Today’s blog prompt is: what do you enjoy doing most in your leisure time? At first glance this looks like yesterday’s prompt about what you do for fun, but as I got to thinking about it, there are differences — although “enjoyment” is an aspect of fun, “fun” isn’t necessarily an aspect of enjoyment.
For example, yesterday was an enjoyable day. I walked to the grocery store to pick up a couple of things that I needed, and I saw a friend there. She offered me a ride, so we visited as we meandered the store and then continued chatting as she drove me home. Such surprise meetings with friends are always enjoyable. Later, friends brought dinner over here and we just sat and visited. It was too low key to be “fun,” but it was certainly enjoyable. (Though after a while, we had to make a concerted effort not to talk about homeowner’s insurance. Theirs went up as much as mine, and we were all still reeling from the shock of it. It got to be too depressing — and not at all enjoyable — to discuss the idiocies and unfairness of the insurance racket.)
Though perhaps that doesn’t answer the question. One definition of leisure time (I Googled it, of course!) is free time spent away from such activities as work, chores, errands, eating, and sleeping. If that’s the case, then yesterday’s enjoyable activities weren’t done in leisure time, since in the first instance, the enjoyment revolved around errands and in the second instance the enjoyment revolved around eating. Come to think of it, all of my visits with friends involve those activities. If I’m not hitching a ride with friends to go shopping, then we’re sitting around and eating. Still, by my simple definition (awake time not spent working), that’s still leisure time since all my awake time is free time except for the few hours a week I spend working. After all, I don’t have to do chores or errands at any given time; I can wait until they are not a burden but are rather enjoyable.
On days like yesterday, what I most enjoyed doing in my leisure time was visiting with friends, on other days, such as today, what I most enjoy doing is being by myself, not having to deal with problems, and not talking to anyone, not even cherished friends.
The way I figure it, my days are enjoyable either way.
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Pat Bertram is the author of Grief: The Inside Story – A Guide to Surviving the Loss of a Loved One. “Grief: The Inside Story is perfect and that is not hyperbole! It is exactly what folk who are grieving need to read.” –Leesa Healy, RN, GDAS GDAT, Emotional/Mental Health Therapist & Educator.
Bertram's Blog 
January 28, 2023 at 12:05 am
To me, running errands and going out to eat with friends and family are both quality leasure time activities.
Since in IT we’re all working from home these days, those are good excuses for me to leave the house. Otherwise i’m somewhat homestuck.
Going to museums or tea time with my mom are also great ways to escape those walls i own.
January 28, 2023 at 9:10 am
It must be hard, never being able to ‘go home’ after work. It’s good to have ways to be unstuck.
January 28, 2023 at 9:27 pm
To me, leisure is defined by an absence of stress and uncertainty. One could even be working, but running on autopilot and enjoying a sort of leisure. Whether I’m being paid to do what I’m doing isn’t a defining trait of leisure.
Fun, on the other hand, is defined by an element of uncertainty. I could be working, but still having fun. Fun doesn’t necessarily work out well, but that’s what makes it fun.
January 29, 2023 at 9:50 am
I like your definitions. There is certainly an absence of stress and uncertainty when it comes to leisure, otherwise it feels like work.