Not Today

Normally I ride my bike. Sometime during the day, I go somewhere, 90% of the timeI use my bike. On the other moments, I'm going to play golf or, in Michigan winters, going to the ski slopes. I'm always doing something that's active and fun, sometimes that means going to work. I strained a muscle the other day, pinched a nerve in my back and it hurts like always when I do stupid stuff. Normally, I would tough it out because walking or riding my bike it doesn't hurt but sitting for any length of time makes it stiff and reallly painful. This time I had nothing to do and nowhere to go, so I decided the smartest option would be to take it easy, lie around on a hot compress, read books, watch movies, eat stuff, nap, you know...normal American luxury.

Things went ok. A couple of books and movies later I got up and moved around just because. My back felt better but I realized I felt worse,  had no appetite.   If I had gone for a bike ride,  gotten away from my self-indulgent middle class slum I would have felt energetic not sluggish and tired. I know people who live just like that every day. How do people live? Are they really living?  It must be depressing to get nothing but rest.   What do people rest from or for?