Happy Leap Day, everyone. It's probably
not a good idea to base a blog on something I overheard my wife say, but here
goes.
She
was on the phone the other night with her mother, and part of the conversation
I caught was her commenting on the fact she has no hobbies. Not that she has a
plethora of free time, mind you. Between taking care of two kids (and me) and
work, she’s just as tuckered out as the rest of us by the end of the day.
Instead, I think she was commentating on a desire for something more
fulfilling. A hobby.
Of
course, the conversation turned to the fact that I have too many! It’s true.
I’m never bored. Well, maybe some days at work, but that’s generally more of a
content issue. Think about it. When not chasing the kids or life around, I’m
either working on a model car, painting up some minis, brewing some beer or
working on the car, amongst other things. Gardening, for example. Or cooking.
Or I’m conducting research in support of one of the above. From her viewpoint,
oftentimes these hobbies seem an endless source of frustration. (Why can’t I
get a paint job on this car to lay down smoothly!?)
She
likes to read. (So do I, but I don’t get to as much as I used to.) She tried
drawing for a while, and working with clay. Neither seemed to stick. She
doesn’t really have any interest in what I do. Well, except gardening. Which
she’s very good at. She’s also into home redecorating, which I’m not into all
that much, and can get expensive. (Not that Mustang restoration is cheap…)
She
insists she might exercise more if I did it with her. But I’m too lazy. No
check that, I’m too preoccupied with my hobbies to take time out to exercise.
I
guess I’m not sure what my point is here, and I’m not really sure what to tell
her. Perhaps it’s all about finding balance, and a journey we must all take on
our own. That, and stopping every now and then to remind ourselves that our hobbies
are supposed to be fun. When they start to seem like work, or that start to add
stress to our lives rather than remove it, we have to start questioning the
value. And boy, is the Mustang there right now.
Thoughts?