Yesterday I posted about having fun at an auto auction. And it really got me thinking: when was the last time I chose to do something just for fun?
I don’t have an answer to that one. I mean, I really don’t remember. When I was a kid, I recall choosing to do things for the sole reason of having fun. It was a great reason! It counted! Fun was fun!
So what happened? When I think about recreational activities now, there’s usually some other factor driving my choices. Movies? To be perfectly honest, Mister usually chooses those. Restaurants? Well, a ho’s gotta eat, so that one’s determined by necessity. Even when I hiked the 3 Saints in 2009, I saw it as a challenge – something to be achieved – and not as fun. Don’t get me wrong – all of these things (and many, many others) end up being fun. And that’s splendid. Truly.
But I’m not talking about having fun. I’m talking about choosing fun. And yes, there is a difference.
Now I’m left wondering how to choose fun a little more often. A songwriter buddy responded to my first-of-the-month post and suggested I ease back into writing for the sake of fun. Truth is, I’m out of practice – at songwriting, at having fun. But if the child in me is real – and I think she is – maybe she can remind me to opt for fun once in a while. Maybe her smile can lead me down a laugh-y lane. Maybe.
I think – no, I know – I deserve it. We all do.