Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1920-12-08
How to
Live
Common Sense Comments IN
Health. Happiness and
Longevity
By GEORGE r. BUTLER.
A. NJ. M d.


1 DuSy man 10 ledTu ~ lh pay. All
work and no play makes Jack a dull
boy" More men have been killed by
! the negative influence of lack Of play
than by the positive effect of exces-
sive work. or all things. the busy
man should give up the senseless and
wearing habit OF revolving In his mind
in the evening. and during his spare
| time. the matters which have occu-
pied him during the day. A certain
brand OF tobacco used 10 be adver-
tised with the epigrammatic advice.
''If smoking such and such tobacco in
terferes with your business. quf your
business" OF course. the admonition
is absurdly overdrawn. but IL has "a
grain of sound philosophy In il, too.
which is, that IL is just as important
that business should not be allowed
to interfere with play as that play
should not be allowed 10 interfere
with business.
Play is form of rest II properly
INDUCED. II improperly INDUCED Il
becomes labor. poisonous exertion
drudgery. doing harm rather than
good. IL is as bad for the body or
any Of it's members 10 he overstrained
In play as In work. and in the excite
ment or rivalry Of play the line OF
demarkation between benefit and i'm
jury is very often overleaped. The
basic definition Of play is, ITO engage
in some exercise for the sake OF
amusement" Here the word would
seem TO mean what II does not mean.
for amusement" Is that which amuses
or pleasurably engages the mind. SO
"play" has come to mean many differ
ent things. from music TO gambling.
Whenever, however in any amuse-
ment you are interested chiefly in
some advantage 70 be won. you have
passed from The amusement OF play
TO the amusement Of work. In play
ing II Is not necessary that II be pur-
poseful. One should let himself go
now and then and Just frolic. All
that is necessary to learn about play
is TO understand that all play is good
II INDUCED in moderation and at req
should balance. Rowing, running,
golf, tennis. all sports that will take
us where there is good air and sun
shine, and force us TO exert our bodies
TO the point Of taking deep breaths
are beneficial. Indoors, light reading
when the mind is weary. card playing
and other frivolous amusements are
sometimes good. The all-important
requisite is 10 maintain a playfulness
of spirit which is quite independent
OF external aids.
You can learn even 70 have fun
with yourself letting your imagina-
ton play all kinds of pranks. Play is
recreation. refreshing and tightening
the monotony Of life. Change of
work Is not recreation enough for the
Intense worker OF today. The mind
and will must be emptled of all Sc
robustness and purpose, and relaxation
should be sought In romp and frolic.
The place and inspiration OF
mans play should he, par excellence,
his home, although sometimes il is
better to get utterly away from your
family and all familiar things and peo.
pie, to play alone or with pew-made
friends or comparative strangers.
Home, however, should represent TO
man the highest type of play-the
unbendine and relaxing Of his facul-
ties i'm frank and loving sociability.
And II is this element IN his life.
typihed by his home. ana for the
most part afforded by his home. that
I urge upon my readers and patterns
to deliberately cultivate. thus adding
many years 10 their physical life and
untold blessings 10 their minds and
hearts. LEARN HOW TO LIVE.
The deepest-rooted cause of disease
is that Overworking of the brain and
over-excitement of the nervous system.
which are the necessary consequences
of their intense activity. Hence.
nervous prostration, nervou. dyspep-
STA. consumption. Bright's disease. and
innumerable other maladies In a
word, the American often works him
self 10 death.
Play is the great harmonizer OF the
human faculties Over-strained and
made inharmonious by labor. IL is the
agency that keeps alive and in healthy
activity the faculties and sympathies
which work fails 10 use or helps
~ repress. II is the CONSERVATION OF
moral. mental, and physical health.
The life OF the present day il liveo
al fever heat. Life is literally a bat.
tie. and men are falling by hundreds
in the thick Of the fight; they go stun
bling on. robbing themselves of sleep
and rest and play, till they break down
ntO an insane asylum OF into IN.
| grave.
Fresh air is the STAFF OF life No
man or woman can reach the best pos.
sible development II deprived OF fresh
air for few hours every day.
Bad hnhii- careless living. dissipa
ton. over-excitement over-work. soon