could describe a myriad of activities and will look different for us all.

What do you do for recreation?  How do you balance your life?  These are very important questions to ask, and they could also make all the difference to your wellbeing and work/life balance.

We all have the same amount of time in each day, yet we all have different schedules and/or responsibilities to do with this time.  For those, with children and/or caring responsibilities, your availability will look different to the time I have. 

Leisure activities for me have changed over the years and now include more restful activities, not the sports that I did when I was younger or watching the kids play their sports.  Although, whilst visiting a family member recently – I did enjoy watching him play two games of soccer!

I now enjoy reading, watching movies, spending time with family and friends, short trips away in the van and of course, there is always my weekly mosaics to keep me busy and entertained.

I am also currently planning a small project and whilst some of this is underway, I am also waiting on others to assist with some of the “making” and ordering the exterior mirror.  This will be a feature piece for the mosaic garden feature I am working on.  Projects often mean both the resources of time and finances, in which the two are not always present at the same time!

With any leisure or recreational activities, there is always the issue of affordability and whether they fit in with your schedule.  They also need to bring you joy and are an essential part of self-care.

If you have a younger family, there is also the issue of being able to compromise and juggle time with your partner.  This ensures that you both get the opportunity to have recreational activities and time out to be the best version of you.  For those of you who are single parents, activities that the whole family can enjoy may be beneficial or making time available when the children are also at their own activities and entertained.