Something Different for a Change…
Published by Toni May 31st, 2005 in Uncategorized.Do you sometimes find that during your free time, you tend to do the same old boring thing?
I like the mall as much as the next girl. I like walking around and window shopping. However, if I had to do this nearly every weekend, I would die of boredom. This is precisely what would happen when I used to live with my parents. Every weekend it was the same thing: have lunch, go to the mall, have dinner, go home. Oh sure, sometimes we’d go to a different mall, but to me, all malls are pretty much the same. And it was just absolutely boring.
I can understand though, why people end up doing the same thing often. It’s easy and comfortable. You don’t have to think about it. If you have nothing else to do, just get in your car and go to the mall. Or the movies. Or to the video store. Whatever.
When I moved out, I was glad that I wouldn’t be stuck in that rut anymore. I looked forward to doing something different every weekend, every day. We’d take walks, go for a swim, explore Old Town Pasadena, visit friends.
I realized though, this Memorial Day Weekend, that even now I can fall into a boring pattern of doing the same thing. It took doing two very different activities to help me realize this.
On Saturday night my bf and I attended a play directed by one of his cousin’s friends. His cousin is a budding actress, so she knows a lot of amateurs in the entertainment industry. The play was in a tiny, tiny theatre in North Hollywood, an area I had never been to before. It was a very intimate setting, with seating for maybe only about 30 people. The play itself was quite entertaining, especially since it took place in Japan. The set was minimal- just a few props here and there, but they were effective enough to convey to the audience that this was a Japanese inn 200 years ago.
I had never been to North Hollywood before, nor have I ever seen a play. I’d seen high school plays, and I’ve seen big budget musicals like Les Miserables, but I’d never seen a small play. I also didn’t realize that there was a prominent acting community in North Hollywood, though it really shouldn’t have been that surprising. There were small theatres on every block, and people were lined up to watch the latest play put on by some up and coming director or playright. Overall the play we watched was very good and thought provoking; afterwards we were still discussing the meanings behind the symbolism in various scenes.
The second out-of-the-ordinary thing I did was last night. Although it wasn’t as culturally stimulating as the play, it still wasn’t something I don’t normally do. After spending the morning with my bf’s second cousin and his wife for a lovely Memorial Day barbecue, my bf and I decided to play miniature golf. Now, I’m no stranger to miniature golf, but it’s what we did beforehand that was new to me.
My bf suggested that we try out the batting cages. I was unsure. High school was the last time I recall hitting a ball with a bat, and I just didn’t think I would enjoy it. Furthermore, batting cages were rather intimidating, with balls flying towards you so quickly. But my boyfriend told me that no, some batting cages offer slower moving softballs for people to hit.
We watched the people in the batting cages hit their balls. There were, indeed, slow moving softballs that looked relatively easy to see and hit. There were of course, faster, small baseballs for those who want to practice their swing. Still, I was a little unsure until I came to the last cage.
A tiny 8 year old girl was in the cage hitting softballs. Or at least trying to.
My ego kicked in.
After all, if an 8 year old isn’t afraid of the batting cage, why should I?
So I tried it out.
And I actually hit more balls than my boyfriend! Out of 25 attempts, I must have missed only about 5 times.
It was really fun.
So don’t be afraid to try out something new every now and then. You may be surprised what you might find.
4 Responses to “Something Different for a Change…”
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You’re right. People often compain that there is “nothing to do;” however, they rarely make the effort to try something different.
In fact no. I don’t try to do boring stuff and instead I’m always keeping an eye open for new things. There’s so much interesting stuff out there!
I think it’s easy to get into a “comfort box”. Everyone has a favourite hangout or restaurant, and it’s real easy to get into a routine. People in small towns often use that as an excuse, but it also happens to people in big cities.
My wife and I were in New York City a couple of years ago visiting my uncle (who is a Broadway actor) and we dragged him to Ellis Island one morning. It turns out that since he had never been, even though he had lived in the city since 1971.
It’s easy to dismiss some attractions as being “touristy” if you’re a local but you’re right, it’s always good to find new things to do.
i definitely know what you mean about falling into a rut. why try out another bar or restaurant and risk a sucky experience? and the prospect of trying a new activity (like your batting practice) has like a 50% chance of “failure” and you don’t care to do it again. it’s always a better experience if done with a positive attitude. i love going to plays and have watched tweeny plays - not broadway in the least, but not too low budget, but a good name in the city and with tickets about 40-45.00 =S so i can’t do it too often.