Esoteric Bowl

Each week I receive a card in the mail from Mom. The card always includes store coupons that Mom has thoughtfully cut out of magazines for me. Also included in the cards are a few written lines letting me know what she and Dad have been up to and what’s going on with the family.

Sometimes the card is store-bought, but most times Mom has made the card on the computer. Either way, the cards are bright and cheerful and I always look forward to hearing from her.

Yesterday I received such a card. Along with the coupons, Mom expressed her disbelief that the 4th of July weekend was already approaching. In closing, she told me to “Do something FUN for a change.”

Do something FUN. Those words echoed inside my head. I sat and pondered; what is it that I consider “FUN”? I have no problem in keeping myself busy or entertained, but FUN is altogether different. As a child, how to have fun was never an issue. Kids can easily make hours of fun out of an empty cardboard box or a long stick.

So what is FUN? Movies, books, and the Internet can be entertaining and enjoyable, but I wouldn’t exactly call them FUN. Television can sometimes draw my attention for a while, but that too isn’t what I would consider fun. The beach can be relaxing at times, but sunburns are far from fun. I can often lose myself while tending to the plants, but it’s not something that I do for fun. I enjoy wandering around taking photographs of people and things, but I’m not so sure that I would categorize it as FUN.

There was a time when I considered carnivals and amusement parks fun, but now the rides make me feel like my brain is being tossed around in my skull. There was also a time when driving a car was exciting and fun, but the novelty of driving eventually fades.

Traveling is fun. At times Vegas can be fun. Sex can often be fun, especially with a steady partner. Discovering a great new restaurant can be fun. Good conversation has a way of being fun too.

Oftentimes the media will ask the oldest living person in the world how they managed to live so long. The answers tend to vary, yet almost all will say that they continued to have fun. I sit here wondering if I’ve possibly accepted being entertained or doing things that were enjoyable while forgetting about FUN. Perhaps I need to find an empty cardboard box or a long stick and rediscover FUN.
What do you consider FUN?

Have a FUN Aloha Friday!

This entry was posted on Friday, July 1st, 2005 at 6:35 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.