It’s interesting how seemingly simple words can convey such radically different meanings to different people. This discussion reminds me of a book on Leisure Studies that I read a few years ago (for those of you who don’t know my brother and I, he inherited all the work ethic; even when reading pseudoacademic books I focus on ones that can justify my inherent laziness). It discussed the differences between a ‘holiday”, a “vacation” and “recreation”. A vacation is simply leaving something (ie to vacate) for a while. It could be your job, your life or simply your neighbourhood. There need not be any greater meaning. A “holiday” began with a day having some kind of special significance. Perhaps at first it was just the longest day, then it was the day your saviour died/was born/etc, then it was a day that a hero did something (often just being born or dying but occasionally something more meaningfu)l. Now the meaning is often lost and it is just a chance to “vacation” if only for a day. You may be asking what the hell any of this has to do with anything but I am getting to that part. The last word was “recreation”. At first it seems the most superficial of all. To play. But is it. Recreation is at it’s root a chance to re-create. We learn by playing, we learn by making art, we learn by doing sports and we learn by traveling. All of these are recreation but all of them are so much more as well. It is a chance to be child again. A chance to look at the world with fresh eyes. To see what you have not seen. To see what others don’t. To share what you have seen with the world, to allow others to see as children. To become more than you are. Call it a sabbatical. Call it a rebirth. Call it a vacation. Just don’t call it unimportant. I envy this opportunity but more than anything I am exceedingly proud to say that my brother is the kind of man that will take a leap. Is it a leap of faith or a leap to faith? Who knows? Most of us will never have the guts to undertake such an adventure. If anyone has a problem with his choices they will have to answer to me.
Dan Eickmeier
It’s interesting how seemingly simple words can convey such radically different meanings to different people. This discussion reminds me of a book on Leisure Studies that I read a few years ago (for those of you who don’t know my brother and I, he inherited all the work ethic; even when reading pseudoacademic books I focus on ones that can justify my inherent laziness). It discussed the differences between a ‘holiday”, a “vacation” and “recreation”. A vacation is simply leaving something (ie to vacate) for a while. It could be your job, your life or simply your neighbourhood. There need not be any greater meaning. A “holiday” began with a day having some kind of special significance. Perhaps at first it was just the longest day, then it was the day your saviour died/was born/etc, then it was a day that a hero did something (often just being born or dying but occasionally something more meaningfu)l. Now the meaning is often lost and it is just a chance to “vacation” if only for a day. You may be asking what the hell any of this has to do with anything but I am getting to that part. The last word was “recreation”. At first it seems the most superficial of all. To play. But is it. Recreation is at it’s root a chance to re-create. We learn by playing, we learn by making art, we learn by doing sports and we learn by traveling. All of these are recreation but all of them are so much more as well. It is a chance to be child again. A chance to look at the world with fresh eyes. To see what you have not seen. To see what others don’t. To share what you have seen with the world, to allow others to see as children. To become more than you are. Call it a sabbatical. Call it a rebirth. Call it a vacation. Just don’t call it unimportant. I envy this opportunity but more than anything I am exceedingly proud to say that my brother is the kind of man that will take a leap. Is it a leap of faith or a leap to faith? Who knows? Most of us will never have the guts to undertake such an adventure. If anyone has a problem with his choices they will have to answer to me.