I used to do a lot of fun stuff.
Then I got married and had kids and almost everything I loved doing came to a screeching halt as I prioritized everyone else and what they wanted to do over just about anything I wanted to do.
Twenty years, five kids, and one divorce later, this is one thing I would do differently if I could go back and do it all over again.
Putting your interests and hobbies and passions on the back burner for a minimum of eighteen years isn’t how it’s supposed to work.
In my case, it led to anger, resentment, exhaustion, and total burnout.
I used to play a lot of disc golf when I was in my twenties and living in Pennsylvania.
I’ve been missing it for a long time.
It’s also free, which makes it extra appealing right now.
A couple weeks ago I bought some used discs off of Poshmark.
And yesterday for the first time in over twenty years, I played disc golf again.
I was all by myself and didn’t know the course layout. I had never played alone, and I hadn’t thrown a frisbee in years.
I was afraid there would be other people there, they’d be really good, I’d piss them off, and I’d look like an idiot.
I sat in my car for a good five minutes after I parked, wondering if I should just forget it and go home.
The catastrophizing part of my brain can really go crazy sometimes.
None of the stuff I worried about happened, which is usually how it goes.
There were some other people there.
When they came up behind me I let them play through (that only happened twice) so I could take my time.
Disc golf players are generally pretty mellow, so I don’t know why I got myself so worked up in the first place.
All that stressing was, of course, for nothing.
I had the best time yesterday.
For twenty years I forgot that I was supposed to be having fun, too.
Life sure does feel different when you make the decision to stop forgetting yourself.
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