Question of the Month: What Does an Activist Do For Fun?

This is a great question as I have been looking at my life and seeing I don’t get to do stuff that is fun! Activism can be consuming. There is a lot of necessary drive, travel and continuous nonstop advocacy work to be done. And there are not enough hours in the day. As this work is every activist’s passion, the tendency is to ignore the rest: fun, exercise, and family time and get overly absorbed in the work. Over the years I have learned THE HARD WAY that this is not a good recipe and can lead to burnout! So now I spend time with my grandkids every two weeks or more, and we have a nice meal together. I meditate daily to stay centered. I walk 4 to 5 times a week – 5 miles is a short walk and 8 miles is a long walk – to stay in shape and have the energy that is required to be an effective activist. However, I do need to get back into playing tennis and golf, both of which I have not made time for over a decade. That would be a lot of fun!  That is a good goal for the time ahead.