Everybody’s Working for the 19th Century
Labor as a class goes all the way back to ancient times, when slaves served in the Roman Empire and free laborers worked for their daily bread while wealthy patricians generally participated in political, military, and artistic endeavors. They enjoyed quite a bit of leisure, but for the lower classes, leisure was hard to come by. Gladiatorial games, sports, and other pursuits of that nature were primarily how those classes relaxed. Yes, it’s true; slaves actually had their own free time, for the most part, when it came to the Roman Empire.
With the fall of the Roman Empire, these comparatively idyllic times came to an end. For people in the Middle Ages, life was solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short, to quote Hobbes. The class differences as far as leisure were concerned were emphasized, as resources and infrastructure were more scant for much of this period in European culture. Jousting tournaments, hunting, and games that would eventually become chess and checkers were developed during this time, however, proving that even in the dreary, harsh world of the Middle Ages, people found ways to entertain themselves and relax.
Still, people worked very hard, all the more so due to the Church forbidding several forms of entertainment. This started to change with the Renaissance and acceptance of higher art forms like theater as a way for the common man to relax and enjoy himself after a long day of work.
Leisure, Leisure, Everywhere!
The industrial revolution brought massive changes to how society functioned. Suddenly, with the help of machines, quite a bit more labor could be accomplished with considerably less time and manpower. People had much more time on their hands, and more wealth began to accumulate in the middle classes as the owning, managing, and financing of these means of production became great avenues to relative wealth.
Between their newfound extra time and wealth, individuals began looking for things to do with all of it – leading to what we might call the first real instances of leisure. Picnicking, playing sports, with friends or in casual leagues, and even vacations became regular activities for individuals and families who previously would never have dreamt of such leisure.
What a Hammock Offers in the 21st Century
Today, we have even more leisure time than our industrial revolution ancestors. The workers of that time and in the 20th century fought for limitations on the work week, increases in wages, and other stipulations that would lead to a wealthier middle class with more free time on its hands, which probably describes your situation perfectly! Now you have a wealth of options as far as what to do with all your free time. Film, music, shopping, travel, fine food and drink, and more are all yours to enjoy whenever you like; to the peasant living in the Middle Ages, you live like a king!
Sometimes, though, it’s all a bit too much. We here at Seaside Hammocks believe in taking time to chill out and reflect on life. Watch the sun set, enjoy a nice drink, and listen to the radio in the background as you meditate on your life and really take the time to center yourself. Our modern lives are full of leisure, after all, but also full of distractions and stresses that we all too often let get in the way of our happiness.
Ultimately, this is why we’re such big proponents of the hammock. Because even while we have gained more leisure time and more things to do with that time, we still have a basic human need for peace, quiet, relaxation, and a good midday nap. These days, that’s something only a hammock can provide!
