Is there method in this anti-idling madness? Yes, says Tom Hodgkinson. Plus your thoughts

I hope you enjoyed your summer. I did. And I’m going to admit something that may sound, on the face of it, a little un-idle: I took my laptop with me on holiday and worked every day. Yes readers, each morning I worked for an hour or two (generally from bed).

Sometimes I worked on our new edition, which is now at the printer. Sometimes I caught up with Idler customer service, and sometimes I read a few pages of Plato for a book I’m writing.

And worse than that, I admit that I positively enjoyed working on holiday. It made me feel like a digital nomad. The glass of beer before lunch became especially enjoyable.

As Jerome K. Jerome, I think, wisely pointed out, a little bit of work, just a sprinkling, is like a condiment to the main dish of idling. Yea, the siesta or the trip to the Palio is even more enjoyable after an hour or two of work.

And I wasn’t alone. All of my holiday companions spent a little time with their laptop each day. A new arrival nervously said, “I may have to do a bit of work while I’m here” and was greeted with a comforting chorus: “Oh don’t worry, we’re all working!”

Working on holiday has a decided practical benefit: you don’t have to face a mound of toil on your return.

Writers and artists continue to work wherever they are, because they enjoy their work. Graham Greene, I am told, wrote every day while on holiday, from eight till 11am, and then had his first cocktail.

It was fascinating to note that in Italy, where I was on holiday, work does not appear to take up as much time or importance as it does in the UK or US. One lunchtime, while strolling through a beautiful car-free medieval city-state where old men sat around doing absolutely nothing, I looked into a junk shop window. There was a sign. It said: “Hora de Negozio: 10-1. 4-6.” Ozio is the Italian word for idleness. Negozio means “business” (compare our “negotiate”). Literally translated, the sign said: “Hours of non-idling: 10-1. 4-6.” This seemed to speak volumes about the priorities of the shop-keeper, and perhaps Italy in general.

Tell me, do you take work on holiday or do you devote yourself entirely to dolce far niente?

Live well,
Tom

PS At our first “Drink with the Idler” of the season, I’ll be chatting to the great Irvine Welsh about his new novel, Men In Love. That’s on Thursday 9 October, 6-7pm. It’s free for subscribers: £7.50 to everyone else (you can subscribe for just £29.95 a year – see below). Click here to join us.

Subscribers may comment. Please add your idle thoughts using the box below.

SELECTED COMMENTS

These comments were mailed to us after an earlier version of this piece was sent out as a newsletter. We like to publish a selection and reserve the right to edit them for clarity. Please add your thoughts in the box below.

Sir: I’ve never forgotten reading as a schoolboy Pliny’s advice – it’s better to be at leisure than to work at nothing. Which of course in Latin contrasts Otium with Negotium. Given that he was often a dull and rather severe sounding chap it’s always seemed like an excellent entreaty to avoid “busywork” and then properly take time off rather than do what is pointless. A firm and early endorsement for doing a small amount of productive work and then being at leisure. [Written while waiting for a test match to start at Lords.] Not sure if this counts as Idling or not therefore.]
Charlie Talbot

Sir: Thank you for your holiday letter… but not a spot of working for me – though I am anyway nearly 82. As ever up to Sweden for family, food and fun, plus an aquavit or two, in late August, plus three days on my favourite Archipelago island of Svartso.
Clive Loveless

Sir: As to your question, it’s all a matter of defining the word “work”. I love making music. And making music is where I also make my money. So why shouldn’t I “work”? I think what most people mean by “work” is heteronomous work. Work where you can’t decide what and when and where to do it. Please define the word “work”! All the best.
Michi Roselieb

Sir: This is the usual question before leaving on holiday. Should I bring my laptop with me or not? This year I did not (because of small backpack for the train) and I must say I really disconnected from work which allowed me to enjoy the beautiful Bretagne. Though we usually go to Italy, Piemonte, Toscana or Umbria. The fact that you took your laptop on holiday initially plunged me into a state of doubt and uncertainty. If you do that, who will guard the temple of idleness? Nevertheless, in order to accomplish and create all these life-saving books and contents, you probably work hard, and I consoled myself with the thought that we were all ultimately faced with our own paradoxical injunctions. Have a good return to work and “live well”!
Pierre Laly

Sir: I work on holiday too, just for 1 hour most days. Have done for the past 25 years. This means that I’m always on top of things. I’m 82 and continue to be very pro-active, working as a facilitator for a large Italian engineering group. They know I’m old, but not THAT old! But I’m still bringing in the business. QED.
Tim

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