Directive: Leisure Time
Hobbies
Maybe I will paint or draw
Or feed my cat or rub his paw.
Maybe I will take a walk
Or call a friend to laugh and talk.
Maybe I will water the flowers
Or drink my milk before it sours.
Maybe I will visit Kate.
I’ll leave now or I’ll be late.
My hobbies cause mayhem with my mind.
Should I cook, write, or garden or sew
Or read, walk or paint….
Confused, yes. But, bored, I ain’t!
I have given quite a bit of thought to leisure activities during and after Covid. I enjoyed having unscheduled time due to the shutdown required during Covid. I liked having an empty slate for the day and being able to set my priorities. I established an eating and exercise routine which helped me to lose weight and eat healthier. I also read, sewed, painted, gardened, and did yoga. These are activities I have always enjoyed but I was able to focus on them. During this time, I realized how busy I had been with volunteer activities in the community. It became important to me to identify what activities I wanted to return to and which ones I should let go.
Once things opened, I returned to most of my old habits, eating out more and not exercising on a regular basis. I felt I hadn’t visited with X, Y, and Z for so long, I needed to get back in touch with friends again. Eating out provides more calories and opportunities for sitting around talking. It has taken almost a year for me to recapture a balance of walking and eating within a social framework. I am finally doing a little better with these topics. Occasionally, in addition to walking and doing yoga, I will ride my bike.
The one area that I feel is different for me now than before Covid is my interest in traveling. Prior to Covid, we traveled frequently within the US and internationally. Now, I just don’t want to. I’m concerned about Covid and how that could suddenly impact traveling and, I’m uneasy about the war in Europe. Perhaps, in time things will get clarified, but at present, I am not drawn to traveling.
Working with my hands is important to me. I like to quilt, needlepoint, paint, garden, as well as read and write. I belong to a writing group and an art group. Summer is a happy time of the year for me.
Community activities include attending and participating in church activities. In the past, I volunteered at Ball State University’s Rinard Orchid Greenhouse. I haven’t done this since Covid, but I’m considering volunteering again when the weather gets cold. It is a joy to be there in the winter and sometimes it’s nice to work with plants as opposed to people! I am also on Ball State’s Peace Center’s Advisory Board, a member/officer of the local Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) chapter, and an officer of the Association of Lifelong Learners.
A significant volunteer activity was that I taught English as a Second Language (ESL) to Afghan women new to the community from December to May 2022. We met three mornings a week. I approached this seriously and considered it “work” as it consumed so many mornings and hours per week of preparation time. It was a wonderful experience and I wish them well. I left so I could have more time during the summer months. Currently, I feel rather empty and like I need a significant activity to do but I haven’t identified what that should be. I don’t want to get overcommitted, but I’d like to have something purposeful.
Many of my interests started when I was a child. When I worked, I did what I could in the evenings. I was fortunate that unless I taught as an overload, I generally didn’t have to take work home. Occasionally, I had long days at work, but I could do as I pleased in the evenings. On the weekends, my husband and I watch a lot of ball games. Sometimes we will go to Ball State’s ball games. I feel fortunate that I have a lot of interests, activities, and abilities. Many of my friends who are in their seventies, are “shutting down” with interests or abilities. I feel about like I did 20 years ago. I don’t know how long I’ll be lucky, but I do think if a person keeps going, they have a better chance of continuing in good health. We need to “keep on keeping on.”