Things I've Embraced, Loved Passionately, and then Abandoned


Lana, a.k.a. goatygoat, is a blogger, artist, student, and keen observer living in Seattle. She cultivates a raging coffee addiction, can embroider better than your grandma, and is pretty excited to have found fellow list-makers.

Clarinet playing. I was a child with a clarinet appendage from age 10 until age 22 or so. In high school, I was the clarinet, and the clarinet was me, even to the point of having my senior portrait taken with the clarinet.

Track. I joined the track team in 9th grade, and while I was never good at it, it's all I thought about for one whole season. I did bring home a few blue ribbons, but that was because the only other girl in the race was really, really slow. I was too, but less so. Hence, first place. The next year I was totally over it.

Ceramic Art. While I won't say that I've abandoned this entirely, I majored in this in college and haven't had the drive to do much with it since, other than teach some classes and work in the ceramic supply industry. Every now and then I'll throw a dinnerware set or a large planter or make a ceramic bird sculpture for someone's birthday, but it doesn't define me the way it once did.

Clubbing. Seriously, when I discovered that in Minneapolis, young people get dressed up and go out to dance and drink liquor, I was hooked. For about six months. And then, at the tender age of 22, I gave it up because I'd reached my limit.

Owning a ridiculous number of cats. When I lived with my friend in Minneapolis, we had six cats between us. Still love cats, will never again keep more than one.

Jewelry making. For about a month in 2002, it's all I thought about and did. And I don't think I've worked with silver since.

Paragliding. To be fair, I only gave this up after I crashed. Too bad...I was planning on having a custom-made polka-dotted wing.

Distance running. I trained for the Seattle marathon in 2007, ran the half marathon, and haven't run since. This one's just dormant though, I can feel it.

Sewing. I was a sewing fiend for about six months last year...if it was made of fabric, it was fair game to be cut up and incorporated into a project. And then, I was done.

What's next? What activities have you immersed yourself in, only to burn out with astonishing speed?

7 comments:

Bridey said...

I keep meaning to get back into all of these things, but at the moment have to admit that they could be considered "abandoned":
- archery
- playing the piano
- jazz dancing
- learning French

Anonymous said...

- Creating a zine (I switched to reviewing them instead!)
- Making jewellery to sell (I still make it for me)
- Learning to draw - I think I just gave up, I'll never have any artistic talent!

Anonymous said...

The Lord of the Rings
AFI
The Beatles
Color Guard
Writing in my pen and paper journal
Scrapbooking

Anonymous said...

Karate
Orchestra, jazz ensemble
Competitive East/West coast swing dancing
Choral and ensemble work
Solo vocal training, arias
Keeping a journal
Knitting
College (this one was not abandoned by choice and brings me a kind of mental anguish that is hard to bear).

Christine said...

I totally relate to the sewing thing.

About 3 months ago I bought a sewing machine, a bunch of how-to books, tons of fabric, mountains of notions... I sewed one coaster and a toy for my cats (both of which were really really ugly and sloppy) and promptly gave up.

I still want to teach myself how to sew, but it's so depressing when I'm not good at something immediately.

♥ xtine
http://stuffbyxtine.blogspot.com

Mila said...

Red Hot Chili Peppers (websites, concerts around Europe,the hotels they were staying at, memorabilia...)
Ballet (dancing, not watching)

Generic Cialis said...

Piano, and trumpet when I was a kid... never got it back since then.. i never stopped caring for music but i just had no time to practice.

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