You Must Play Hooky As Much As You Can Get Away With It!
Because Hanging Out is Always Worth the Time.
Yes!! I know, I know… I am a working artist, I work from home, so my entire life looks like a game of hooky, fair. But that is a design choice I made quite intentionally. (Thank you Oliver Burkeman).
Which is not easy to do because in these United States, we hold many twisted narratives about personal worth that make it hard to prioritize time enjoying each other’s company.
We need reminders to do so, and in the spirit of public service, here is YOUR reminder to take a breather and go hang out with a friend.
Last Thursday I got my reminder as an invitation from my son Joaquín. It was his birthday and he was skipping school and staying home, obviously. He just decided that’s what was going to happen. I, on the other hand, had not planned taking the day off at all, but it was so worth it!
We had fun, we connected, we rode our bikes together, we learned new things, and it was the exact thing I needed to rest and recharge after a busy week of travel and work. Here is a visual note on our adventure. Scroll to the end for a list of my favorite books on doing nothing that I absolutely love.
Books on the value of Playing Hooky:
Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman
How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by Jenny Odell
Meditations for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman
Sabbath as Resistance, Saying No to the Culture of Now by Walter Brueggemann.
Flâneuse! L’arte di camminare negli spazi urbani by Andrea Wandinger. Not on Amazon but if you do go to Rome, stop by Tíc Edicione and get a copy!
What are your favorite books on rest and wander?