Today is Super Bowl Sunday. Families around the country will gather around their big screen televisions and socialize, eat, and watch the game, cheering for their favorite team. I don't care much for sports on television, although I can usually find something to enjoy if I'm watching a game in person. I like to watch baseball, especially on a cool, summer evening and even football if it's a sunny, crisp fall afternoon. I like the sound of sneakers squeaking on the wood floor in a basketball game and the quiet serenity in walking the golf course, following a player (only did that once, but it was pretty cool). I've also watched ice hockey, lacrosse, tennis, boat races and soccer in person (among other sports). I guess it is kind of fun to be around lots of other people who are hanging around at a sporting event just looking to relax and have some fun.
Now that I am so acutely aware of my energy level and my physical limitations I don't usually choose to do things that aren't at the top of my list of what I enjoy. I still want to leave wiggle room to add new experiences, but I pretty much know what makes me happy and keeps me feeling my best. You won't EVER find me on a concrete bleacher in the middle of winter, out in the cold cheering for any team. That just isn't going to happen. What I do enjoy is a different kind of sport either as a participant or a spectator. While I was in Florida I had a wonderful afternoon on a small sailboat, watching the dolphins feeding and playing all around our boat. The air was mild, the sun was shining and the boat glided effortlessly across the water.That's the kind of spectator sport I can really get into.
It's important for me to remember that just because someone else enjoys something, that doesn't mean I have to enjoy it, too. Or participate, for that matter. It's okay that I don't want to spend my afternoons watching sports on TV. There are plenty of people who wouldn't want to spend their afternoons my way either. What's really nice is that having fibro doesn't define my likes and dislikes, it merely edits the way I will experience the things I love. I love being on a sailboat but that doesn't mean I have to control the sails. If I'm on a nature walk I can adjust the time I spend on my feet and take frequent breaks. I can be the second person in a two-seated kayak instead of paddling my own. And if I don't feel like watching or participating in a sport, I can rent a good movie at home and relax on the couch with my blanket instead of driving to a movie theatre and then sit in an uncomfortable seat. I can adapt in any way I need to, so that fibro doesn't define me.
No comments:
Post a Comment