Schembari was having a hard time remembering what joy felt like, so she returned to something she loved as a child:
Singing.
She was never very good at it but loved it just the same.
I don’t suffer from this particular joyless affliction — I am relentlessly joyous and constantly cultivate my joy in a multitude of ways — but I can attest to the joy of returning to childhood hobbies.
When the pandemic struck, I was suddenly unable to visit the gym on a daily basis. In need of daily exercise and despising running because I am not a sadist, I turned to my bike, which had been gathering dust in the garage for quite a while.
As a child, I spent my life on my bike. I rode my bike so often that I could ride for miles without touching the handlebars. A simple shift in my weight would steer the bike absent any intervention of hands or arms.
I loved riding my bike.
It didn’t take long for me to love it again during the pandemic, and four years later, I have yet to return to the gym. Instead, I ride a bike every day — often more than once a day. On colder days, evenings, and when time is limited, I ride a stationary bike, but whenever possible, I am on my bike, riding down tree-lined streets just like I did as a kid.
It’s joyous.
I recently purchased a flute in hopes of playing it again as I did as a child. Before switching to the bassoon and the drums in high school, I was a flutist. Though I haven’t played in decades, I remember most of the fingerings and can still produce a sound.
Carnegie Hall is surely next.
I also dream of joining a high school pole vaulting team and attempting to pole vault one more time. My goal would be to clear opening height once again.
I hope to turn this pursuit into a book that chronicles my success or failure.
Riding horses would be pretty great, too. I grew up on a horse farm until my parents divorced, so I spent my first seven or eight years on a horse. A few years ago, Elysha surprised me with a horseback ride, and I fell right back into it, instantly knowing how to move with the horse so we could move as one.
I’d also like to play more basketball — a game I played endlessly as a child. We have a hoop in our driveway, and I dream of the day when Charlie loves the game as much as I do, and we can spend our evenings going toe to toe.
And poker. I need a lot more poker in my life. Charlie is playing with me now and seems to like the game a lot, and I have a game scheduled with friends (and maybe Charlie) for next month.
Marian Schembari is right. Returning to your childhood hobbies can be pretty joyous, even when your life is already filled with joy.
