Why is there not enough time for the fun stuff?

Highlights from our meeting on 03/19/03

1. It seems we spend most of our time at work.
2. The things we really enjoy doing are relegated to the leftover time.
3. It is not only the amount of time but the quality of the time that is the problem.
4. By the end of the day, our best time has been spent and our energy level is low.
5. Some individuals have found a way to combine work and pleasure.
6. This may require going against what is expected of us and live a less material lifestyle.
7. In some cultures and "primitive" societies some individuals are allowed to do nothing, while others do the work that needs to be done, without complaint.
8. Would that really work in our culture?
9. Wouldn't everyone choose not to work?
10. If everyone did only what they enjoyed, would everything that needs to get done, get done?
11. Who enjoys laying hot asphalt in the summer time to repave roads in dire need of repair?
12. But a certain number of individuals do pursue their pleasure in their work.
13. Shouldn't we define our terms?
14. Shouldn't we distinguish between fun, amusement, pleasure, leisure, distraction, recreation, artful creation, etc?
15. What some people call fun is just passive amusement.
16. Watching sports on TV is different from actually playing sports for fun.
17. Does our tendency toward passive use of our free time come from the fact that our best energy is used up at work?
18. Is it part of the agenda of "the system" to keep people passive?
19. Doesn't one have the choice to buy into the system or not?
20. Some people have found ways to drop out of the system and become relatively self-sufficient.
21. If one has enough land, one can live off of the land.
22. Is there enough land in the world for everyone to live this way?
23. There is a lot of land out west that is not being used.
24. Is that land really fertile?
25. Is there enough water?
26. Isn't water more scarce than land?
27. There is a limit to the carrying capacity of any environment.
28. As population grows, sooner or later, these limits are challenged.
29. Technology and social structure can extend and has extended the carrying capacity of our environment.
30. For many this means "working for the man".
31. What choice do we have?
32. We always have the choice of attitude.
33. Victor Frankl, a survivor of the holocaust, made this point in his book, Man's Search for Meaning.
34. Does this mean we can be happy in most any situation?
35. If you don't like your work, is it enough to say "change your attitude"?
36. What if you were a slave in the old south?
37. Isn't there a legitimate distinction between oppressive work and meaningful work?
38. The Buddha referred to this as "right livelihood".
39. In situations that can't be changed, having the right attitude can help you find meaning in the face of dire circumstance.
40. In situations that can be changed and need to be changed, having the right attitude can help you make that change.
41. Without the right attitude, you won't be happy no matter what the circumstance.
42. Some say the attitude most necessary for happiness is the attitude of gratitude.