The Joys of Being an Amateur, the Power of Falling in Love, and Why You Need a Hobby
by: Annie F Downs
rating: loved
"We feel something lacking in our lives. We sense that this place in us that used to be filled just isn't anymore, even on our best days. It may just be a squeak sometimes, but other days it is a roar in our ears that something has been lost and we don't know how to find it and won't be able to find it. But we miss it. Because we know it used to be filled."
This book is about fun, yes, but it's also about how we are all searching for that Garden of Eden in our life, that childhood innocence and bliss, a way to step away from the stress of the day to day. I so enjoyed the way Annie uses her personal ups and downs to show us how she pursues finding that Eden.
I have recently taken up cross stitching. It is pretty simple to follow a pattern and it's just making Xs, so I can't get too hung up on being perfect. This book spoke to why this is a great hobby for me to pursue. It slows me down. I cannot speed through reading the pattern and making those Xs or it will end up a mess. It occupies my hands so my mind can slow down and I can just be.
I am a big fan of Annie's podcast That Sounds Fun and an even bigger fan of her other podcast Annie and Eddie Keep Talking. But even if I wasn't an Annie fan, I think this book would still speak to your heart. We are all searching for fun, and Annie is holding our hand and telling us to savor all the good and difficult moments on our journey.
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