In praise of long afternoons, poolside daydreaming, and the increasingly radical pleasure of having absolutely nowhere to be.
There was a time when doing nothing was considered an entirely respectable occupation.
People lounged beside swimming pools. They read novels beneath striped umbrellas. They ordered a second iced tea without consulting their calendars.
Entire afternoons disappeared in the delightful pursuit of absolutely nothing in particular.
And nobody seemed terribly concerned.
Today, of course, things are different.
We schedule our relaxation. We optimize our mornings. We download applications to remind ourselves to breathe.
Even our hobbies have become suspiciously productive.
Somewhere along the way, the simple pleasure of doing nothing became something we felt obliged to justify.
Well, we’ve had quite enough of that.
It’s time to bring back the gloriously unproductive afternoon.
Preferably with a swimming pool.
The Golden Age of Leisure
Picture Palm Springs sometime in the middle of the twentieth century.
The desert sun is shining. The swimming pool is an improbable shade of turquoise. Someone in oversized sunglasses is reclining beneath an umbrella, looking as though they haven’t had an urgent appointment in years.
An ice-filled glass rests nearby.
Nobody is checking email.
Nobody is discussing productivity.
And absolutely nobody is attempting to turn the afternoon into a personal-development opportunity.
Whether or not the reality was quite so carefree, those glamorous resort photographs captured something irresistible: the idea that leisure was not merely permitted, but positively aspirational.
There was elegance in taking one’s time.
A certain sophistication in having nowhere particularly important to go.
And an understanding that an afternoon could be considered successful without producing a single tangible result.
Perhaps that’s an attitude worth reviving.
An Appointment With Absolutely Nothing
The trouble with modern leisure is that we tend to approach it like another item on the to-do list.
We arrange a free afternoon.
Then immediately begin filling it.
There’s the coffee shop we’ve been meaning to visit. The television series everyone insists we must watch. The closet that could really use organizing.
Before long, our supposedly relaxing day has acquired an itinerary.
The solution is beautifully simple.
Don’t make one.
Leave a portion of the afternoon entirely unclaimed.
No ambitious plans. No compulsory errands. No predetermined activities designed to make the time feel worthwhile.
Read a magazine if you feel like it.
Take a nap.
Listen to an old record.
Sit somewhere lovely and watch the world carry on without your assistance.
The trick is resisting the urge to make your leisure impressive.
A successful afternoon of doing nothing should provide very little material for a professional résumé.
The Poolside Philosophy
There are few places better suited to doing absolutely nothing than beside a swimming pool.
Something about the combination of sunshine, water, and a comfortable chair encourages a wonderfully relaxed attitude toward time.
Perhaps it’s the gentle sound of the water.
Perhaps it’s the warmth of the afternoon.
Or perhaps it’s simply difficult to take everyday obligations too seriously while reclining on an oversized pink inflatable flamingo.
Whatever the explanation, poolside leisure has an undeniable appeal.
The essentials are uncomplicated.
A comfortable place to recline.
Something refreshing to drink.
A good book, preferably one that requires very little intellectual ambition.
A generous sunhat.
And, naturally, appropriate shade and sunscreen.
One needn’t spend an entire afternoon baking beneath the desert sun to appreciate the pleasures of resort living.
In fact, the finest lounging generally takes place somewhere pleasantly shaded, with refreshments close at hand.
The objective is relaxation, not becoming the same color as the patio furniture.
The Lost Art of Lingering
There is something wonderfully luxurious about refusing to rush a pleasant moment.
Finishing lunch and remaining at the table.
Ordering coffee simply because the conversation is good.
Wandering through a beautiful neighborhood without attempting to see every attraction.
Sitting on a hotel terrace and watching the afternoon unfold.
These are experiences that rarely photograph as spectacularly as the grand occasions we plan so carefully.
Yet they’re often the moments we remember most fondly.
A leisurely lunch that becomes an entire afternoon.
A conversation that wanders from one subject to another.
The pleasant realization that you’ve completely lost track of the time.
The art of lingering requires no particular destination.
Only the willingness to remain where you are a little longer.
A Little Everyday Glamour
Of course, doing nothing needn’t mean abandoning all standards of presentation.
There is something rather charming about making a perfectly ordinary afternoon feel like a small occasion.
Use the pretty glassware.
Arrange a few flowers.
Put on your favorite sunglasses, even if your grand plans involve nothing more ambitious than sitting on the patio.
Bring out the colorful striped cushions.
Serve lemonade in a pitcher instead of drinking it straight from the refrigerator.
These little gestures are not obligations. They’re simply opportunities to make leisure feel special.
And they needn’t be expensive.
A cotton tablecloth, a vintage tray, a bowl of fresh citrus, and a favorite playlist can create a surprisingly glamorous atmosphere.
The secret is to enjoy the details without turning their preparation into another exhausting project.
After all, no afternoon of leisure should require a production crew.
The Vacation State of Mind
One of the peculiarities of modern life is how readily we grant ourselves permission to relax while traveling, yet struggle to do the same at home.
On holiday, sitting beside a pool for three hours feels perfectly reasonable.
At home, sitting outside for twenty minutes can inspire an alarming sense that we ought to be doing something more useful.
But why should relaxation require a hotel reservation?
The vacation state of mind has surprisingly little to do with geography.
It’s about allowing yourself to enjoy the present moment without constantly anticipating the next obligation.
You might create a little resort atmosphere at home.
An afternoon reading on the balcony.
A leisurely breakfast with the windows open.
A favorite cocktail or sparkling lemonade in the garden.
A long bath with a book and absolutely no intention of answering the telephone.
There may be no ocean view.
The towels may not be monogrammed.
And nobody will be appearing with a silver tray of refreshments.
But the pleasure can be remarkably similar.
The Pleasure of Being Unavailable
Perhaps the most underrated luxury of all is the ability to be temporarily unreachable.
Not permanently, of course.
Merely long enough to enjoy a quiet afternoon without constant interruptions.
Put the phone somewhere out of sight.
Let an ordinary message wait.
Resist the urge to document every pleasant moment before you’ve actually experienced it.
The world has developed a remarkable talent for demanding our attention.
And attention, after all, is a rather precious thing.
Sometimes the kindest use of it is to give it entirely to yourself, the people around you, or the scene unfolding just beyond your sunglasses.
An uninterrupted hour can feel extraordinarily spacious.
Particularly when nobody expects you to accomplish anything during it.
The Case for an Unremarkable Afternoon
We tend to measure our days by what happened during them.
The places we visited.
The work we finished.
The things we discovered, purchased, learned, or accomplished.
But not every memorable day contains a remarkable event.
Some of the loveliest are almost impossible to describe.
There was sunshine.
Someone made a good sandwich.
A favorite song played on the radio.
The afternoon stretched on considerably longer than expected.
Nothing extraordinary happened.
And somehow, it was perfect.
Perhaps that’s because pleasure doesn’t always require an adventure.
Sometimes it requires only the absence of one.
Absolutely Nothing, Beautifully Done
So here’s to the gloriously unhurried afternoon.
To striped umbrellas, oversized sunglasses, and second helpings of iced tea.
To books read slowly and conversations without a destination.
To sitting beside the water, admiring the sunshine, and declining to improve ourselves for at least a few hours.
There will always be errands to run, messages to answer, and perfectly sensible reasons to be productive.
But there should also be time for the little pleasures that make life feel like something more than a schedule.
Because doing nothing isn’t necessarily a waste of time.
Sometimes it’s how we remember what the time was for in the first place.
The afternoon is yours. Try not to accomplish a thing.
For the loungers, the daydreamers, the leisurely lunchers, and everyone who believes an afternoon well wasted is an afternoon well spent.
Sunshine Confidential