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For the last year or so, I had felt as though I'd settled into something of a routine. I have a good job, even though I've outgrown it and am looking out for new opportunities. My wife and I have been traveling more over the past few years, which has greatly enhanced our marriage.
But I'd still been feeling as if something was missing -- I just couldn't put my finger on what it was. I indulged my love of books and writing. I launched a blog. I became a huge history geek. All of this helped to a certain degree, but it wasn't enough.
This made me put undue pressure on my job and marriage to keep me engaged and fulfilled. I often found myself reminiscing about old times -- college and so forth -- which seemed like more exciting stages in my life.
It wasn't until last night that I finally unearthed what was missing from my life. I rediscovered my love of baseball, which I've enjoyed since I was a child but had stopped following since getting married.
All it took was watching exhilarating YouTube clips of the best moments in postseason/World Series history. The baseball fan in me had awoken.
I lost interest for several reasons:
- In 2012, I got engaged. The next few years would be crazy busy, between buying a new car, planning the wedding, and looking for a place to buy.
- My wife and I ended up buying a property far from the stadium in which our home team plays. This has made it more of a hassle to go to games.
- I don't have any really close friends or relatives who follow baseball other than my dad, whom I hardly see or talk to these days. I have two Facebook friends who follow the sport, but they don't live nearby.
- While my wife enjoys going to games in person, she falls asleep watching them on TV. Because of this, I've yielded to her over the past few years when it comes to the stuff we watch at home, which I now realize was a mistake. We have two TVs in the condo. I can watch the games in the living room if she prefers watching something else in the bedroom.
Baseball gives me something more to look forward to. It's always exciting to wonder who will win it all next. Players are always on the move. Teams look different every year. It never gets boring. It's a cause to rally behind. I look forward to taking my wife to several games next year and reestablishing a close bond with my Facebook baseball buddies.
The point of this post is not to encourage anyone to follow baseball, or any sport for that matter. I know some people don't care for sports, and I respect that.
But if there's something in your life that brings you excitement, don't give it up for anyone (unless of course, it causes you or others harm). I'm happy to say that I appreciate and relish life a whole lot more today after rediscovering my love for baseball. Suddenly life does not seem the least bit hum-drum.
It's amazing how something like this can change your whole outlook.
Last edited by Wordsmith12; 11-06-2017 at 08:48 AM..
If we can come up with a niche in our lives, a blog TODAY is what so many computer people are doing. I'm not computer tech oriented.
If I were to do a blog it would be about Grape Seed Extract and my 22+ yrs of having this supplement in my life. Good health excites me and without it, sports or anything else doesn't matter. Thanks.
Funny that you mention baseball. I used to watch the Braves quite a bit growing up, but did not watch much baseball for many years until I moved to the Midwest several years ago.
One thing that I like about baseball is that it starts in early spring. Once the first games start, you know warmer, sunnier, happier days are ahead. I associate a new baseball season with spring - rebirth, a restart, etc.
Baseball is steady. It's rare that you have super fast, breakaway plays like in hockey or basketball. It's reliable - you're guaranteed a game basically every day. I think there's some level of comfort knowing that if you miss today's game or lose today, you can always catch a game tomorrow with another chance to win.
Even rookie leagues will have dozens of home games per year. A college football team will have around a half dozen home games. If you miss one of those or lose, there aren't that many more makeups.
Football took over sports because of the Baseball strike.
Now that Football is loosing its luster because of all the controversy. Concussions, domestic abuse, deflate gate, the Anthem kneeling and my personal pet peeve extravagant showboating when they get a touchdown.
It was a good World Series and Houston winning was a big boost.
I still like NASCAR thought the most. Driving in a circle at 150+ mph is exciting to me.
The noise the smell and the crash. Anything with a motor.
This thread isn't really about baseball, it's about staying interested in things that bring happiness regardless of age, responsibilities and societal expectations.
This thread isn't really about baseball, it's about staying interested in things that bring happiness regardless of age, responsibilities and societal expectations.
Mine is anything with a motor. Primarily off-roading with my dog or driving on the beach to surf fish. Keeps me close to earth and in nature.
In multiple modes of irony, I don't care for Baseball one bit. I played 4 years in High School. It was amazing and fun to play, but to watch...I just can't anymore it's too boring.
Sure the World Series was exciting but a regular season game I literally cannot watch. There are so many games, and they are so long that it might as well be golf.
In the MLB there's over 486 hours of content FOR JUST ONE TEAM. That's crazy.
I don't mean to disparage those who watch, honestly it's just not for me.
However, I LOVE basketball. It's faster paced, the seasons are relatively long, but compared to the MLB there's 3x less content at around 164 hours per team.
On topic, there's a lot to be said when you're looking forward to something. It can be simple or indulgent or both. I've learned to be less indignant or judgy about what desire is. And to know that desire can matter in terms of mental health.
Sure it can easily tip into avoidance or depression or procrastination, but there's nothing wrong to give in to a bit of excitement now and then.
Now my happiness doesn't hinge on watching basketball, and ultimately it shouldn't. On the flip side, enjoying things from time to time, or on the broader question of happiness; at least for an anti-hum-drum life there in my mind are two modes of thought: either we need to find that intrinsic happiness, or inner-peace that isn't reliant on external factors, OR we need to accept that happiness is overrated and that feeling of motivation and drive has to be transformed or at least worked at in the forms of habit and repetition.
I rarely feel "pumped" to do anything. And in one sense that means I'm OK; that I'm content. I don't necessarily think that we all need to be driven or happy 100% of the time. I think that's one of the big lies that we've learned growing up that if we aren't happy means that we there is something wrong. This is in big part why we self medicate and all that.
Mine is anything with a motor. Primarily off-roading with my dog or driving on the beach to surf fish. Keeps me close to earth and in nature.
What is it that drives you?
Nice, access to a beach, I'm jealous. Me, I like foreign, often adventurous travel, hiking (with dog) to see wildlife/birdwatching, bicycling, following sports, listening to music, reading non-fiction, etc.
Basically I live like I'm permanently 35 years old, and I'm better for it. The main difference is I try to avoid getting hurt because healing is so slow over 50.
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