By Pam Hadder
Industrial
revolution economists imagined how time-saving technologies and devices would
reshape our world. It was predicted that a
20-hour work week would be the norm
by the 1980s, resulting in the luxury of more free time, increased wealth and
improved health for the average worker. These
benefits were expected to arise out of the time-saving and productivity-boosting
efficiencies of increased mechanization.
Despite some good intentions, this humanistic vision has not been realized. Yes, working conditions have improved over
all, and people are living longer, but women, children and the poor are still
exploited around the world for a minority class of wealthy business owners. Global
capitalism and corporate greed have burgeoned, ensuring that the financial
benefits reaped by technological development remain polarized – the gap between
the haves and have-nots remains and widens. And the real kicker – the average person is
working longer and longer hours with less and less leisure time, and with
limited power to change the established structures of control.
Sometimes I
wish that I did not know about the potential good for mankind presented by the
industrial revolution. Instead of
working more efficiently and having more time for family, recreation and
creative pursuits, people are increasingly pushed to be constantly engaged and
plugged in for business. To do otherwise
is to risk being labeled as out-of-touch, un-hip, washed up, unmotivated and so
on.
And so, what
to do about summer? Summer adds a layer
of complication; yes, summer is problematic!
Despite the constant pressures of busy-ness and the dog-eat-dog
aggression of our neo-capitalist world, summer still elicits steamy, soft-focus
images of relaxation, repose and the simple appreciation of our natural
environment. Summer gently engages our bodies
and our imaginations, leading us on a very human path to our origins and most
basic instincts for living. Pair
“vacation” with summer and you risk some extraordinary push back – you’re doing
what, going where, for how long? Don’t
you know the world will stop if too many of us unplug, take off our shoes and
head off barefoot down dusty trails?
Henry James,
an American writer born during the industrial revolution, once said, “Summer
afternoon, summer afternoon: those have always been the two most beautiful
words in the English language.”
Beautiful yes, and precious, and significant – so, why not serve yourself
a generous piece of summer. Savour each taste, each sound, each colour; every
scent and every memory – and be conscious of their importance to your well being. Summer remains a loaded word, so resist the
pressure to deny your humanness, and layer your summer moments with all of the
positives you need to remain whole and connected to your personal purpose.
