Time: What to do with your time (more to time than marriage, men, and crappy situations)

I'm coming across a lot of people who have no concept of being themselves outside of a relationship or definition of being part of family and not seeking life outside of what they define as normal.  I find it really uncomfortable to try and understand people who don't want to find things beyond their own little world.  There is more to life than a man, a baby, a marriage, and family that drives you crazy.  There has to be more to life than just a life of growing up, getting married, making babies, helping them grow up, get married, have babies, etc.  The cycle of life is only a bit of what the Good Lord provided for us to enjoy.

I find comfort in learning and doing.  If I'm not learning, I'm not living.  I love to travel, cook, go to dinner with friends, spend time with my mom and my precious nephew- and teach him new things.  I love to ride the metros of the places I travel to, I love to find neat places to eat and learn about what I'm eating.  I love to try new wines, meet new people, and to enjoy things that are created by others.  I also like to spend time in cemeteries learning about the past and who I am in relation to the past.

It blows my mind that people do the same thing day after day after day, wanting to just watch movies, play video games, do the family circuit, and be caught up in the constant demand of mediocrity.  If I had to constantly live up to those standards, I think I would just lose my mind.

As grown adults, there is life outside of work, family, friends and just a regular schedule.  Try it sometime, it's liberating.  I keep telling my beau that there is more to life than a set schedule, and if I had to keep repeating what I was going to do day to day, I was going to lose it.  There is more to life than a set schedule of what I do.  That should go for everyone. 

Sometimes a friend needs you, or their family needs you while they are out for the count.  I spent 3 early mornings at the bedside of a friend in the ICU and helped her family figure out some stuff since she was the primary caregiver for the entire family.  I'm honored that I was given access to come sit with her, and I'm glad she's back to the human being I knew.  What if I had said "I'm sorry, my schedule is booked up." and she died?  I would never have forgiven myself for abandoning her and her darling family.

Sometimes you just need girl talk.

But don't lose touch with who you are, what you like, what you like to do.  Keep enjoying life as you want to.  I don't think it helps that people lose who they are after they grow up or get involved with the family demands.  I think there are times you have to stop and say "I need to find out who I am again." or "I need to start trying things that sound interesting to me, no excuses."

I think knowing who you are makes all the difference to yourself and to others.  It helps you advocate for what you need, what you want to do, and I think it also helps with friends when it comes to resources you may have networks to and such as well. 

It just blows my mind that people can't function outside their own little box.  To me, I think that lacks adaptation, and for me it's frustrating.  I go and do a lot, and I wish there were others who did the same.  I like to find out what other people are doing and trying, and maybe I might be able to join in.

So some things to try:

Wine tasting

Cooking Classes

Reading a nerd book (history, biography, something deep)

Going to a restaurant that intrigues you

Walking through a grocery store you've never been to before

Watching a Cooking Show

Going to a Nerdy Adult event at a museum

Go Bowling

Learn cake decorating

Taste beers

Learn how to make something

Go to a Museum and see a new exhibit

Try a new place

Try a different bar

Mix it up, and get with the living and learning bit of your life.