What Fun Looks Like These Days

I am trying to find out what I do for fun as that has become more important as I have stepped back from full time year round teaching. It’s not actually a case of doing something new, but appreciating what I already do more than I have in the past.

1. Writing my blog every day is a good discipline to get into but it’s also a lot of fun. I wouldn’t do it otherwise. The fact that it is nearly always early on in the morning means that I have to engage my brain and it’s really good for me.
2. Janet and I love doing jigsaw puzzles together and it’s something we need to do more of this year. Yes, there is the occasional frustration of getting stuck but even that’s fun because it’s followed by the inspiration that means you are full steam ahead for the next part of the puzzle. It’s great as a mental challenge and also as an opportunity to work on something together.
3. Walking is something I have always enjoyed doing and Janet and I love walking down by the Kent coast in particular. It is great exercise of course but it is also great fun to see the views and to feel the fresh air. Over the years I have undertaken a number of charity walks for a number of different causes and our walks are a very important part of my training. I am not sure if I am going to do a charity walk this year but if I don’t then I’ll definitely do one next year.
4. One of the pastimes I let slip after finishing my commuting days was reading. My hour long journeys there and back were completely focused on books rather than a screen. I would read over 100 books a year as a result and I would concentrate on anything I liked. Romantic comedies, detective novels, books about music, books about popular culture and social history. You name it, I read it. To restrict myself to fiction or non fiction, or to read a specific genre is anathema to me. Variety is the spice of my reading life.
5. Finally we come to my favourite TV programme of the moment. My youngest daughter and I started watching Celebrity Traitors together last year and I got completely hooked. Tonight, as I write is the final programme of the normal version and I am absolutely loving it. The game is great, the players are a fantastic mix and the sheer enjoyment I get from it is amazing. A lot of that enjoyment comes from sharing it with my daughter and discussing the programmes and what might happen next. The programme we share as a family is Home and Away. It’s a blast of sunshine from our favourite country and we have been to Palm Beach where it is filmed a couple of times so we recognise the places where the filming takes place. Individual watching is OK but nothing like as much fun as watching something with other people. My Dad and I shared three programmes, MASH, Yes Minister/Prime Minister and The Wonder Years. The last of those we shared despite not living in the same house. We used to watch each episode then chat about it on the phone and I really treasure the memories of those conversations as I grew to understand him more and more.

So, there you have it. That’s what is fun for me, and long may it continue.