Greenwood daily commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1919-1926, 1920-03-20
How to
Live
Common Sense Commenfs On
Health. Happiness and
Longevity
b. GEORGE F. CUTLER
A. NJ M q.
PLAY.

-
Dine Of the most important. as It is
one OF the hardest. lessons for the
busy man to learn Is to play. A
work and no play makes Jack a dull
boy" More men have been killed by
the negative influence of lac of play
than by the positive effect Of exces-
sive work. OF all things. the busy
man should give up the senseless and
wearing habit of revolving in his mind
in the evening. n during his spare
time. the matters which have occu-
pied him during b day. A certain
brand OF tobacco used to be adver-
tised with the ep!grammatic advice.
IF smoking such and such tobacco in
terferes with your business. quit your
business" OF course. the admonition
is absurdly overdra wn. but it has q
grain of sound philosophy In it. TOO
which is. that 1t is just as important
that business should not be allowed
to interfere with play as that play
should not be allowed to interfere
with business.
Play is a form of rest If properly
INDUCED. II improperly INDUCED it
becomes labor. poisonous exertion.
drudgery, doing harm rather than
good. It Is as bad for the body or
any of Its members to be overstrained
in play as 10 work. and in the excite
ment or rivalry of play the line of
delnar;ation between benefit AM! in
jury is very often ov%erleaped. The
basic definition OF play is. ITO = a
To- ~o,- -o~c Pon fhn soho nf
amusement" Here the word would
seem TO mean what it does not mean,
for amusement" is hat which amuses
or plpasurably engages tie mind. So
"piay' has come to mean many differ
en-, things. from music to gambling.
Whenever. however. in any amuse-
ment you are interested chiefly in
Some advantage to be won. you have
passed from the amusement of play
to the amusement of work. In play
Ing it is not necessary that it be pur-
poseful. One should let himself 'go"
now and then and just frolic. All
that is necessary to learn about play
is 10 understand that all play is good
If INDUCED in moderation and at rea
sonabIe times. Work. play. rest.
should balance. Rowing. running.
golf. tennis, all sports hat will take
us where there is good air and u
shine. and force US 10 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 ~alI-imp,rtani
requisite is to maintain a ~playfulness
of spirit which is quite independent
of external aids.
You can learn even to have fun
with yourself letting your magma
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 emptied of all Sc
robustness and purpose. and relaxation
should be sought in romp and frolic.
The place and inspiration of a
mans play should be. par. excellence.
his home. although sometimes it is
better to get utterly away from your
family and all familiar things and peo-
pie, to play alone or with new-made
friends or comparative strangers.
Home, however. should represent to
a man the highest type of play-the
unbending and relaxing of his facul-
ties in frank and loving sociability.
And 1t is this element in his life,
typified by his home. and for the
most part afforded by his home. that
I urge upon my readers and patients
to deliberately cultivate, thus adding
many years to their physical life and
untold blessings to 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. nervous dyspep-
sie. consumption. Bright's disease. and
innumerable other maladies. In a
word. the American often works him
self to death.
b.
Play is the great harmonizer Of the
human faculties Over-strained and
mace armOQlOu Dy fhDOF. II Is the
agency that keeps alive and In healthy
activity the faculties and sympathies
which work fails to use or helps
to repress. 1t Is the CONSERVATION of
moral. mental. and physical health.
The life of the present day Is lived
at 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
into an insane asylum or into the
grave.
Fresh air Is the staff OF life. No
| man or woman can reach the best pos
sfble development If deprived of fresh
air for q few hours every day.
Bad habits. careless living. dissfpa.
fiou. over-excitemenf. over-work. soon.
er or lateI bring on exhaustion-physi-
ri mental. moral.
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