Excerpt from Michael Leunig. “Learn to rest” from The Curly Pyjama Letters.
Dear Vasco…….…….” While it is true that periods of weariness help the spirit to grow, the prolonged, ongoing state of fatigue, to which our world seems to be rapidly adapting, is ultimately soul-destroying as well as earth-destroying. The ecology of evil flourishes and love cannot take root in this sad situation. It is an important aspect of our CONSCIENCE and must be heeded or else we will not survive.
When you are tired you must HAVE that feeling and you must act upon it sensibly – you MUST rest like the trees and animals do. Yet tiredness has become a matter of shame! This is a dangerous development. Tiredness has become the most suppressed feeling in the world. Everywhere we see people overcoming their exhaustion and pushing on with intensity- cultivating the great mass mania which all around is making life so hard and ugly – so cruel and meaningless – so utterly graceless- and being congratulated for overcoming it and pushing it deep down inside themselves as if it were a virtue to do this.
And of course, Vasco, you know what happens when such strong and natural feelings are denied – they turn into the most powerful and bitter poisons with dreadful consequences. We live in a world of these consequences and then wonder why we are so unhappy.
So I gently urge you, Vasco, do as we do in Curly Flat – learn to curl up and rest – feel your noble tiredness – learn about it and make a generous place for it in your life and enjoyment will surely follow.
I repeat: it’s worth doing nothing and having a rest.
Yours sleepily, Mr Curly x x x”
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