There are all kinds of play. It makes little difference which we choose so long as we get into the spirit of it, change the line of thought to prevent getting “stale” and to develop an all-around human being. Some men gather canceled postage stamps or coins as hobbies; some play golf, others chess or billiards. Every person should have two or three hobbies, the more the better, so long as we do not let them run away with us. Those of us who have inside work, and that means every shoe salesman, should choose those hobbies that will take us out of doors as much as possible. Skating, walking, tennis, golf, baseball—they are all good. Oftentimes we think ourselves athletes when we become boxing, baseball or football fans, but just remember that the other fellow is getting the real fun out of it. Our cue is to get into the action.
CARE OF THE BODY
Some form of regular exercise is what we need. Ten minutes of arm and leg movements before an open window, both in the morning and at night, will do more than anything else to build a healthy body and to keep away the doctor for all time. The first few days of this may seem an awful bore, but give it a good trial and you will soon find that you get a lot of increased satisfaction out of it. Many excellent pamphlets on gymnastics have been prepared by experts and can be consulted at the public libraries.
Among the most commendable of these is one issued by the government which contains the “setting-up” exercises used in our training camps. It is called: Manual of Physical Training for use in the U. S. Army, and if it is not to be found among Public Documents at your library it may be bought for 50 cents from the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D. C.
It is generally agreed that we should bathe at least twice a week in order to keep the body in best condition. In warm weather more frequent baths are required. Perhaps best of all is a cold bath or shower every morning, but it is not everyone that is able to do this. The warm baths are essential, however.
Until within the past ten or fifteen years people as a rule did not fully realize how vitally important it is to keep the teeth in good condition. The old idea was to allow a tooth to remain until it became necessary to have it removed. Today it goes without saying that the body cannot be kept well unless the teeth are kept in condition. One of the manufacturers of tooth brushes tells us that “a clean tooth never decays.” More than half the bills of dentists could be saved if we gave the necessary attention twice a day to our teeth. Doctors tell us that care at night before going to bed is even more important, both for the teeth and for the body in general, than the care we give the teeth in the morning.
WORK AND PLAY FOR THE MIND
The great advantage that the human animal has over all forms of lower animals is in the matter of mind development. Being blessed in this way he is able, in a large measure, to “work out his own salvation,” as it is sometimes expressed. He is not compelled to accept as final the conditions in which he may find himself, but may govern his career through the powers of reason, understanding and decision that have been given him. Upon the extent to which he exercises and develops these powers will naturally depend the measure of his progress.
There is no doubt whatever that the condition of our health is to a great extent controlled by the mind. The claim is made also that every condition of the body is governed by the mind; that every form of human ailment may be prevented or cast off at the direction of the mind. A great many people believe this and govern their way of living accordingly; others accept the idea only to a limited extent.
For our purpose we are interested only in so far as to recognize that there is a relationship between body and mind and that we are capable of using and developing this. To illustrate the effect that thought has on bodily condition, an actual instance is told of a man who touched his hand to a pipe that he had understood to be extremely hot. At once he had all the mental effect and sensation of the customary burn on his hand, not learning until later that the pipe was actually icy cold.