The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow

"Now, this is a subject on which I flatter myself I really am au fait. The gentleman who, when I was young, bathed me at wisdom's font for nine guineas a term—no extras—used to say he never knew a boy who could do less work in more time; and I remember my poor grandmother once incidentally observing, in the course of an instruction upon the use of the Prayer-book, that it was highly improbable that I should ever do much that I ought not to do, but that she felt convinced beyond a doubt that I should leave undone pretty well everything that I ought to do.

I am afraid I have somewhat belied half the dear old lady's prophecy. Heaven help me! I have done a good many things that I ought not to have done, in spite of my laziness. But I have fully confirmed the accuracy of her judgment so far as neglecting much that I ought not to have neglected is concerned. Idling always has been my strong point. I take no credit to myself in the matter—it is a gift. Few possess it. There are plenty of lazy people and plenty of slow-coaches, but a genuine idler is a rarity. He is not a man who slouches about with his hands in his pockets. On the contrary, his most startling characteristic is that he is always intensely busy.

It is impossible to enjoy idling thoroughly unless one has plenty of work to do. There is no fun in doing nothing when you have nothing to do. Wasting time is merely an occupation then, and a most exhausting one. Idleness, like kisses, to be sweet must be stolen. " [listen]

These words were not written by me but I am convinced they were written for me - by none other than Jerome K. Jerome (of "Three Men in a Boat" fame) in his delightful book The Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow.

And if being idle is not your thing, there are also chapters ON BEING IN LOVE, ON BEING IN THE BLUES, ON BEING HARD UP (the story of my life), ON VANITY AND VANITIES, ON GETTING ON IN THE WORLD, ON THE WEATHER, ON CATS AND DOGS, ON BEING SHY (that's me!), ON BABIES, ON EATING AND DRINKING, ON FURNISHED APARTMENTS, ON DRESS AND DEPORTMENT, and even ON MEMORY.

And then there are always The Second Thoughts of an Idle Fellow.