Brene recently told me (via her book, The Gifts of Imperfection) that a tenant of wholehearted living is the concept of play (and rest, but I do that pretty well.) It made me consider the things I do for fun. Like reading books, drinking coffee, reading blogs, drinking wine or reading novels. I like yoga, but I put that under health & fitness. I like being with friends, but that usually falls under the coffee or wine category. Facebook is less a hobby and more like a competitive sport. I go to book readings and speaking engagements for favorite authors. I would run a 5k if it included beer or chocolate at the finish line.
Clearly, I’m living in Nerdville, here. Which, overall, I’m completely comfortable with this part of my core identity. I’m not really ashamed of my bookish passions. The problem came when Rob & Kristen Bell politely pointed out to me that it might be good to have fun with the one person – of the 7 billion people on the planet – with whom you decided to spend your life.
JJ doesn’t read as voraciously as I do. He will drink wine in the winter or when the beer options are skimpy. And that seems to be the general cross-section of “fun” activities, mostly because of me. I’m the stick-in-the-mud who probably needs to escape the box a bit.
So I begin a quest to discover a few things we can enjoy, for fun, as a couple and/or as a family. Already nominated were camping and hiking (the downgraded version of “travel” because I need these goals to be realistic and the Fun Budget is small). Both camping and hiking include bugs and dirt, which makes over 80% of our family happy. Sigh.
So, I solicit you, good readers, to help me find more ways to have fun. How do you cut loose? Where do you find adventure? And, especially if you’re a nerd, have you found any fun things to do that involve books and wine?