We like the idea of “Grown-up Recess,” the many ways we unplug from our 99-lives lifestyle, escape to a happy place and recharge. Inner well-being depends on how well and how often we bump ourselves out of selfdefined ruts. Everyone likes to get away from daily routines. Why not do it with flair?

So we canvassed friends seeking a different twist on life. We anticipated raves for meditative beach walking, inspirational reading, playing with pets and communing with nature. But we also discovered lolling in a Mexican hammock seaside, skydiving, jet skiing and kayaking along with a dollop of singing and dancing when the mood strikes, sometimes all night long. We go to the theatre, play with dominoes and compete in disc golf tourneys. We found out that one local career woman even chills by ironing!

We wished to expand the borders of this enticing playhouse, so we asked:

What’s the most unusual thing you do for fun?

Special events planner Elaine Belling does the things she’s always wanted to do.

“For eight years I’ve made a weekly date with myself to do what feeds my soul. I start with a fun-to-do list that changesn as I change. As I add things and cross things off, it punches through the inertia of ‘Someday I’ll do that when…’ It feels good when I look at how much I’ve done. And I can always repeat special treats. There’s no set time. I just fit it in each week.

“Nothing I do depends on another person’s schedule or
preferences. This is guilt-free soul food and mind candy that inspires and makes every day more productive. One afternoon I splashed around acting silly at the water park. One week I recorded my favorite television show and gave myself a manicure and pedicure while I watched all five episodes. I like to make appointments with friends on the other side of the world simply for the joy of conversing. On an Alaska tour I visited the Anchorage library to look up things just for fun, not because I could use them at work. My latest craze is sudoku number puzzles.”

Licensed massage therapist Craig “Red” Holland rides his bicycle everywhere.

“Friends call me ‘The Villager’ because I refuse to commute by car. Bike rides are meditation for me. While traveling solo I can check out my mental, physical and spiritual health so that I can adjust and move toward greater balance.Twice a year I reassess my place in the world, what I did, didn’t do and want to do next.

“On vacations I bicycle hundreds of miles, both in America and Europe. I now celebrate my birthday with a 100-mile bicycle trip. When I had a sailboat, I’d spend midnight to sunrise on a newmoon tour to Sanibel.

“The whole idea is to get away from the noise of everyday life. It’s about living simply, with less clatter and more peace. Quiet is so essential to thinking and recharging. It leads me to a better sense of what I want out of life.”

Circle Connections co-director Ann Smith explores life through the eyes of a child.

“I want to be 10 again, open to what’s next in the newness of this pretty place we call home. So I spend summers in curious exploration with my grandson Sacha. Having a playmate gives me permission to do things I’d feel self-conscious doing by myself. Plus it wouldn’t be as much fun.

Sacha’s the project designer. I’m the helper. He and I like to watch things float by on a small river flowing to the Gulf. Sometimes we float along too in a poignant metaphor for life. We build sand castles that disappear with the tide and explore creatures underwater. We watch how elements move. We plant flowers and herbs in the yard to see how they grow. This summer we’ll set up solar panels to create waterfalls in a pond. Sacha will sword dance while I twirl about.

“We love being silly together. For me, our playtime blows past a jaded rational mind and brings a wholly new rationale to life.”

Retired teacher and teen mentor Helen Dixon journeys to sacred feminine sites.

“This year I visited Kwan Yin, the Chinese goddess of compassion, a 20-foot 12th century statue in Kansas City, Missouri. Since 1998 I’ve made a dozen such pilgrimages to sites with small groups led by authors, scholars and recording artists. Favorite tours took me to the Chartres Cathedral labyrinth, Maltese temples at the fall equinox, and native Hawaiian cultural sites. A defining moment for me was standing in the presence of the flowing feminine energy of the Chalice Well in Glastonbury, England.

“As we journey, we become more than a group of
women on a bus. We sit in circles telling our stories. We
meet creative colleagues. I return home renewed, empowered and in touch with my divine femininity, feeling more peace in my day-to-day life.”

Pastoral psychotherapists Sam & Bunny Sewell beautify their days with artful living.

“We create our own amusement park right here at home,”says Sam. “In one recent escapade we replaced the ugly drop ceiling in the kitchen with transparent panels, gathered colorful bottles, baubles, glassware and sun catchers, and made our own Chihuly-style rainbow ceiling. Or we may dress-up ourselves and take pictures. Bunny’s ‘Swedish Rastafarian’ costume is perfect for her steel drum solos. She also plays electric organ, ukulele, psaltery and other instruments while I bang along on a washtub base, bongo or other offbeat percussion.” “When we bought this house 10 years ago, it had no garden,” says Bunny. “Now people stop to look at our yard. We’ve even won neighborhood awards. Since we work together at home, a five-minute break between clients usually finds us on a mini-tour of the garden. We photograph nesting birds, feed peanuts to squirrels out of our hand, pick fruit, gift bouquets and organic veggies, and enjoy the butterflies.” “We’ve both been on our hands and knees with our nose inches from a caterpillar,” laughs Sam. “I keep garden tools next to my desk, ready to grab and go. Rainy Sundays find us at our computer creating photo shows of our favorite places and faces for friends. Evenings and weekends we host discussion circles on topics like books, spirituality, women’s issues and world events. ”We love to see ‘before’ and ‘after’ photos of people’s homes that show how they’ve transformed their environment,” adds Bunny. “You learn so much about people that way. We often take ‘blessing walks’ to appreciate how neighbors have beautified their homes and send good thoughts their way. As we tell clients, our geographic core is within inches of either side of our own front door. “

Sources:

Elaine Belling, Fort Myers, 239-540-7181
Craig Holland, Naples, 239-261-8033
Ann Smith, Naples, 239-596-2881
Helen Dixon, North Fort Myers, 239-543-2959
Sam & Bunny Sewell, Naples, 239-591-4565