Monday on the schedule, under the excursion section, there was the word “leisure.” Our excursion was leisure? What did that mean? Were we going to take the day off and stay on campus? Why would we want to stay on campus all day doing nothing, when we could be exploring Rome? I had no idea what to expect for our leisure excursion to say the least.
To my surprise, we ended up at Rome’s beautiful park that was filled with trees, fountains, sculptures, and ducks that stretched for acres. Professor’s only instructions for the day were to be back in two and half hours. That’s it.
As I entered the park, I thought about our discussion in the classroom that morning. What is the point of leisure? The typical American answer was to relax and regroup in order to perform better. We began talking about the Italian definition of leisure and how it is not taken as a moment in time to recharge, but a moment in time to grow. In Smiles, an essay written by Muriel Spark, focuses on her own experience of Rome. In the final paragraph, she writes, “Work is pleasure and pleasure is work. “ I can bet there aren’t too many people who can agree with that statement. Spark does not separate work and leisure, but rather combines them, creating a more fulfilling experience. This shows us that Italians take leisure a step further than just R &R.
Leisure is basically an art. When you see it and feel it in the right light, everything clicks and just makes sense. During our two month vacation before coming to Rome, I found out what made my leisure, great leisure. It was people. Conversing, learning, and listening was what made my time worthwhile. This all clicked for me when Carol and I went walking through the park together. The conversation was easy, I was not concerned with time, and there was nothing to worry about. I found such contentment in the rhythm of our walk, the laughter in conversation, and the overall atmosphere of green. I realized that giving time and sharing it with people was all the leisure I could ask for. I was not “recharging my battery,” but enhancing the quality.
Dayna, perfect blog. Well done in every way.
ReplyDeleteGood blog Dayna. It was interesting to read this since I spend a good deal of my leisure time by myself. This blog made me feel that my excursion in the park was a little bit too lonely.
ReplyDeleteI liked how you talk about work and pleasure being connected. I dont think that you can connect them, but I do think if you never work then you would be bored out of your mind. In my philosophy class Trapani asked "what would you do if you never had to work another day in your life, money would never be an issue, what would you do?" If you take the time to think, you realize that work is essential to having a normal life so I understand where Spark is coming from.
ReplyDeleteGreat blog Dayna! The park was beautiful! I just sat and read and relaxed in the park. I got up and walked around a little bit. It was just a relaxing day!
ReplyDeleteDayna,
ReplyDeleteThe park was a great time! just having nothing to do and doing whatever we wanted...like galloping around the horse track while people stared at us! It was such a fun time and really relaxing!!!