On Lazy Afternoons

If you’ve been paying attention to the news in the entertainment industry, or some of my essays, the Writers Guild of America is on strike…luckily for me, I just joined their ranks a few years ago, which means, I am also on strike. I remember the 2007/2008 strike quite well. I was in high school and my father was out there walking the line. Now, 16 years later, I’m on those same lines. Striking for fair wages and fair treatment is clearly very important but this isn’t about that. If you want to hear about that, give me a few drinks, wind me up, and let me go. No, this is about the one, the only, the lazy afternoon.

Now, I’m not only a writer, I’m also a substitute high school teacher (as I’ve also discussed) but it’s summer vacation right now, so I’m not doing much writing, I’m not doing much teaching, and there’s only so much picketing one man can do, which means I have some afternoons to fill. Having been a writer for the past decade, I’ve had quite a few spans where I was self-employed. This means I’ve become a master of filling up my time. With that in mind, here are my top three activities for a lazy afternoon.

Number three: go for a walk. You may be asking yourself, “Didn’t he say lazy afternoon? Isn’t walking the antithesis of being lazy?” Well, that’s why it’s number three and not number one. When you have time to burn, there’s really nothing like getting outside and just taking a stroll. You never know what you’ll see! Maybe there’s a really cool car parked somewhere, maybe you’ll run into a parade, maybe you’ll get attacked by a dog and then you’ll at least have something to write about when you do your weekly essay.

Number two: read a book. I love TV and movies as much as the next guy or gal. I mean, I better… I’ve created an entire life around it. Sometimes though, you’re just looking for an activity that hits a little different. There’s something about the pacing of a book, the quiet nature of it, the way you can pick it up and bring it with you into the kitchen when you inevitably find yourself looking for something salty or sweet to tide you over until dinner. Books were just made for lounging around in the mid-afternoon sun.

Number one: taking a nap. This should be obvious. Our country is great at a lot of things: having the most nukes, NASCAR, and having more pet dogs and cats than any other country in the world. Do you know what we’re trash at? Nap culture. SO many places around the world have figured out that a quick little snooze in the afternoon makes life much better. Babies do it! Your grandpa/grandma, or your dad/mom, or you (depending on your age and level of retirement) do it! We should all be taking a nap, ESPECIALLY on a lazy afternoon. Take my advice, next time you have a lazy afternoon, go for a little stroll, read a bit, then let yourself drift off into the heaven that is an afternoon nap!

What about you? What’s your top lazy afternoon activity?