Are there hobbies that you miss? Are there things you used to do (or aspire to do) that you abandoned because life got in the way? Were there things you loved but had to give up because of physical challenges? And if someone gave you the chance right now, would you do them?
As you can probably tell from the photo taken four years ago, I miss dancing. For me, it was a slow decline in participation, from doing work with the college company and performing here in LA to slowly taking fewer and fewer classes. It had stops and starts even when I could still physically perform. And now, there are some real physical challenges, including peripheral neuropathy, which means it would be tricky to get my toes pointed any time soon.
I had the chance to continue with it here in LA, and I didn’t find the energy or time for it. And I think a part of me didn’t want to struggle to do something I used to be good at doing. Don’t get me wrong – neither Paul Taylor nor ABT was ever calling me. But I was certainly better than I was five years ago. I let my ego get involved, and that negative energy pull made it easier to skip class and eventually stop going.
And yet, it is the hobby I think most about now. It still feels like part of my identity, even though I was never good enough to be a professional dancer. I still feel that pull.
Are there things like this for you? And I’m also curious about the reverse. Are there things that started as hobbies when you were younger that you continue to do professionally or for the pure joy of it?
I will leave comments open for this one until the spammers find us, so feel free to leave a note or email me at patricia@thosesomedaygoals.com.