Recreation is for Everyone

Man, woman, boy, girl, young, old - every individual needs recreation! In addition to the responsibilities of the workplace; in addition to the duties around the house; in addition to classwork and assignments from school; in addition to the other obligations of life; each one of us is in need of the refreshment and restoration which recreation can bring to our weary body, mind, or spirit. Each of our individual needs may be different. But, recreation has it all: something for everyone!

Some of us may lean toward some active form of recreation, such as vigorous competition on the tennis court. Others of us might like to get our creative juices flowing by sitting with brush in hand in front of a canvas attempting to paint a beautiful seascape. Still others might enjoy a more passive form of recreation, such as a quiet game of chess seated across a table from a family member while feeling the warmth of a fireplace on a cold winter evening. Or, our choice might be golf, or camping-out, or singing around the piano, or knitting, or enjoying a walk through a presidential museum, or playing a pick-up game of hoops, or most anything that brings us the relief we need from the regular routine. Recreation is like a medicine when it comes to stress relief. Recreation activity can clear our mind of anxieties, worries, and all the things on our "to do" list because we find that we focus on the fun (the tasks at hand) instead of our problems.

Therefore, recreation is for . . .

• ALL AGES (from the basket to the casket; from the womb to the tomb; it is not just for teens)
• BOTH SEXES (boys and girls; men and women; it is not just a guys' thing)
• PEOPLE WITH WIDE SPANS OF INTEREST (from pick-up-sticks to city-league fast pitch softball)

So, get involved in recreation! There is something for YOU. Check out the city parks and recreation department, your local YMCA or Family Y, or a church in your community. Go the the library, discover a beautiful lake, attend a concert, dig out an old fishing pole, take your kids to the zoo or to a circus, play some putt-putt golf, take a dip in the community pool. Do something! Don't just sit around doing nothing. Use your leisure wisely. Let yourself discover the wonderful world of recreation. You will be very glad to did.

RECREATION is not an end in itself - but rather, it is a means to a greater end.