UKC

Today's half-formed thought from Tall Clare...

I was talking to a friend a while back whose husband has had ME for the last eight or so years; she was saying that it was rather a good thing that he's a passionate reader and watcher of films, because if he'd been, say, a keen marathon runner, she didn't know how he'd have coped with all the time he's spent laid up unable to do very much at all.

Another friend has just smashed up her leg in a mountain biking incident and is getting very itchy feet for all the things she normally does (mountain biking, climbing, even gardening).

So it got me wondering - are all your 'outside work' pursuits physical, or is there a mix of physical/mental (or at least 'able to be done whilst sitting down')?

In reply to Tall Clare:

Unfortunately, all too regular back problems take me out of commission for a week or so a few times a year and it drives me bonkers because other than reading and watching films I don't have any other sedentary "hobbies". All my activities are active.

In reply to Tall Clare:

Might sound a bit lame, but my I consider my internet use/addiction to be a mental pastime. Debating on here, trawling youtube for music, video and comedy, listening to podcasts on science and economics and stuff, TED talks, meeting people through social media/dating sites, etc.

There's no way, however, that all this digitally mediated mental activity would satisfy me if I couldn't go out climbing, socialising in reality, etc.

In reply to Tall Clare:

I've had so many lengthy lay offs from climbing (and sometimes most activity) due to injury that I've faced this one a number of times. Apart from reading and various other things, I've really gotten back into photography to the extent it's probably my main interest other than climbing. I guess you can adapt photography to any situation.

In reply to Tall Clare:
Pretty much everything I get up to involves being active, walking, climbing, skiing or whatever.

I occasionally read or go to the cinema but it's something I do because the weather is bad.

Not being able to do stuff is bad for me and anyone in the vicinity. I am a badly behaved and very impatient patient.

In reply to Tall Clare:

I like to fix motorbikes so unless I've smashed up my hands, normal when I do decide to surf tarmac, then I'm alright.

In reply to Tall Clare:

My mother had a very active lifestyle before being diagnosed with MS about 30 years ago, aged then about 35. I can never be sure which was worse the mental frustration or physical limitation.

It became easier when she went into full time care 17 years ago, but the internal anguish drove everyone away. She died last year, in my opinion after a very long lonley period of her life and at last I'm peaceful, knowing the end to her pain.

It worries me that I enjoy so much activity, I'm sure it would drive me bonkers to be laid up too.

In reply to John Lewis:

Thanks for sharing that. A complete aside but I'm doing my first 10k run in September and I'm raising a bit of money for the MS Society, as my brother was diagnosed with it last year.

I do feel bizarrely fortunate (if that's the right word) to enjoy so many sedentary things, but frustration at being unable to do what I wanted when i wanted, for instance if I was reliant on a wheelchair for a while, would drive everyone around me mad, I'm sure.

In reply to Tall Clare:

Clare, My mother had also gone through a very traumatic divorce, I sometimes wonder if it was MS or a physical reaction to her circumstances.

Good luck with the 10k, Mrs L is doing her first 5k Race for Life next month and is secretly starting to 'enjoy' training.

I'm very much an advocate of making the most of what life throws at you, and hope that I could find alternate passions if forced to, I do know that my life is at least partially a response to what I saw in my mothers.

'carpe diem'

In reply to Fiona Reid:




This rings lots of bells for me. I do have some more sedentary hobbies - darkroom stuff, knitting/crochet, sewing, reading, but they are all very much secondary to the physical things that I do. If I can't do physical things I go very slowly nuts and so does everyone who has to deal with me!

In reply to Tall Clare:

Very much a mix for me. I don't play chess competitively any more but I do spend quite a lot of time on the game. Anima Sana in Corpore Sano and all that.

I'd have found it difficult to give up chess even if I'd wanted to, but living in this part of the world I though it'd be handy to maintain at least one non-weather-dependent activity.