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Taking a well-earned break

By Staff | Jun 23, 2017

Everyone needs to rest.

We can all try to go 24/7/365, but at some point we will burn ourselves out. In our culture and, maybe more specifically, our society, productivity is valued above most everything else. It even comes down to the first question any of us are asked when meeting someone new, “What do you do?”

That is a bit of a loaded question, isn’t it? We could respond in any number of ways from brushing our teeth in the morning to what we typically eat for breakfast. The question is loaded, however, simply because it is implied that the asker wants to know what we do for a living.

We are so much more than what happens between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. But, in the hustle and bustle of life, the hours between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. can often feel like, and take up, all of our physical and mental capital.

However, we will eventually burn out without rest. All cultures – outside of our own Western mind set – value rest. Even some Western nations see the importance in it and provide such opportunities for their labor forces. In America, however, taking a break from work is seen as lazy, unneeded or childish. We desire to get as much do as we can, as quickly as we can, no so that we can take a breather, but so that we can move onto the next big project or idea.

Let us try something as a community in the coming weeks. Let’s vow, as a community, to take one day a week, kick up our feet, relax and take a break.

We have earned it Shepherdstown. And, quite frankly, it is needed.