big dilemma

There are three hobbies in my life that bring me great pleasure.



I love to read. Anything and everything.


I'm a relatively new knitting devotee. It's the most Zen thing in my entire life.


And it should come as no surprise that I like to blog. Far, far too much.

Does anyone see the problem here?



I do. You can only do one of them at a time. Now, that's a problem.


I have dueling addictions.


Surely it's a sad commentary on our society when we feel bad that we can't multi-task our hobbies. We spend our days juggling one task after another and then feel guilty doing just one thing at a time - even (or especially) in a moment of relaxation. As a reflection of the expectations we put on ourselves, I hate the idea of making myself feel bad that I'm doing one solitary thing.


But in practicality it's a real problem. The fact that some things can't be combined makes my life more difficult, or at the very least, less fun. And the fact that each of these hobbies can be combined with other things but not each other makes me crazy.


Take reading. It's the ultimate multi-purpose passion. I can read at the gym, on a plane, or at red lights if the book really has its hooks into me. I can knit while I'm gossiping with friends, watching TV or waiting at soccer practice or play rehearsal. I often read blogs while I'm watching TV with the kids because if you get distracted it isn't hard to get back on the train. It takes a little more concentration to write, of course, but I've learned to take what I can get and be grateful for it.


But you can't combine my top three. At all. Maybe some people can knit and type at the same time, but I barely manage them separately. Reading and blogging doesn't work in my world. And while I suppose some people technically could knit and read simultaneously, I'm not one of them. So I have to pick and choose between my vices, giving each a place of its own in my day.


I like to blog in the morning, coffee in hand. This isn't to say that I don't check in at other times during the day, loving comments the way I do. Knitting helps me to sleep, so it's usually what I do right before bed. I used to read myself to sleep but find that knitting clears my head better, especially when I've been at work. I read in bits and pieces all day long, whenever I can fit it in. If I have an afternoon at home alone I usually curl up with a book and a dog.


It's a balancing act, much like life, and sometimes it gets a little out of kilter.


Sometimes it's a real dilemma.

*************************************************************************************
As you can see Header #1 won by a landslide. (Hard to fault when even the person who created it preferred it!) Doesn't it look terrific?? Thanks, Carolyn!

*************************************************************************************
New installment of RC/RN on Monday. I hadn't realized it's been a month since the last one, so if you want to reread it go here for Part 1 and here for Part 2. Hopefully, I can wrap this up in one last go-round!

UPDATE: SORRY!! I totally forgot Fun Monday. RC/RN on Tuesday. Where is my brain??

*************************************************************************************