Lately I’ve been craving change. Not necessarily big changes. I don’t want to change husbands. Or move houses. Or get a facelift. I’ve just been craving small changes. Something new to eat. Or to do, or see. A new author to read. Maybe a new skill to learn. I can’t quite put my finger on it. Maybe it’s just that old bugbear summer boredom.
And on that premise, I’ve been doing “research.” Or what qualifies as research in my world at the moment. Which means that I’ve been mostly casting about in books and on the internet and social media for ideas that inspire me. And thinking. And making a few plans.
Summer boredom is not a new phenomenon for me. I vividly remember suffering from it back when I was a kid. I wrote a post about that a few years ago. You can read it here. In the post I talked about what I did as a kid to stave off summer boredom. As well as the benefits of boredom to children. The good things that can happen when we allow children to be bored, and force them to solve the problem themselves. Without resorting to the easy fix of a screen.
I may not have liked my mum’s reply when, as a kid, I said I was bored, but apparently solving my boredom myself taught me a lot. Like how to make my own decisions and solve my own problems. And by doing so I developed something psychologists call “self directed executive function” which this article by Jessica Lahay in The Atlantic defines as the “ability to generate personal goals and determine how to achieve them on a practical level.” Interesting, eh?
So, being bored and dealing independently with boredom helps our brain development. Does that mean that solving summer wardrobe boredom, not by taking the easy way and rushing out to buy something new, but by rummaging in my closet to find new and creative ways to wear the old stuff, helps my brain? Maybe it helps stave off not just boredom but dementia as well? Okay… I know I’m reaching there. Still, I think someone should do a study on that. I’ll volunteer as a subject.
Thinking about change and summer boredom this week, and reading and listening to a bunch of sources, sent me in a few directions I didn’t expect.
One involved my discovery of what Zen Buddhists call “shoshin” or “beginner’s mind.” The beginner’s mind is explained as approaching a subject or a problem as we might have done as a child, with curiosity, an openness to possibilities and a “lack of preconceptions”(source.) There are a ton of articles and Ted Talks on beginner’s mind. I’m surprised I’d never heard of it before.
Fostering a beginner’s mind is apparently good for us as we age, helping with our neuroplasticity and cognitive fitness. Keeping our minds more nimble and better able to cope with change. Of course the opposite is true as well. Change comes hard to those of us who think we have all the answers. Especially those of us who overestimate our understanding and abilities because we know so little that we don’t know what we don’t know. You know, the unknown unknowns. Ha.
Oops. I just fell down a bit of a Dunning-Kruger rabbit hole. I’m back now, and I don’t want to digress, so you can read about the Dunning-Kruger effect yourself here. Then let me know if you can make parallels with current world leaders.
Now here’s where all this lead me yesterday. The fact is that we have to work to maintain our beginner’s mind. Learning something new and stifling our tendency to think we know more than we do can be hard. It takes work. But learning is so good for us. Even at our age. And how exciting is that?
As Tom Vanderbilt wrote in this article from The Guardian, learning changes the way we think and see the world. And as a result, our world gets bigger. That doesn’t mean that putting ourselves in the role of beginner is easy. As I said, it’s hard. Especially on our pride. But hard things often reap big rewards.
I remember a teacher colleague once told me that, in her opinion, one of the rewards for kids studying Shakespeare, which is hard, aside from the timeless life lessons it teaches, is realizing that they are capable of doing hard things. Which brings me to the last direction my research lead me this week. The benefits of hard work and NOT taking the easiest path. And the pitfalls of choosing the opposite.
In an article in Time magazine this past week, Andrew Chow reveals how a very recent study at MIT has shown that ChatGPT is having alarming, but not perhaps unexpected, effects on students who employ the AI tool to help them with their course work.
Alarming for sure. And not wholly unexpected by educators who have seen the negative effects of the overuse of tools that make life easier for students. In this case teachers have been accumulating observed, anecdotal evidence in their classrooms, but were not able to prove that what they thought they knew was actually happening. Until now.
Anyway, among other things, the MIT study has shown that students who rely on ChatGPT show lower brain engagement, and lower “neural connectivity” than students who do not use it. That’s the short version. There’s much more. If you’re interested you should read Chow’s article. In other words, ChatGPT is efficient, but bad for our brains. Especially for developing brains.
Apparently the study is so new that while it’s been submitted for peer review, the review process is not yet complete. The authors were alarmed by their findings, and felt so strongly that this information should be available to educators as early as possible, that they didn’t want to wait until the peer review process was complete to publish.
You know, this whole thing kind of makes me want to head for the hills. And with AI becoming more and more pervasive, if I were still teaching, or a parent of young children, I’d be pulling my hair out. I don’t want to get into a discussion of the possible solutions for educators. If they even exist. So I won’t. But knowledge is power. Knowing the dangers is a start. But where schools and universities and parents go from here, I haven’t a clue.
Now, not to abandon a serious subject for a much less serious one. Which of course you know means I am going to do just that. Ha. But what about my summer boredom? My quest for change?
Well, I’m starting small. With reading and listening and looking for inspiration, as I said at the beginning of this post.
So last week, I cast about for something new for my walking buddies and me to do. We went to Visions and Views, an exhibit of Canadian art from the Firestone Collection at The Ottawa Art Gallery.
That’s my favourite painting from the exhibit, above. A classic Quebec view. Especially those hills.
And then we had dinner at the Jackson CafƩ at the gallery. The cafƩ has only recently started serving dinner.
What a lovely time we had. The service was wonderful: cheery, chatty, and knowledgeable… just the way we like it. The wine was good; the food was superb. And the company was excellent. What more could one ask for? If you’re looking for a great casual place for dinner, we would highly recommend.
We admired the waiter’s ability to pour the wine backhanded. “How do you do that?” we asked. He cheerfully demonstrated while Linsey attempted to get a photo. See below. What a nice kid.
So, I’m still on the hunt for change to alleviate my summer boredom. New places to go. New things to do. And something new to learn while I try to cultivate my beginner’s mind.
As always, I’ll let you know how I get on.
Now it’s your turn my friends. What new things are you doing, or reading, or learning? Please tell us. We need inspiration… or I do at any rate.
58 thoughts on “Summer Boredom and Beginner’s Mind.”
Iām bored too! What to do? We rode a Harley over all North America, then years later bought a boat and explored from Vancouver to Alaska. Another season Haida Guida and the most weatern coast of Vancouver Island, twice. We plyed the waters of the pacific coast for ten years. Weāve gone on river cruises in Europe and ocean cruise through the British West Indies, Caribbean, along the Central America coast. Explored Egypt, Israel, Italy extensively. What to do next?! We had planned to buy a motor home and explore the states but that is off the table. I donāt feel we are welcome and why, when they are threatening to take over Canada? I donāt want to stay home and wait..any suggestions from your readers is appreciated.
Last month my husband and I met a British couple at a bed and breakfast in southern Virginia. They had come to the U.S. for a wedding and decided to stay for several weeks, rent a convertible, and explore some of the southern states. They said they loved the people, felt welcome everywhere they went, and were having a great time.
I live in Virginia in the US. We don’t blame you for not wanting to visit the US at this time, but you would most certainly be welcome! I very much enjoy and admire Canada and at times fantasize about running away there. I love the US but right now…! Too often I am ashamed of my country’s actions and rhetoric. Doing small things to push change.
You have done more than most.Honestly this kind of complaint is an extreme first world problem.
Do people see what is happening in the world at all?
You might want to dial back the tone, Dee. First world problems come in all shapes and sizes when one lives in the first world. I think we can be very aware of world issues without sitting around wringing our hands all the time. Just sayin’.
You sound quite a bit the teacher here, Ms. Burpee. The present state of the world is enough to make one feel desperate and heartbroken – which is very different from “sitting around wringing our hands all the time”. I would have expected a little more sympathy from you.
Yes, I do. My reply to Dee was a bit strong in tone. I guess I was just trying to say that Joanna, to whom Dee was replying, might be as disturbed as the rest of us over the current strife in the world. And I missed the fact that Dee herself be “desperate and heartbroken” as you say.
Wow, you have done a lot of really cool things, Joanna. I understand when you get to the point that you both say, “What now?” We are there. Looking at our options as bodies age and change which will affect how we travel and where we go.
What about Peru? Perhaps not in a motor home. Ha. But I have friends who did what we did which is to contact a small tourist company in Peru and have them build a bespoke trip. We were on our own as much as we wanted and joined up with small tours at other times. It was perfect for us. And way more affordable than we expected. And what an amazing, amazing place. And I’m not just talking about Machu Picchu. Just a thought. š
There was a wonderful British comedy programme called āWaiting for Godā about a retirement home and its inhabitants starring Stephanie Cole and Graham Crowden. She fought it with a good dose acerbic humour and he escaped into fantasy! I feel life can be a bit like that when you reach the stage of having to give up various activities. Because a lot of physical things are beyond me Iāve taken up some craft work and joined a womenās choir where the eldest is 92! We put on two concerts a year and also perform in a couple of retirement homes. Itās good fun and I have met such interesting women. I do a lot of crossword puzzles and sudoku just to keep brain cells active and also try to keep up with scattered family. Our grandchildren love getting handwritten letters. Itās not necessarily a replacement for being a full time teacher and mother but it keeps the grey matter ticking over. We also have taken out subscription tickets for our local drama society and enjoy a meal out with friends followed by an eclectic range of plays.
We have done a fair bit of travelling over the years and hope to be able to do a bit more of that in the future – if there are still safe places to go!
Good luck with becoming āunboredā.
I have no doubt that I will become “unbored” any day now. The start of summer always triggers this feeling with me. Childhood experiences, and many years of teaching have drilled that feeling into me, and no matter how long I’ve been retired the feeling comes back every year.
I love that you joined a choir. Singing is supposed to be so good for us. Not to mention the joy it sparks and the community singing in a choir creates.
I’m never bored, really. Thereās always something.
Thereās the ornamental garden for a start, where Iām always learning. Growing our own fruit and veg, cooking and preserving.
Swimming in the ocean all summer long and then in winter walking our coastlines – walking, walking, walking.
Classical ballet class and dancing in a concert (my worst nightmare).
Reading.
More importantly writing, because I like creating a novel or two. Writing a weekly column for Substack.
Stitching – setting the bar higher with each thing I embroider.
Creating a Postcard Club and making my own postcards because I couldnāt find nice ones.
Family.
Friends.
But most importantly, our new little Pup, now seven months old. Wanting to do everything the best way for him, so attending classes regularly.
Iām pooped!
You have a wonderful list of activities and hobbies, Prue.
I enjoyed this post very much. Suffering from some insomnia at the moment, I enjoyed reading the articles even though I was familiar with the concepts. I’m someone who enjoys being a beginner and appreciates the benefits of being in the experimental phase. The Guardian article was particularly interesting.
Even though Italian has been the primary (exclusive) language of my relationship for more that fifteen years now, I don’t live or work in Italian otherwise so I still find that I’m comfortable being imperfect in it. I’m not afraid to make mistakes or experiment and it’s very freeing. I listen more and I don’t have to be the expert in the room. Most of all, I don’t expect myself to be perfect in the way that I do in so much of my life and that hinders me in some things I value. As a result I’m much more playful in it. I use French in the same way in my working life, with francophones I manage. I learned French as an adult, so I’m not afraid to make mistakes and ask questions. I wish I could transfer these lessons more readily to some other areas of my life, in which the expectations are too high. One of the articles also had a link to a discussion of decision fatigue, which I also suffer from. It’s good to be reminded of techniques to combat that.
Good luck in your search for new activities! (Was glad to hear about the OAG exhibition and resto. Was walking in Sandy Hill the other day and saw the gallery from the Laurier bridge and thought, “I haven’t been there in a while!” Will have to plan an outing. I also remember the restaurant as pleasant.)
Oh PS agree fully about AI. Not surprised by the research. I’d rather reinvent the wheel than rely too much on it. I can see the important research and medical applications, but otherwise it takes the fun out of so much. I had a recent experiment in this with a colleague. We both attended a multi-day set of meetings. He churned out meeting summaries from his notes using AI and I found them so uninteresting (and loathe those bold, banal headings). So much of it seems vague and meaningless. I prefer to write my notes out afterwards without AI, with reflections and interpretations (and anecdotes) added in places and of course I think mine are better and a better read. I might be biased…
I was really alarmed by that article on the MIT study. Not surprised, though. How secondary school educators should deal with this is a real conundrum. With respect to your meeting notes, sounds like you truly processed your experience, while your colleague has probably forgotten what transpired, if I can extrapolate from the MIT findings. š
I donāt often feel bored in the same way I did as a child after the first couple of summer holiday weeks had worn off, the joy of not going to school, being able to play all dayā¦but late-life malaise can make itself known. A few plans, some future projects simmering, being creative in little ways all help stave it off. Currently applying myself to learning how to do beaded jewellery, cannibalising old stuff I donāt wear and creating new items that I will. And sewing again. I do think that creativity is key, in whatever form it takes and on a scale appropriate to oneās life. I suppose, in essence, it is the eternal search for meaning. Sometimes that turns out to be something small and simple.
I am casting about for a creative outlet. It’s been something I’ve been mulling over for a while. I just need to find the right class, or course or group. One that doesn’t require me to sit in traffic for 45 minutes to attend.
I started guitar lessons at age 65 and accordion at age 77. So much fun! And work, and practice. Talk about willing to be a beginner at an age when I feel like I should be an expert! I highly recommend learning a new instrument. I have found many places to play and many different groups to play with. Plus itās satisfying just to noodle around on the instruments by myself.
When we lost our latest dog in September 24 we decided , for a number of reasons , that we would not get another & therefore we needed changes in our life . We have travelled extensively in the past , when we had the right amount of energy to make the most of it & places were less busy . It doesnāt appeal now . So we are trying something different. Like you , we always did a lot of research before our travels & we are applying that effort to visiting the UK . We love history , interesting townscapes & wandering around old places . So there is lots of reading going on , google helps too , finding beautiful villages & towns with interesting architecture , within reach of historic houses & gardens we can walk around . We prefer smaller places , not the grand palaces – the older & quirkier the better . Good tea shops are important too . So every few weeks we drive off for a week in a carefully selected cottage to explore the surrounding area & itās working out really well . Itās giving us lots of new experiences to think about .We are managing to avoid crowds of visitors as long as we stay away from major tourist areas . We hate fighting through crowds . I canāt list all the āHidden Gems ā weāve found Iām afraid – itās a secret š¤
I envy you all the hidden gems, the small old town centres and walking trails. Sigh. Maybe we should just emigrate. Ha.
emigrate – or do a house swap?
Iām sure there are lots of interesting little places to explore in Canada & plenty of Canadians here to suggest them !
That’s what my friends and I are doing this summer, taking day trips to nearby small towns. š
Wouldn’t that be fun for a month?
Interesting you saying you are bored.
When I retired 7 years ago I was concerned that I might vegetate so decided to volunteer. This initially started at a local, weekly run, cafe. Very sociable and a great way to make new friends. All the volunteers were of a similar age with our customers a few years older.
I then thought my grey cells needed more stimulation so I volunteered to be treasurer of a organisation for the retired. We have over a thousand members and arrange social events. All good so far.
3 years ago we started playing pickleball, which we love. At the AGM in January the secretary announced he would not be standing and, with no other volunteers, I reluctantly took on the role.
Due to ill health of friends I now run the cafe, sort rotas, buy provisions, oversee the bank.
2026, I have decided, will be the year I start withdrawing from the volunteering.
Not quite sure if there is a moral in my story, I have made new friends and had some great times but working harder now than when I was employed it not the best for retirement. Boredom? I look forward to it!!
Keep up the good work, I always enjoy reading your posts – such a different life from us in the UK.
You are very busy. Sounds like you need a little boredom. I’m not exactly bored as such, not like when I was a kid. Just casting about for something new to rekindle my interest. I think I’ve been doing many of the same things for too long. But I’ve also been having no luck finding courses or classes, or some other creative outlet. Everything I find is in a part of the city that involves a long commute. And I am not interested in commuting again.
We started a vintage business together. Big change for a retired psychologist and bankruptcy lawyer, moving from transforming people’s state of mind and financial stability, to transforming physical objects. When we go to an estate sale, we are looking for the dirty and broken things that others overlook, but that we can rescue. It is very creative, hands-on, and fun! We have 2 booths in a vintage mall. We go in weekly. Not a real money maker, but so rewarding!
That sounds like a ton of fun, Pat.
So many hobbies in retirement take the form of “things.” Make things, resell things, grow things, fix things. I knew my brain needed a creative outlet, so I decided to read one wildly different book every month (on top of my preferred books). It’s been crazy! But I think it’s working because I’m thinking (and even dreaming) of a wider range of ideas. If I could find a similar book club, I think that would be even better!
That sounds like a great idea, Bette.
I stopped working 1.5 years ago and to exercise my brain cells I started Japanese lessons on Duolingo and do lessons every night. We love Japan and have been there 6 times in the past 20 years, knowing only the most important words any traveler needs to learn for any country: “Excuse me/I’m sorry”, “Thank you (very much)”, “Good morning”, “Good evening”. Even 20 years ago when few Japanese spoke English outside of hotels we got along great. Now, after all my lessons I get excited when I can recognize words or construct a sentence but I doubt I will be able to speak it as well as my high school French. Who cares? It’s fun and I can travel in my mind and when we return for our next visit I’ll try to dredge up some new word. On our last trip October 2024 after dinner at a tiny restaurant I told the chef as we were leaving, “The sushi was delicious” in Japanese. Everyone applauded. I almost cried.
What a great story, Louise. š
What to do with a beginner’s mind? Try learning to use trekking poles at the age of 74! After I was diagnosed with spinal stenosis and offered only steroid shots or surgery as a solution, I determined there had to be a better way, since the solutions seems to be overkill for my symptoms. A great book from a physical therapist suggested trekking poles could add spinal support and aerobics good for rehabbing the body. I was a walker for many years, but always on pavement. My new trekking poles, outfitted with rubber tips to protect the pole ends on city streets, is proving a definite coordination challenge. My beginner’s mind is at the early toddler level, I think. And it’s fascinating to just jump in and try, without thinking of which muscle to move. Thanks for some wonderful links!
You definitely have beginner’s mind, Ann. You are open to new things and not put off by being a beginner.
I’m a reader, a sewist and a knitter, but over the winter decided that I needed to try something new. I went to a little needle felting workshop at Wabi Sabi in Hintonburg…learned to make beautiful bookmarks with a very interesting instructor. Took a second workshop to learn to ‘paint’ with wool fibre. This is really fun! And bookmarks? Everybody needs one!
Mahjong! I took it up a few months ago and am having so much fun with it. There are endless hands to learn (we play the Chinese version here) and when I win a game by taking a chance with a new-to-me hand, itās a great feeling. Excellent for neuroplasticity.
I too read the study on ChatGPT and student brain function and found it alarming. I donāt use it – the environmental impact alone has made me want to avoid it, and ever since my mom taught me the three most important words in the English language (ālook it up!ā) Iāve leaned heavily into doing my own research. Donāt feel the need to change that now.
You are right, Carol. The environmental effects of AI is staggering. I have learned to eliminate the AI responses from my own google searches.
P.S. I have a friend who is equally enamoured by mahjong!
That sounds like fun, Miriam.
I am utterlyĀ in awe of the post and all the comments and feel not bored but boring. Wow,how many ideas
A lot of things had to be changed and replaced by others, I agree,so I love trekking poles,too
Lately ,as my DIL is from Bulgaria,I’ve started to learn a little bit of Bulgarian (although she speaks immaculate German and even has learned Croatian). New language is always fun – I want to start with a couple of phrases andĀ we’ll see how it goes
I am not surprised at all by MIT study,it only supports my empirical evidence
Dottoressa
Sometimes I envy friends who are much busier than I am. But I have to remind myself that we all have our own pace. I have tried to make sure I don’t spend my days rushing around on someone else’s schedule. Now that I’m not teaching anymore, I only want to follow my own schedule… selfish as that sounds. š
Is it āsummer boredomā or āsummer ennuiā? Iāll submit that, just maybe, itās a bout of the latter which might not be ācuredā by filling your days with more diversity and activity.
āSummer ennuiā is the label Iāve coined that describes the restlessness and vague discontents Iāve always been prone to when my results-focused life slowed down in the summer. A trip to a foreign country or throwing myself into a new venture were tried and true ways to push away unsettling thoughts, but these days my inner life is more complicated because I live with a spouse who is 10 years my senior and who faces serious chronic illnesses. Unwanted changes are coming despite my best efforts to push them away and Iām not sure if Iāll be up to the challenge.
We live in a culture which values an āactive, full lifeā as the way to cope with aging but that might not always be whole answer. Perhaps slowing down enough to develop a ābeginnerās mindā is a better choice when faced with the challenges of uneven aging? Acknowledging issues with curiosity and cultivating an openness to possibilities along with a ālack of preconceptionsā sounds like a pretty good frame of mind. Keeping my mind nimble and better able to cope with change is definitely something I can work on. And guarding against overestimating my understanding and abilities because, well, the unknown is unknowable sounds like good advice.
So, instead of looking for another diversion, maybe itās time to get out my watercolors? After years of striving to be competent juggling the roles of teacher/spouse/mother/administrator, I was astonished at how much I enjoyed an activity at which I was utterly incompetent. The pressure to produce disappeared once I accepted that mistakes were my norm and the possibilities for change were endless. The paint, water, and paper did their thing and I was fascinated by the results and the colors that emerged with or, more often, without my intervention.
And maybe thatās the point of the ābeginnerās mindāāto relinquish enough control to see the possibilities shaken loose when things can open up? So maybe my āsummer ennuiā is telling me itās time to wander instead of define goals, to sit and observe instead of do, and to concentrate on processes and connections with others instead of trying to control the outcomes? And asking lots of questions instead of trying to find answers?
A very wise comment, Marily.
Not experiencing much in the way of summer boredom yet but i have been doing a little redecorating and moving some things around and removing some things for a cleaner, ā less is moreā look around the house. Iām also planning on getting some paint and a paintbrush out soon as well. Giving even one piece of furniture or a door a new coat of paint always cheers me up! Beyond that Iāve started a new exercise routine. Nothing too strenuous. A few minutes of toning and stretching. It hasnāt quite become a habit yet so I have to keep working at it. My idea is to create a small habit and build on it. Wish me well please. Happy summer to everyone.
I also find that sometimes tweaks are all that I need, not major change.
I recently began watercolor lessons. I donāt want to paint landscapes or portraits to be hung, I want to keep travel journals that include watercolor sketches. I found a teacher who does this herself. How lucky am I to have met her! I have had two lessons and Iām having so much fun. This is for me and my memories, I donāt feel compelled to share with anyone if I donāt want to. Iām loving it!
That sounds like something I’d like, Linda.
My two cents: creativity and community! How might you enhance one or the other or both? Iām wondering if youāve ever experienced flow? The absolute antitode to ennui or boredom. I have some suggestionsā¦
Creativity for sure. I’d love to have another creative outlet. Just not sure what it is at the moment. I’ve searched for classes and workshops etc etc. But we live in an odd part of the city, too small for our own things, and a 45 minute drive to access the things that have interested me with no access to public transport.
P.S. I had to look up “flow” … but I have experienced it when I’m writing. Once I get on a roll, so to speak. I’d love to hear your suggestions. š
A favorite saying of mine since I retired 14 years ago is āIām not bored yet.ā I started retirement with a burst of consulting and board service. Now, itās just me and my husband. No more āobligations,ā to be somewhere or do something after 40 years of a demanding but thrilling career.
But Iām finding keeping up with dear friends near and far is the most satisfying. It does take effort. And I refreshed my French on Duolingo before a recent trip to Paris. I was proud of how well I did. Iām still doing it every day as a fun brain exercise.
Iāve had a couple of health mishaps that slow me down. But then I donāt feel guilty picking up a good mystery to read!
Sounds as if you have found your retirement niche, Chris.
Sue, such a thought-provoking post and so many interesting comments. For me, if I have some sense of community, curiosity, connection or creativity, my thoughts are positive. They are usually quite small things (that others might not even notice me involved in) but they help me not to drift towards boredom.
Sometimes small changes can totally solve the problem.
Iām seldom bored. Iām 85 and Hubs is 81. We live in our own home, do all our own housework and care for our gardens (well, Hubs mostly does the gardening, I just superviseā¦.Haha). My favourite place to be is in the kitchen. I love to cook and create dishes; I seldom make something the same way twice. We entertain often, both family and friends. I love to lunch with a friend, so that happens at least a few times a month. We are both prolific readers and have our own ābook clubā. We both read the same books (with the exception of his sports books) and review them together. I love puzzles and blogs and he reads the newspaper cover to cover and fills me in on the interesting parts. So, boredom seldom creeps into our lives and if it does, we clean a closet or rummage in the basement for things to discardā¦,,weāre getting very good at that.
You and your Hubby have retirement sussed, Gwen. Good for you.
Is it boredom, or restlessness? I have been retired for just a year, and confess I am still finding my rhythm. I started a neighborhood book club. I have a large garden I enjoy. In good weather, we will sit in the shade and read for a spell in the afternoon. I walk four miles each morning, go to the gym, and practice yoga. I’ve been to a number of protests! The house is clean. There is another component to living that is missing for me, and that is the social component. My husband is content to just be the two of us, hanging out. I would love to find a friend. I just started working at a food pantry, and am looking for other volunteer opportunities, hoping to make some connections.
Sounds great, Julia. š
I absolutely get this, we live in the country and everything is a drive away. With climate change the 2 summer months are so hot and humid I feel more house bound than during the winter. Social media isn’t very social.
Social media can get me down. Not the personal messages like o here, nor the newsletters to which I subscribe, but the bombardment on other media sites. And yes, I agree about summer. It’s not my favourite season.
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