WDP — Leisure Time

Fandango

What do you enjoy doing most in your leisure time?

I spent almost 50 years of my life getting up each and every day and going to work. A lot of my work involved writing proposals, presentations, analysis documents. I also interacted with coworkers, clients, prospective clients. I even tried to find some time on weekends to write The Great American Novel, but never got very far.

Then, at the end of 2016, I retired. No more proposals, presentations, coworkers, clients, prospective clients. Just me and my wife (and the kids when they found time in their own busy lives to visit with us). Suddenly I had an abundance of leisure time. An over abundance, actually.

So, what should I do with myself and all of this new found leisure time? I wondered. After a month or so into my retirement, my wife apparently got tired of me just hanging around and always being underfoot. She said to me, “Hey, you like to write. Why don’t you start a blog?” It was actually more of a demand than a question. Then she said, “That will keep you busy and out of my hair. You’re driving me crazy.”

I thought about that for a minute. Hmm, okay, I could express my points of view on the world around me and publish them on the internet, where they would be out there for anyone to stumble upon, virtually speaking. And maybe some people actually would stumble upon my blog posts and enjoy what I wrote. Maybe some would even responded to my posts. Comment on them.

Maybe not just my family and friends, whom I would tell about my new hobby, but total strangers from around the world would read, like, and comment on my posts. Maybe I could actually form connections with a large and vibrant community of other bloggers.

So I started blogging. It felt great to see my thoughts, perspectives, ideas, notions, and opinions “in print” for all the world to see. I discovered flash fiction and realized that, while I was unlikely to ever write the Great American Novel, I was a decent very short story writer and blogging allowed me to hone those skills and get almost immediate feedback from those who read them.

I discovered that there were writing prompts to help bloggers like me come up with something to write about and to post on our blogs. I even started creating prompts of my own to help nudge and inspire other bloggers to come up with ideas for their posts.

So, with all of what I just wrote as background, the short answer to today’s WordPress Daily Prompt is that what I enjoy doing most in my leisure time is blogging. And as the photo at the top of this post suggests, I do almost all of my blogging on my smartphone.

31 thoughts on “WDP — Leisure Time”

  1. Paula Light January 27, 2023 / 6:18 am

    Yayyy! Great to see a post from you. Even though I still work and stare at a screen all day, I too love to blog in my free time. It’s so great to be able to connect with so many cool peeps without leaving my home! 😍

    Liked by 3 people

  2. newepicauthor January 27, 2023 / 6:19 am

    I wrote two books, and I decided that I wanted to get them published, but every publisher that I contacted ignored me. I read that a writer needs a platform to help them get noticed, so I started blogging. I found the blogging to be more interesting, so I stopped trying to get my books published.

    Liked by 4 people

    • Fandango January 28, 2023 / 2:22 am

      Maybe someday you’ll find a way to publish your unpublished books.

      Liked by 1 person

    • Fandango January 27, 2023 / 8:43 am

      Thanks. I’m trying to achieve as close to normalcy as I can, even though my body still has quite a way to go yet.

      Liked by 2 people

  4. Lou Carreras January 27, 2023 / 6:24 am

    I still work, and have a small carving shop. writing is just another creative outlet, and an excuse for meeting interesting people. Some of the most interesting people I’ve interacted with in the past several years have been via blogs. Bloggers tend to think things over. You do not have to agree with them, just find the interesting elements. In a world full of selection bias blogs are a great source of independent thought.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Fandango January 27, 2023 / 8:44 am

      I wholeheartedly agree with you, Lou. Great point.

      Like

  5. Stine Writing and Miniatures January 27, 2023 / 6:44 am

    Wow, you finally posted a picture of yourself! Lol, I know, I know…Anyhow, I had the same attitude about blogging and now it is part of my lifestyle. Hope you are feeling better.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Fandango January 27, 2023 / 8:45 am

      Thanks, Christine. I’m getting there. Heading home today from rehab.

      Liked by 1 person

      • donmatthewspoetry January 27, 2023 / 4:41 pm

        Is that pic really you? I’m surprised you would go that far to expose yourself. I suspect it’s not you. He looks too alive……..

        Liked by 2 people

        • Fandango January 27, 2023 / 7:09 pm

          No, that’s not me. I would not expose myself like that!

          Like

          • donmatthewspoetry January 27, 2023 / 8:14 pm

            I thought not. The previous person thought so but maybe it was tongue in cheek…….

            Like

  6. KL Caley January 27, 2023 / 6:50 am

    And the blogosphere is richer for it. 😊 Great post! Hope you’re feeling better. Take care. KL ❤️

    Liked by 2 people

  7. Sadje January 27, 2023 / 7:11 am

    Good to see you Blogging Fandango.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Fandango January 27, 2023 / 9:55 am

      I’m going through a slow reentry. Not quite ready to shoot off five or six posts a day. One or two for the time being.

      Liked by 2 people

      • Sadje January 27, 2023 / 5:59 pm

        Take your time. This sort of recovery takes time.

        Liked by 1 person

  8. rugby843 January 27, 2023 / 10:41 am

    How are you doing?🤗🤗

    Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone

    Liked by 2 people

    • Fandango January 28, 2023 / 1:45 am

      I’m back home, Cheryl, so I’m doing much better. On the other hand, it’s 1:44 in the morning and I was awakened by the pain radiating down my left leg. So there’s that, too.

      Like

  9. JT Twissel January 27, 2023 / 12:17 pm

    I was lucky. I got laid off at 58 and was hired almost immediately to do free lance work on a book about the history of the Operating Engineers union. That got me into the routine of researching, writing and editing. Free lance work definitely helped that transition. I wasn’t aware that writers had free time! Hope you’re heading home today and that all goes well.

    Liked by 2 people

  10. msjadeli January 27, 2023 / 1:00 pm

    Fandango I probably said this before, but when I started blogging you and Paula’s were some of the first blogs I happened across and am glad I did. Always enjoy reading what you offer and may not participate in as many prompts as I used to but appreciate knowing you are here in blogland. Hope you’re settling in at home and the weather is good there.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Fandango January 28, 2023 / 2:03 am

      Thanks, Li. This really means a lot to me. I am settling in at home and it’s so much better than being at the hospital. Of course, it’s 2 am here and I was just awoken from a deep sleep by the pain in my left leg, but hopefully that pain is a sign of healing and I’ll be able to fall back to sleep again soon.

      Liked by 1 person

      • msjadeli January 28, 2023 / 10:24 am

        You’re very welcome, Fandango. Since pain seems to be unavoidable, no matter what, I’ve tried to look at some redeeming quality in it. It means I can still feel and that I’m still alive ❤ Dear Fandango, I will continue to vibe healing to you. Hoping you get some good quality sleep also.

        Liked by 2 people

  11. mattyg January 29, 2023 / 10:57 am

    I love it. At 37 I felt the same way. Except I was sort of under my own feet; annoyed at my own presence. So I decided to pursue a business start up and eventually blogging. It does feel great. And I think I do it more for myself than anyone else. And if I can help others in the process, then it’s a double rainbow.
    P.S. I’ve only ever been able to do the short story thing too. And now I have no desire to do the massive novel. I guess if I was approached by an editor with a big contract, then I could make a novel happen. Not holding my breath or pursuing it though.

    Liked by 2 people

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