Have a spa weekend - chapter 3

It struck me, as I was sitting in the Rose Sauna at Ragdale Hall and observing those around me, how much time some women have on their hands.  Although some time had elapsed since my last visit - 4 years - and the number of men attending the spa had increased, I still reckon that it is still a 88/15 female/male split.  How come women have so much time on their hands?  Yes, I was one of those women, but  this was my first visit in 4 years and talking to some of the other visitors it transpires that at least a good proportion of them were regulars.  And, it was the Rosemary Conley week to be sure, so that attracted, I understand from the ladies on the next table to us at dinner, a loyal annual following.  But that apart, in the middle of a recession, how come so many women could afford to be having so much down-time? It led me to thinking about what men do for their wind-down equivalent. And, whether there is a certain type of woman that actually just has a kind of social whirlwind life where much of their time is spent doing not much. I don't mean there isn't any activity, there is, God forbid.  I just mean there isn't much activity that makes a lot of difference.  I suppose I am asking, are all these women living off their husbands or do they actually support themselves?  The answer is that I don't know.  In terms of the younger women, maybe the former. In terms of the older women, I think almost exclusively the latter. Am I jealous? Partly.  Would I give up my financial independence and sense of having some real value in the world? Not on your life.

But philosophy and gender issues apart, spa-going still seems to be predominantly a female occupation.  The male consensus largely seems to be that it's a good dollop of a waste of time.  Does it add anything to one's life?  Probably not.  Are we ladies glad we do it?  Definitely yes.  So ultimately it has to be more than just about the physical experience and more about feeding the soul.  So why, as women, might our souls need feeding more?  On the basis that I have no idea of the answer to that question and that this blog entry is in danger of wandering into territory or which I have no real understanding, I shall get back to the question in hand.  What did I do while at Ragdale and was it worth the experience?

More about my Ragdale Hall experience, later.