My sister asked, “If you had all the time in the world, and weren’t always working, what would you do for fun?”
I had to think. To me, work is fun. Always has been, even as a youngster. These days, writing, blogging, public speaking and hanging out on social media are my work and my hobbies. But those aren’t things I can do with a buddy on a Saturday.
Suddenly, I felt like Poindexter, always in the lab, hunched over another invention, cackling to myself.
Rallying, I told her I liked to go on field trips to gather dried plants, which I could then spray with metallic paint and use as decorations around my house. Calculating silently, I realized, but did not admit to her, that I hadn’t done that for at least fifteen years.
Two days later, Sis and I borrowed my husband’s truck and drove up to our local mountains. We spent the day taking pictures of the fall landscape, and gathering dried, dead or otherwise promising plants for my project. When we tired of hiking, clipping and snapping, we retreated to the Idyll Awhile Wine Shop and Bistro for a glass of wine and a fruit and cheese plate. We had a blast.
I hung the clippings in the garage to finish drying. In a few weeks you’ll see how they turned out, if they do. I also took the tree picture you see at the top of this page. A nice souvenir of my day.
I had fun. Hanging out with my sister and climbing around in the hills made me feel like a more complete person, even though, truth be told, I yearned to get back to my “work.” Yes, that’s the Poindexter mindset.
Still, her question set in motion an experience that reminded me:
- we need friends
- we need fresh air
- exercise is good
- once in a while, you need to turn off the computer, go outside and play.
What hobby or leisure activity have you been putting off?
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