This weekend I did nothing. I just watched some TV, only fun and easy programs, chatted and cracked some jokes with my wife, had a long warm bath and then went out for a walk for about an hour. I simply refused to think about anything serious, giving myself a real-sense break. The only purpose was to relax physically and mentally. To indulge myself further, I even bought some of my favorite food---Meilijia pastries. Yummy! Just the thought of it still makes my mouth watery.

Life can be fun and meaningful in many ways. Life is not meant to be eventful to most of us. It may appear dull, but true life will never be dramatic. True happiness consists of little joys, which may seem very insignificant or even petty. It could be watching some TV with a cup of green tea after dinner, stopping and smelling the roses by the roadside or just being together with family. However, these small joys could be the most important things in life.

I’ve been feeling tired for quite some time. Ever since the beginning of this semester, I have been teaching three classes. It seems nothing to young guys, but for me, a middle-aged man, it could be hard. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t volunteer to do that extra work. I need money to make my life easier, but not yet to that extent. I was asked to and somebody had to do the job.

I don’t know since when female teachers have outnumbered us men teachers. Nor do I understand why they “chose” to get pregnant almost at the same time. It is said nearly twenty girls are currently in the family way or have just given birth to a baby child. Our principal is making every effort to find suitable substitute teachers. Being desperate and a bit sensitive, she is afraid of any young girl coming into her office. Naturally, men teachers have to hold a little more than half the sky.

A wise person once said that doing nothing is an art. In the beginning I was a little confused. How can you call it an art when you’re doing nothing? However, as time went by, I gradually understood the real meaning of that phrase. The secret lies in the difference between doing nothing and having nothing to do.

Doing nothing does not necessarily mean that you’re idling away your time. It is your intentional choice to slow down or forget your work for a little while so that you can relax yourself and readjust your life. Therefore it is actually very productive for our future life. If you have nothing to do or no idea what to do, if you find yourself wandering without a clear aim like a headless chicken, it could be a signal that something is wrong with your life.

One fact we have to face is that many of us are too busy to accomplish much. More often than not, when we’re supposed to rest, our minds are still on other things. The consequence can be easily predicted: They can’t work efficiently while they actually do their job and can’t rest well while they should. In this sense, doing nothing can be an art, an art of living.