Weegee Sachtjen

Find three hobbies you love: one to make you money, one to keep you in shape, and one to be creative.

I’m not sure who wrote or uttered these words of wisdom but it resonated with my husband and myself.

In one of those “is the universe trying to tell me something” occurrences, I had a discussion about the hardships of retirement with FOUR different people in ONE WEEK. Each conversation centered around how retirement was falling short of their blissful expectations.

The general gist of the conversations was “what to do with the free time?” that retirement offered. Some people were finding the freedom to do what they want eventually wore off and they were going stir crazy in their homes. Others were finding that their spouse didn’t adequately plan for their downtime and their spouse was finding the situation a bit irritating.

Either way, I saw the writing on the wall. If my hubster and I are going to enjoy our golden years, we need something to keep us busy.

I have read the success stories about people who didn’t take up acting until their fifties or write their breakout bestseller until they were collecting government cheques. I always chalked it up to finally being comfortable enough with yourself to express yourself. Or the desire to leave a bit of yourself behind after the final act.

But perhaps it is just needing something more to do.

For the hubster and I, we share two of the three hobbies. The two of us roast and sell coffee beans at local farmers’ markets (one to make you money). The two of us dig hiking and walking around town (1 to keep you in shape). But the third one was tricky.

My creative outlet is writing. I journal. I write blogs. I write short stories and short novels. I am always writing or thinking about plot lines. It keeps my mind active and in the creative process even when I am selling coffee.

However, my husband was struggling with his creativity. He tried photography but that endeavor stalled out. It’s one where you either need to continue to purchase equipment or software in order to create. Yes, he could take pictures but the set up for the perfect picture wasn’t what he enjoyed.

One to be creative. My husband spent a few weeks trying to think of what would engage his mind and make his inner creative soar.

“Bass guitar,” are the only two words he said to me one morning. He liked the idea of practicing an instrument and hearing the instant feedback on what he was playing. He spent A LOT of downtime researching what he would like to play (instrument wise and within the bass guitar family).

That is how we found ourselves in a guitar store in downtown Vancouver thirteen minutes after they opened last Saturday morning. He tested bass guitars, amps, and shoulder straps. He talked about filters, fades and tuning. He practiced strumming and slapping.

I never got the picture of pure joy on his face when he heard the first bit of thunder that rumbled through the small store with a flick of his fingers. But it is a look I will NEVER forget.

We got the bass home and set up in a room where he can jam after work, on the weekends or during moments that his daily schedule allows. He’s already got one or two chords that he can strum from memory.

Sidenote, chores and projects are getting done faster because both of us have a hobby we look forward to at the end of the day. We connect over dinner, knock out a few things and then the two of us part ways to work on our creative side. Rather than sinking into the couch to watch the creative output of others, we are ending our day on a high note of self-expression.

Like I said, I think the universe was telling us something. Or perhaps it was asking us for our creative sides.

We’re golden with our three hobbies. What are yours?

I learned something about myself yesterday – I’m kind of a big thing.

Yesterday, I woke up to about a centimetre of snow on the ground. Pretty, but it wasn’t going to derail my day. Not at that depth.

I got dressed and headed outside to roast coffee for the next day’s market. I, like everyone else in my area of the world, figured it would turn to rain around noon and melt away.

However, this heavy, slushy snow continued to fall all morning. The one centimetre grew to about 10 in a very short time. My steep driveway that goes into the unplowed laneway was starting to accumulate this wet snow, which could freeze if the temperature wavered a touch below freezing.

“It’ll turn to rain. It’ll wash away.” It was what I told myself. It was what the weather app on my tablet said. There was a part of me that knew that I should go out and shovel or at least clear some of the snow, in case. What if it doesn’t come out in the wash?

How often do I (or we) do that? Resist conversations thinking it will work itself out? Avoid follow up questions because we figure that “it will pass?”

“That part of me” . . . Whenever I hear that “part” speak, I know I need to act. It is my intuition throwing a vague prediction into the air. It is my gut responding to a higher power than my morning oatmeal. It is telling me to act and step outside of my comfort zone.

I have been struggling with what I call the lazy factor in my life. The shortcuts I take to avoid doing the hard work or the easy way to get things done.

I’m not talking about watching television when I could be writing my novel. Or sleeping in when there are chores and work to do.

It is more about sidestepping conversations that are hard so I can still be comfortable. It’s about taking the reins of destiny to guide it but being flexible about the outcome. It’s about taking ownership of my choices and decisions rather than feeling like a victim of circumstance.

In short, it’s about taking action in my world and not reacting to it. Especially when I don’t want to do it.

“That part of me” . . . .

I suited up and went outside. I shoved my driveway. I shoveled the steps. I shoveled the walkway on the other side of the house.

“That’s a lot of work when it’s about to turn to rain,” my neighbour said.

“It’s all going to wash away by morning,” another one offered.

I kept shoveling. They weren’t saying anything my lazy side hasn’t already repeated multiple times in my head. In fact, I shoveled that driveway TWICE yesterday due to snow accumulation.

It wasn’t about the outcome or the off chance it would come out in the wash. It was about listening to my intuition, making a choice, taking action and doing the work — regardless of other people’s opinions.

Even if it was going to melt away, I was helping Mother Nature to ensure it happened in the areas I need it to happen. I wasn’t along for the ride but steering the boat.

When I was done, I have to say, it felt pretty good. Like I was kind of a big thing. It was empowering to be part of the outcome rather than along for the ride with Mother Nature.