The Lost Art of Leisure: The Atlantic’s Wonder Reader put together a collection of essays on leisure, which is well timed because July and August are when a lot of people try to take a break and quickly discover they are not very good at it. I say that with some self-awareness. I can work hard. I can fill a day. I can make a list and then feel morally superior when I cross the items off. But doing nothing? Sitting still without turning it into recovery, training, content, productivity, or preparation for the next obligation? That is harder. The best idea in the collection is simple: leisure does not have to earn its keep. A walk does not have to count as exercise. A vacation does not have to make you more efficient when you get back. A quiet hour does not need a measurable return. Sometimes the point is just the point. Sit on the porch. Walk without tracking it. Eat a slow meal with people you love. Watch the clouds move across a field (I really do love clouds). Leave a little empty space in the day and let it stay empty. That may be one of the most useful things we can do, but only if we stop insisting it be useful.
World’s Highest Couple: A headline jumped out at me: “World’s highest couple get engaged.” I assumed it was some kind of cannabis-related stunt. It was a stunt, just not about weed. Two daredevils climbed the transmission tower atop the Empire State Building and got engaged. People willing to do something like that are rarely subtle, so they unfurled a banner that read: “When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace.” That’s cute. The quote is often attributed to Jimi Hendrix, although it appears to trace back to 19th-century British statesman William Gladstone. We can see the lesson about love in the picture, but their lesson about power arrived quickly. The couple was promptly arrested and charged with burglary, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, possession of burglar’s tools, criminal tampering, criminal trespass, disorderly conduct and several other offenses. Kids these days…
July 4th: I suspect we all have favorite holidays. Thanksgiving may still be my number one. I love the traditional meal, football on TV, and a no-shame day to take as long a nap as you want. But July 4th is on my list as well. When I was at war, we were attacked every July 4th. The people trying to kill us knew our holidays and understood what the day meant. That memory never disappears completely, but now I get to spend the day in peace. This year that meant a pool party, plenty of good food, and joining other families for a community celebration. I’m not a huge fireworks guy, which is somewhat common among combat veterans, but they were pretty impressive. We spend plenty of time focused on what is wrong with America. Having visited more than 50 countries, this is still the place I want to be. Sometimes it is worth pausing to appreciate the simple gift of being able to celebrate it in peace.
A Name Returned: Pvt. John Pumphrey was around fourteen when he enlisted in the Continental Army. He came from a prominent Maryland family, fought for nearly four years, reenlisted for the duration of the war, and died at the Battle of Camden. War is often a rich man’s war and a poor man’s fight. But history is rarely clean enough to fit entirely inside a slogan. Pumphrey had choices. He enlisted anyway. He died hundreds of miles from home and disappeared into the aftermath of a battle long forgotten. Nearly 250 years later, researchers used DNA and genealogical records to give him his name back. And his honor. He was never truly nameless. We had simply forgotten who he was.
For the Win: Ward Davis is an Arkansas legend. He has written songs with or for numerous artists including Cody Jinks (my favorite), Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, and countless others. In a world where politics seems to drown out everything else and resolve even less, Ward Davis finally settled the defining ideological question of our time.
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Have a great weekend.
Nathan
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