Hurrah for a holiday
By I.M Soni

IF you take pride in saying that you have never taken a holiday, it is time to set up and straighten your thinking. For there is no point in denying yourself a good holiday once a year.

Even if you are working in a modern office with coolers and air-conditioners, a good holiday which changes the pace of life is a must. A change is meant to usher in freshness.

A friend once boasted, "I haven’t taken a holiday for seven years." He contended that a holiday was a squeeze on monetary resources and had a long-range adverse effect on family welfare.

He is entitled to his thinking. He argues that after a week or ten days’ holiday, you return to work with a heavy heart. The thought of the money spent and the prospect of returning to routine work dampen enthusiasm and nullify the temporarily uplifting effect of the holiday. There is a grain of truth in this argument.

But this friend (and others of his clan) overlook the fact that the money spent on a holiday is not a waste. It is money wellspent. In the rush and turmoil of everyday life, a holiday is not an expensive luxury, but a necessity for it provides the much-needed breathing space.

Some deprive themselves of a holiday because they watch the game of their choice on television, see films for entertainment, or go for a walk which is, in fact, like window-shopping. It is an apology for a real break from the stress and strain of daily grind.

These things, though important in themselves, are no substitute for a holiday, the real aim of which is to provide a complete change of environment. Thus, one living in the countryside may find a holiday in a city exhilarating, whereas one residing in a over-crowded city may find his crumpled soul unfolding in open spaces of the countryside.

There are quite a few who remain shut in their homes and lead excessively sheltered lives. They suppress their inner urge to leap, sing and enjoy in a carefree mood which only a holiday can provide.

They are so afraid of asserting themselves that whenever they yearn for adventure or exploration, they smother it with the dead-weight of spurious arguments. They have to shatter the shell of seclusion and step out into the thrilling world with its myriad wonders.

It is prudent to plan a holiday. Planning is used here in a very broad sense. It is not necessary to chalk out every little detail, for a rigid routine not only creates tension but also robs you of the sense of freedom which you need to refresh yourself.

By planning is meant deciding the type of holiday you want to have and enjoy. If you have no definite plan up your sleeve, you are likely to drift. The holiday will be over before you realise it.

If you are an introvert and are scared of crowds and noise, a quiet holiday in a farm house, the countryside or a hillstation, is right for you. Apart from the change of environment, you will discover a new rhythm in life.

The remorseless sense of time which haunts you will be over. Time will come to a stand-still. "Lonely like a cloud’" you will be free to explore your surroundings, meet people, study their whims, customs and celebrations. "A new star swims into your ken." You will see new, fascinating panoramas of life. In other words, you will enrich yourself.

Take a camera along with you. If interested in painting or sketching, take your materials with you. Make it a point to attempt at least one thing you have never done before. Write an article. It may help you discover a dormant talent. You will be surprised at yourself.

If you are an extrovert and love fun and frolic and mixing with people then join a group of holiday-makers. If this is not possible, try to organise a group of your own. Failing this, choose a town or a hill station which is a popular tourist resort.

If you organise your own group, the guiding principle should be harmony of tastes. Select only those who love amusements and diversions as you do. Bickerings and differences of opinion can spoil the fun and also lay the foundations for future friction.

Old friends should be dependable. Stick to them. Like old books and old wine, they are the best.

If both husband and wife are working, they can solve the problem by arranging the holiday when they both have holidays. Alternatively, they can take leave simultaneously.

If children pose a problem, send them away for a holiday. A few days away from the parents will instil a sense of self-reliance in them. When children are away, parents can have a real holiday at home.