How do you fun?
The very first time I sprained my ankle, I was dressed as a clown. I was wearing full clown make-up and a clown costume with one of those giant hoop skirts. I tripped over a juggling devil stick. My neighbors and I were filming a “comedy” sketch and they couldn’t tell that I was crying and actually hurt myself because of all the make-up.
I was rushed to the emergency room and was sent home with crutches. I spent days on the couch with my leg propped up and my family bringing me snacks and ice. Those were the days. That, my friends, was fun. Filming hilarious sketches with my friends, dressing up, falling down, lounging on the couch for days, and getting attention. It was glorious.
Now, I’m all grown up. I’m turning 35 next month! I’d say those days were much further in the past than they were, but I spent years professionally dressing up in wacky outfits and performing comedy sketches, and spraining my ankle repeatedly. And now, I spend my evenings lounging on the couch, watching endless amounts of television… and it’s a lot less fun.
Maybe it’s because I live alone, or I’m tired of watching things on Netflix, but what do people do? How does one have fun?
A typical day in my life goes like this: wake up, take dog out, have coffee, watch news/scroll through Instagram, work out, shower, work, take dog out, have lunch, work more, go to the dog park, make dinner, eat dinner… then….
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER DINNER?
For the past year, I have typically been cracking open a bottle of pink champagne or wine and having myself a night watching TV. I’d do that every single night. The left side of my couch is basically shaped to my body now and it’s starting to scare me. When there’s a you-sized dip in the couch, that’s when you know it’s time to start doing something different.
I love my shows, but watching them every night takes away the joy of watching shows. They’re almost too available to me, you know? They’re such a reliable boyfriend, and I love them for it, but that’s also why I’m starting to wander. (Can you tell I’m only attracted to people who treat me horribly?)
When I have people over, we have fun… but we also just do exactly what I listed above. We just drink and watch things and laugh at our dogs. WHAT ELSE IS THERE TO DO?
In my pre-pandemic life, I would teach, direct or perform improv a few nights a week. Other nights, I’d meet up with friends for drinks or dinner. I’d visit the breweries in my neighborhood with my dog. Some weekends, I’d travel to Vermont to visit my friend, or other friends would visit and we’d go out. Due to the pandemic, that has changed. Even though things are going back to normal-ish, I still think it’s going to take a while.
This is something I’ve been thinking about since last fall when the cabin fever set in. In December, I decided to do a weird Christmas outfit challenge on my Instagram. It was fun and made me feel creative, so I decided to take it forward by creating a new blog and website. I do spend a lot of nights/weekends writing, and that has been great. It’s just that I’m starting to find staring at a screen at night after facilitating all day… soul-sucking.
So, what else do people do? What else is there to do?
Do you work out in the evenings?
Are you still going on dates, or scheduling at-home date nights? (My pandemic at-home date nights also consisted of having drinks on my couch.)
Are you meeting friends for patio drinks or dinners? Or blasphemous indoor dinners?
Do you clean? Is that fun in adulthood? Do you decorate your homes? Do you tackle DIY projects? I do have a beautiful pink power drill in my Amazon cart that I could get, although that seems like a lot of work. And yes, I know it’s ridiculous to sell power tools in pink for women, but THEY ARE CUTER!
Do you do nature things? Hiking and bike riding and the sort? Earlier this year, I took my sister to Lexington and Concord so we could walk the revolutionary trail and pretend we were shopping for revolutionary-style houses. Is that fun?
Do you play cards? Board games? Video games? Mind games?
Is this why people have families? So they can not worry about what to do for fun? Or, I guess I should reframe that to say, “So they can have fun with their families!” (You’re not fooling me!!)
WHAT IS FUN? I certainly don’t know anymore. I just know that I want to have it. I want it to be organic, and not forced. I want it to be effortless, and not make me anxious all day until I ultimately cancel. I want it to involve other people, but not too many people. I want it to make me laugh, but I don’t want to be in charge of the laughs.
I’m already exhausted thinking about this. I think I’ll just re-watch The Good Place for the 12th time in the Patty-shaped curve of my couch.