Anticipating Joy

Anticipating Joy 

I always wanted a hobby. Other people seemed to have so much fun with their hobbies. And it sounded cool: ‘to have a hobby’. I never managed to learn how to play an instrument; no endurance. Sport schedules were impossible to keep, team interaction confusing, et cetera. I tried so much, I never finished; no perseverance. My reading was nothing compared to what others did. Although I usually rapidly got above average at a lot I tried, I never stayed.

Other people had hobbies. I even had a definition of ‘a hobby’ by the time I was a student. When I saw a friend’s anticipated joy thinking about horse riding classes two days ahead, I knew it. A hobby is something you enjoy a lot and can even have anticipated joy about, only because you know you will have some time to do this activity ‘soon’.

Now I really wanted a hobby!

You have to realise that I grew up in a time when sewing was mostly a chore for my mother and my aunties. In my case, a chore that I didn’t really dislike, like you can enjoy cooking or cleaning.

Only a few years later, it dawned on me that I had a hobby. I was extremely busy doing internships, observing my own anticipated joy for a weekend, with some time to sew coming soon.

AHA—I do have a hobby! I have had a hobby most of my life: sewing!

‍

Now my question to you: what treasure do you already have without realising it? What makes you anticipate joy?

‍