Saturday, March 21, 2009

Not Fun

I have been told that I am too serious and faulted for not being fun. It is true. I don't know how to have fun. My entire life has been full of serious pursuits. My work was serious ( 40 years of analyzing blood, bone marrow, tissues and body fluids in a clinical laboratory to provide diagnostic and treatment protocols for physicians). Being a chiropractic physician for a few years in the middle of all of that was serious. Raising children was serious. I guess some people have fun doing this, but I didn't know how to make that fun either. Being a Quaker has been a study of the serious for the past 25 years, reading the Bible, Quaker journals, articles and books. The title of my blog is serious (Holy Child of God). I chose it as a challenge both to myself as a reminder of its' truth and to others who only believe the misinterpretations in the KJV of "abomination".
When I retired almost three years ago, I had in mind that at some point I would do something useful for the world and volunteer either with hospice or as ombudsman for the state to monitor nursing homes. Again, serious pursuits. So far, I have not felt called to move in either of those directions. Now I am wondering if, in this part of my life, I should be pursuing joy or fun or whatever one calls it. It doesn't seem right when there is so much pain and suffering in the world to be pursuing joy instead of trying to relieve pain and suffering. It seems too selfish to me. On the other hand, I am sure that I am not lead in that direction at least for now, so maybe I need to be more open to joy, fun, etc. I just don't know where to begin. Maybe I could start with renaming my blog. Maybe call it In Pursuit of Joy and try to be more aware of possible openings for this.

4 comments:

Peggy Senger Morrison said...

I have often thought that I ought to open a summer camp called

"Aunt Peggy's camp for serious girls"

Jami Hart said...

I would like to go to that camp.

Unknown said...

I need help with remedial Fun 101, too. My Rx is God's Favorite Puppy, the Goldplated Knucklehead. Every day, he gives me lessons in joy. I can do this!

RantWoman said...

I wouldn't know fun if it bit me! Can I sign up for summer camp too?