15 Things I love to do…

September 23, 2012 by Addy 3 Comments

1. Writing

This is something I’ve loved doing since I was a wee bairn stealing pens from pre-school chums in order to write about a grasshopper searching for a the perfect bucket. Whether I’m writing fiction, non-fiction, random journal entries, streams of consciousness, mind vomits or lists I’m not caring about how good a writer I am, I’m just relishing in the opportunity to do something that I love. Something that brings me joy, hope and happiness.

2. The Legend of Zelda

Ever since I inserted the A Link to the Past cartridge into my Super Nintendo Entertainment system I knew I was about to commence a life-long relationship with a funny looking prat in green and the accident prone Princess he always has to save. Link’s Awakening saw me in heaven, Ocarina of Time saw me visit nirvana, Majora’s Mask saw take a tour of Tir-Nan-Og. No matter what the Zelda game is (Ages, Seasons, Spirit Tracks, Hourglass) whilst I’m playing it my mind is on nothing else other than my love of this series and my long-held dream that one day we’ll get an installment where Zelda has to rescue Link because, let’s be honest, girls are allowed to kick-ass too and not just be portrayed as kidnapped prone victims.

3. Pub Trivia

One of my strongest memories of 2002 is undertaking a music based pub trivia night with my girlfriend and parents. My father – being the music guru that he is – helped us thrash the competition into submission that night. In 2006, after leaving my job because of mental health issues, I requested a trivia night as a staff leaving do. This single suggestion kick starting the only period of my life where I was able to be part of a pub trivia team, until my ex-girlfriend raised her emotionally abusive campaign and rendered me unable to attend. Cue late night text messages rubbing in the fact I was friendless, uselss and unloved.

4. Helping Others

I’ve said it before and I’m sure I’ll say it again: awareness raising campaigns are only good to a point! Sure, feel good about writing “I do it on the back of a warthog” or “Purple with pink spots”, but what are you really doing? You’re not even mentioning what you’re raising awareness of, let alone completely alienating a gender that can also suffer from breast cancer. The same goes for abuse (signing the white ribbon pledge is one thing, standing by that pledge in the real world is something else entirely), putting up with your boyfriend’s mo every year is one thing, supporting him if he actually suffers from depression is something esle entirely), ditto for homelessness, suicide, sexism and every other issue that is out there today. Actually helping someone floods you with a feeling of such wonderment you’ll start to think it’s better than sex.

5. Self-Education

As has been well documented on this blog I was never lucky enough to go into tertiary education. And yes, there is an element of luck in this. I certainly have the intelligence for uni – but a succession of health, financial, abuse, employment and geographical problems always sabotaged my attempts. As such I have had to work on educating myself however, and whenever, I can. Whether this is reading textbooks and non-fictional tomes I obtain from libraries and/or charity shops or turning to the higher end journalism websites, I keep trying to push myself in every area of my life. And I love doing it!

6. DVD Marathons

Although not quite as high-end as reading educational text-books, I have a passion for television stretching back way before undertaking media studies at A-Level. There is little quite as exciting for me than sitting down with a season box set and absorbing it in marathon sessions of episodes. When I’m watching these shows it’s not just the plots I’m intereted in, but the production, the direction, the writing, everything that has come together to make that show what it is, is being studied in intimate detail by my mind. Should you fancy a DVD marathon yourself, may I suggest: Game of Thrones, Deadwood, Carnivale, Breaking Bad, One Tree Hill, Chuck, Doctor Who, 30 Rock, How I Met Your Mother, Frasier or Community as perfect places to start.

7. Blogging

Yeah, okay. My blog is hardly the most well-read on the internet, but if you’re blogging purely for noteriety may I suggest you do something else; run naked through the CBD, perhaps, or audition for a reality television show. I blog because I love writing, because I love the medium of blogging, that I can tell my story, my way. Sometimes this will mean writing a fictional blog by a fictional author, or undertaking a present for my parents, or endlessly writing about every facet of my life in oversharing posts of embarrassing detail. Whatever blog I begin I love, and if I don’t, then I stop writing that blog. Because life’s too short to do something you don’t love.

8. Reading

Again, this is something I’ve loved doing since I was a child helping to stop smugglers or visiting the Land of Slaps at the top of a magic tree. Although I become frustrated from time to time considering how closely linked my ability to read and my mental health are, it never stops me loving books or the beautiful feeling that overcomes me when I become emotionally connected with a new cast of characters or, simply, an author’s distinctive style. My current record is 29 books in one month. One day, I hope to make it to thirty!

9.Re-watch love/hate movies

Some movies I love (Fight Club, Roman Holiday, Tucker and Dale vs Evil), some movies I hate (Sixth Sense, Psycho [the remake], The Birds) and some movies I love/hate in equal measure. It is these moveis I love re-watching as my mind wrestles over the conflicting emotions in the hope that one day love or hate will win out. These include: X-Men 2, Donnie Darko, The Dark Knight Rises and, of course, the oft-mentioned Secretary.

10. Cleaning

As mentioned yesterday, there is something altother calming and therapeutic about cleaning. Sure, I’m not always in the mood to do it, occasionally get distracted by other things and sometimes do an appalling job, but whenever I’m cleaning I’m loving what I’m doing. My personal favourite tasks are vacuuming, dusting and deep cleaning.

11. Creating

An old friend once told me that even though I lacked the talent to write, I was never lacking in ideas of things to write about. She was, as always, annoyingly dead on. I’m completley aware my writing isn’t – and never will be – as brilliant as those I admire but my brain overflows with so many ideas I generally don’t care. The whole process of creating, from designing story threads to birthing characters, to weaving together multiple storylines into cohesive story arcs spanning four decades, is something that I love and cherish in every way shape and form. In all honesty, if I’d spent as much time writing the Chronicles as I have planning them out, I’d have written all twenty one of them by now!

12. Hugging

Okay, so there are other things I could write here – kissing, sexual intercourse, cunnilingus – but up in the same echelons of these wondrerous acts is the simple hug. Whether it’s greeting a much loved old friend or snuggling up beside the woman I love, hugging is one of the most brilliant things in the world and I love every second of it. Although, one day I hope to remember what a hug actually feels like, it’s one of those things that’s a little difficult to do on your own.

13. Doctor Who

Ever since I was grounded for watching The Greatest Show in the Galaxy against my parents wishes I’ve been a Doctor Who fan. In the realm of entertainment there is nothing quite like the overflow of emotion I get before, during and after watching an episode I’ve never seen before. The only thing that comes close is this picture depicting the various regenerations of my hero as if he were an owl.

14. Dancing

Though I don’t really get the chance any more to indulge in this activity (like hugging, it’s not something that’s all that fun done solo) the pleasure I get from dancing will never diminish. And like hugging, one day I hope to get the chance to tango the night away once more.

15. Camping

Some hate it with a fiery passion usually reserved for Collingwood and/or Andrew Bolt. Even the five months I spent calling a tent ‘home’ will never diminish the joy I receive from crawling out into the dew soaked morning with wilderness all around and a sense of freedom that you just never receive from B&Bs, hotels and backpacker hostels.

 

Tomorrow: 14 Books I would like to read…