Desperately Seeking a Hobby


I mentioned a couple posts ago a theory about there being two types of people in the world, the guilty and the screwed.  Well, there are actually more than two types because there are another two types of people in the world and combining the two sets of categories yields...4 types. Yes, 4 (pardon the delayed activation of my math skills, they aren't much in use).  The other two types are people who do stuff, a.k.a "active people," and people who do not do stuff, I'm not going to call them lazy, mainly because I am one of them, but you know what I mean.  

I was reminded of this recently as I looked at a new Facebook friend's photos.  This friend, a former classmate, comes from a large family, has 5 kids himself, and grew up with me in Africa, which seems to cultivate in boys in particular generalized outdoorsyness.  In his photos, with his 5 kids, he waterskis, he hunts, he fishes, he rides motorbikes, he rides bikes, he rides four wheelers, he plays soccer, he runs, he jumps, he does stuff. Lots of stuff.  Just looking at his photos wore me out.  Not so much because of the activities themselves, but for all of the organization/preparation that goes into the activities (especially with 5 kids!)  First you have to purchase or rent the proper equipment.  Then you have to choose a day, time, and place to do or find a scheduled event.  Then you have to either find child care or make preparations for children to come with you.  If they are small kids, that means you need more proper equipment just for their attendance (a baby backpack, baby kayak, papoose thingy, what have you).  Then you have to assemble food, water, clothing, equipment, whatever you will need for the duration for yourself and 5 (! I still can't imagine even birthing that number of kids, much less taking them anywhere) kids.  Then you have to get up, get yourself and your kids in the car and go and do.  Then you have to clean up the mess and tend to the injuries.  See, I'm absolutely in a coma right now just having typed it up, I'm so tired.  

The strange thing about these kinds of people is that very often they aren't actually very organized kinds of people, more like fly by the seat of your pants kinds of people.  Regarding this particular guy, I would never believe he in fact had the organizational skills to do all these activities if the photographic evidence weren't staring me in the face.  I, on the other hand, am fairly organized and don't do much stuff.  I feel pretty accomplished if I leave the house on any given day.  I would like to do stuff, I really would.  I am not terribly athletic--if you watched me and Kevin play tennis, one of the things we do actually do on occasion, you would swear you are at the Special Olympics, and, unlike Pres. Obama, I can say that because if anyone writes angry offended comments on here, I can just delete them--but I like to do stuff.  But I hate, HATE, HATE!!! to organize stuff to do.  This is one reason why I don't cook much.  I really don't mind cooking but I hate trying to decide what to cook, making a shopping list, and going to the store to buy the ingredients.  Maybe I over-think things (you think?).  I don't know.  

Now that we have a child--and now that I am trying to stop shopping of course!--it is becoming more imperative that I find stuff to do.  Whereas I can easily laze in front of the computer or TV for hours on end perfectly contented, she gets really bored with that.  She wants to Seize the Day!!! So I actually have been forced to schedule play dates and even enroll in a class (gasp!)  It is getting to where it takes more energy to stay home and do nothing than it does to go somewhere and do something because Charlotte will be relatively content in the latter scenario  whereas she will be screaming and crying and writhing on the ground like a demon-possessed person in the former one.  

I think the bottom line is that, other than having a child/dictator, it is good to have some kind of activity that you are passionate about, that you will get up in the morning for, that you will go through the pain of planning and organizing for.  Maybe the two types of people aren't active people and non-active people, but people with passionate hobbies and people without.  I have just got to get me a hobby.  Other than shopping.  

Another solution would be to just tie my wagon to an active person and let them plan my life for me.  Any volunteers? Seriously, just tell me when and where to show up, I'm there.  And bring me a packed lunch, you don't want to see me hungry.

Comments

  1. Oh Holly, maybe one of my favorite blog posts from you ever!

    Should I send you Morgan's soccer schedule? I typically pack snacks and water...You'll need to get your own soccer chairs ($10 at Target). You, Kevin, and Charlotte are more than welcome to "tie your wagon" to ours. :)

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  2. I should clarify, however, that if my children didn't do "stuff" I'm not sure I would do stuff on my own. It's forced stuff doing on our part, to participate with the kids, you know?

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  4. [Once again with grammer checking this time...]

    Why don't you just write? You certainly have the gift.

    It doesn't have to be for refereed journals, it doesn't have to be so many cents per word, or even of the same subject. It could be something you are passionate about.

    I know that there are 'things' which cannot be addressed, but you certainly don't seem to shy away from beating up on Kevin, so I don't see any Sacred Cows looming in your subject index.

    Just pick something and write.

    How about commenting on "the worst Civil War history books I ever bought"?

    AL

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