T

he extremely hot days of late have caused me great sleepiness and fatigue. I’m betting many of you have felt the same way too. Like a dog, I just want to lie in a cool spot and stretch my arms and legs and let my heavy eyelids close in sweet relief. Even on mornings when I wake energetic and excited for the day, I walk outside to have a wall of steamy humidity hit me like a blanket and all plans for the day fall away. The struggle to balance the to-do list with the reality that everything takes twice as long in the heat is real. Whoever invented air conditioning should be given a Nobel Peace Prize. I imagine that wars should break out because of the agitation people

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feel when they are extremely hot, but the warring parties would simply give up in the oppressive heat rather than take arms. Countries along the equator should be the most peace-loving nations. It’s too hot to fight. Frankly, there have been times I think it’s too hot to do anything, and herein lies this column’s theme. When is laziness a character flaw, and when is laziness an art? I don’t think of myself as lazy (but, honestly, who would??). There’s always something to do that’s useful and important. And most of the time I’m busy doing something. As a kid, my family would occasionally have days where we wouldn’t leave the house, stay in our pajamas, and play games and watch movies

all day. As an adult, there are far fewer opportunities to get away with that type of day. In the summer, the temptation is GREAT. If I had a swimming pool, I don’t think I would ever go to the office! The summer is the ideal time to carefully practice laziness. I say carefully, because (if you’re like me) skipping out on life would be too easy to turn into a habit. I know some of you who would go with me, like Thelma and Louise, but without the crime spree. Planned vacations to the beach or mountains are logical lazy opportunities, but I’m looking for opportunities in daily life. The art of laziness comes from practicing the technique in ways that won’t cause you to lose