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Sunday, March 25, 2012

So What Would Make You Happy?

I'm not going to kid you: I've been grumpy the last few months. A few things have fueled this state of mind, but that's not the point of this post. I hate being grumpy, so this morning I started scribbling a list of what would make me happy. Your list might differ, but I offer the following as a starting point:
  • Travel
  • Reading
  • Education
  • Career change
  • Location change
  • New activities/hobbies
  • Writing
  • Walking/hiking
  • Eating/drinking somewhere new
  • Napping
Okay, so some of those are more easily done than others. For instance, I took a two-hour nap today, and it was frickin' brilliant! However, a new career or moving to another city would take more thought. I've done all that I wanted to do through my childhood, adolescence, and even early adulthood: worked for Disney? Check. Worked for the military? Check. Worked for the space business? Check. Now what? I have no idea what to do next, so I stick with what I know.

Education? I could take a class, but in what? I just paid off my credit card, which had just crossed five figures, so now I need to live more within my means. And what sort of thing(s) do I want to learn? Academic subjects? Mechanical? Artistic? I have no idea. But I'll give the matter some thought while I research the possibilities.

Travel? I'm giving the matter some serious thought, but again, I need to set some money aside first. I'm considering renting a boat and cruising one of the rivers of Europe. You know: for fun. Also on the long-term list: New Zealand, Great Britain, Ireland, southern France, Portland, Alaska, Hawaii, Australia...who knows where else? I need to see new places to keep myself sane. Not sure why.

Writing? This is a bit frustrating, because I really have nothing concrete to "say" right now. Something will come to me eventually, but for now...no. Sorry.

Walking/hiking? I need to get off my tuckus and walk some more. I've been on a diet for the past two months, and that has been productive to some extent (I won't bore you with the details), but exercise also would help. Hiking is about the only exercise I do enjoy, so if I'm going to focus, it might as well be there. But where? I get bored easily, so I need to walk somewhere else for variety.

Reading? I've got a large pile of books to finish, covering subjects that range from political science to screenwriting to the history of Woodstock. I "hid" my books on the bookshelves so I wouldn't be discouraged by how behind I've gotten in my reading. But new reading might fuel new writing, so all of it is useful eventually.

New activities or hobbies? I've given some thought to painting or sculpture. Maybe sculpture. The local painting classes seem to be inhabited exclusively by women. A more mixed environment seems better; otherwise, I'll end up being the only guy in the room, and that's not always a great thing. Anyhow, if I can't find an artistic outlet through clay, I might just break down and buy some more Legos. :-)

At any rate, I'm at least thinking about things to do to improve my mood. What are you doing, Dear Reader?

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