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George and I are very different people. He's into triathlon, which sounds rather good for you until you start talking about distances. The Ironman race is pretty insane from most people's perspective (140.6 miles of swimming, biking, and running in under 17 hours). It doesn't make sense to me, but at no point have I stood in George's way or discouraged him from pursuing Ironman glory.
In fact, I carry his bike pump on race day and am proud to retrieve his tired bones from either the medical tent or the finish line. I encourage him to train when he feels guilty for the time it takes, save money for him to buy new equipment, and listen to his debates over which wheel set or running shoe to buy.
Triathlon makes him happy. Very happy. It's his thing. It doesn't have to make sense to me. It makes sense to him. And that is enough. I certainly have my share of unusual interests that are harmful to nobody, although I usually spare George the long debates over whether or not I should buy a die cut machine and the excruciating details of why I hate the novel Pope Joan. His eyes glaze over. It's enough to know that he will support my decisions no matter what, if only because he really wants a new wet suit next year.
It takes courage and enthusiasm to stick to interests outside the norm...courage and enthusiasm that should be celebrated. I love this quotation from Simon Pegg, who plays a pitch-perfect Mr. Scott in the two most recent Star Trek movies.
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It also takes courage to allow others the freedom to express their inner geek, whatever the source of their geekiness.
What interests do you have that have been mocked or ridiculed by loved ones? How did you deal with it? Have you ever given up something because you felt silly or because someone else didn't like you doing it? Do you have the courage and enthusiasm to do what makes you happy and celebrate your inner geek? Who supports you in your interests? How can you be supportive of others?
I tell very few people that I love stamping. There are a lot of craft haters out there. Thanks for the reminder to be kind to others whatever their passion is.
ReplyDeleteSome family and friends thought I was crazy for getting my pilot's license. I loved the entire experience, but as I look back on it, it was expensive and after getting it I never really did anything with it. So maybe everyone was right. (John totally supported me, however.)
ReplyDeleteMy interests often don't align with those around me. I'm okay with that. I'm also okay with others being interested in something different to me. I love it when I meet others who have similar interests (the beauty of the internet and blogging is that I meet many MORE people with similar interests). My hubby is supportive of my interests, as I am of his.
ReplyDeleteI just heard a saying that goes with the sentiment you expressed, "Don't Yuck my Yum!".
ReplyDeleteJust about everything I do is "different" here - a foreigner on a small island. Quite a closed, fit-in-the-box society. So considered strange, complicated, "special" for anything from trying to eat gluten & dairy free, to having a ladies book club that meets at night. It's tiring swimming against the stream all the time. So I agree with Michelle - the internet is a great support.
You don't like Pope Joan? Why? It's on my holds list for our library....sounded interesting.
ReplyDeleteAnywho....I'm a Trekker. But I'm also an almost 44 yo SAHM who lives in the burbs. My Star Trek obsession shocks most people here. My Sci-Fi bent makes me the odd bird among my good Christian friends. :)
Sadly, Katy, my reasons for hating Pope Joan are long and emotionally charged. Plenty of people like that book, but alas, I know too much about the 9th century and hate, loathe, and despise novels full of stereotypes and propaganda. I'm sympathetic with the author's dislike of Catholic attitudes toward women and such, but the novel is pure and simple anti-Catholic propaganda, full of anachronistic thinking designed to appeal to modern audiences, and ohmygosh I could go on and on with plot and character problems.
ReplyDeleteFor the record, I think it's highly likely a woman named Joan, disguised as a man, was elected pope and the church since the Renaissance has covered it up. There's plenty of historical evidence that women disguised themselves as men and lived in monasteries during the middle ages, often eluding discovery until after death. That doesn't excuse the literary crimes Cross commits in her novel. But then, I'm definitely in the minority.
I loved this whole essay, and will live by it in the future! I was having a discussion this week with my brother, and he said, "No, you don't want to swimming pool, too much work..."
ReplyDeleteI told him, "you know how you said your grand piano, playing it, feeds your soul. And your wife's horse feeds her soul. Well, swimming in my back yard, exercise my arthritis desperately needs, under my trees and sky, well, that's my soul food."