A Hobby and a Plan

September Writing Challenge - Prompt #17:

Hobby

You know when you have to introduce yourself and say what your "hobbies" are? I used to really struggle with that, especially in early motherhood when I felt like I couldn't have any hobbies. In recent years, though, I've become more comfortable with it because I know my hobbies and interests much better now. Usually if someone asks my hobbies, I say gardening, reading, and (maybe) writing.

Gardening is pretty simple to understand. I like to grow stuff. Reading - yeah, everyone "gets" that. I like to read books. Nice and simple. But writing? Sometimes I leave it off the list. It's like... well, what do you write? And then trying to explain blogging can be awkward. I don't write poems. I don't write books. I don't want to call it "blogging" because that sounds silly (even though that's what it is), so I say "writing," but sometimes it's just easier to not mention it. Perhaps a better word for my hobby is "documenting" because I have always been an avid journaler, photo taker, and "writer downer." Blogging is only one of my methods. 

I have another hobby that I don't really mention, and that is "planning." It's a hobby that requires an explanation. 

"What do you mean by planning?"

My hobby is simply... making a plan. I'm really good at making plans! Meal plans, budgets, itineraries, schedules, etc. 

I love to plan. Making a grocery list is my idea of fun. Seriously. 

The problem is following through. That is not my hobby. I'm a planner, not a follow through-er. So if you want to know The Plan, I will tell you The Plan. If you want to see me uphold the plan, you're asking too much. I will buy what's on the grocery list, but then I will go home and order pizza. Because eating out is one of my other hobbies I choose to not mention in my introductions. 

Perhaps, someday when I feel like I can be really open about who I am, I'll say, "Hi, my name is Brittany. I enjoy reading, gardening, documenting, planning, and going out to eat." And maybe people will be like, "Hey, I dig that. You're cool."