I remember a long time ago I complained that I didn’t have a hobby and I needed one. I think I began piano lessons again shortly after that. It was a great year. I was sitting at the piano at least 1 hour a day and many days it was more. My piano playing greatly improved and I learned so much.
I sat down at the piano yesterday and pulled out some of my music. Oh. My. Goodness. My fingers have forgotten what they are supposed to do. I can still play my easy pieces, of course, but all the music that I worked so hard on, the music that I spent hours practicing, is gone. Gone from my fingers. I was so frustrated. I stood up and walked away. What I really wanted to do was cry.
This past weekend, we spent some time with my extended family. The ladies were discussing their hobbies. Granted, all these ladies have children that are grown, but still it made me a little sad. I have a bucket full of my stamps. I have a carrying case full of my scrapbooking supplies. I have a case full of my cross stitching tools. None of my things are being used.
I told myself that this year I was going to find my hobbies again. Truthfully, the computer has become my hobby. If I seem to have any free time, I find myself on places like Twitter and Facebook or reading the various blog that I enjoy. As much as I love Facebook and Twitter, I am not happy that I have done this to myself. I can’t say to myself that I just don’t have the time because that would be a lie. I do have time. Not as much as I use to have, but it is there. I do spend a lot of time studying Latin and reading various things that my kids are supposed to be reading. That does take a lot of my time and could be considered a hobby, I suppose.
The thing is that I would rather sit on the computer at the end of the day because my brain is fried. Fried beyond all comprehension. I can barely follow NCIS on Tuesday nights. I don’t think it is so much physical exhaustion as it is a mental exhaustion. I don’t want to be creative. I don’t want to thread my needle 100 times to make that cross stitch picture that is taunting me from the closet. I want to mindless. A couch potato. The problem is that I don’t like it. It doesn’t set a good example for my kids, and it does nothing for my mental health. In fact, if I end up at the forums (some of you know what I am talking about) my mental health goes down the tube. It would be better if I pick up that book on the table and do a little reading. It would be MUCH better if I sat at the piano for 30 minutes a day. No one says that I have to work on my Chopin (because let’s face it, he is out of my reach right now), but it wouldn’t hurt to practice some of my old favorites.
It is time to get my game on. Dad bought me new music for Christmas. I can work on that for awhile. Get going again. It would be fun. I just need to break this blasted computer habit!
MNKristy said:
I am right there with you sister! I waste so much blasted time sitting at this computer. I don’t spend nearly enough time doing those fun, creative things that I enjoy. I have a *room* full of stamping and scrapping supplies and I hardly ever go in there. I am going to make a vow, like you, to break free from this darned computer and get crafting once again. I need to do it at least once a week. That is it!!!
jodysgirl94 said:
I absolutely love crafts!
This year, my goal is to learn to crochet well. My daughter and I work on this together every night. She’s loving it too. Great bonding time for us. 🙂
Melanie said:
I feel your pain. Sitting at the computer doesn’t make a mess, and it feels productive even when it isn’t. This is the list of stuff I want to do figure out this year:
Math
Latin
Sewing
Photography
My Stupid Blog
But I’m not doing any of those things. I’ve been sitting at the computer all morning because it’s easier than getting up and working on my list.
Now go play piano.
celticmuse said:
Count me in, the computer is just so darn easy to do, when I’m feeling so overwhelmed by everything else.
Things I want for this year:
get my house a bit more organized
get the kids where I want them in school
still get all A’s in college
work on my knitting
find a research opportunity so I can get into grad school
study for the GRE
and my biggest? find a way to do this without spending all of my time on my computer….hmmm that is probably so not happening.
Ellen said:
I would bet that given a few weeks of solid practice you would be surprised at how much would come back. It’s like it lies dormant or something, but that feeling is so frustrating!
Balancing the computer and everything else that needs to be done in life (or that you want to do) is hard. HARD! I don’t know what it is about the allure of the glowing screen.
I will say that getting a grade for things really lights a fire under me, lol. Is taking lessons again a possibility? I know with my own teacher, she takes her private adult students on an every other week basis. During the summers when I’m not taking classes, I take about 1 private lesson a month, to keep myself on track. Or even if you volunteered to play at your church? children’s choir? Nothing like being scared into sitting at the piano! 🙂