Genuine interest? Nope.
Aug 07, 2023
I was just about to get into the shower when my son barged into the bathroom. (We're working on knocking.)
"Mom, you said I could show you my monsters in my game! And now you're getting in the shower!"
"Oh, that's right, buddy. I'm sorry. I did. Hold on."
Although I had acknowledged his request & had planned to let him show me before I showered, I was certain my subconscious had encouraged me to get into the shower instead. "Don't worry, Sheri. He'll forget. Get into the shower. You're still a good mom." 😬 🤔
But he didn't forget.
So I stood there...wrapped in a towel...as he shared the name & details of every...single...monster. Pretty sure there were 217.
As I do every time one of my boys shares something in a game, I reminded myself to stay attentive & appear interested.
But the thing is, I'm just not. I will never sincerely enjoy Singing Monsters: Dawn of Fire, Roblox or Minecraft. And as much as I WANT to be interested to the same degree my boys are, I never will be.
Forcing the appearance of interest is exhausting, isn't it?
I mean...I appreciate the time with my boys, I appreciate that they WANT to show me, & I appreciate THEIR excitement.
But is it something I look forward to? Nope.
Is it something I want to learn even more about? Nope.
Have you ever had a similar experience?
Have you ever been ecstatic when a particular meeting at work was cancelled? Not just because it allowed an additional hour to focus on other things, but because it was something you had zero interest in?
Or caught yourself considering what else you could do if a particular project were cancelled?
Or maybe you have a particular outing scheduled, & the thought of gnawing on shards of glass sounds more appealing?
Sometimes it's hard to nail down why...especially because we have a tendency to keep moving without stopping to simply think about it.
It doesn't necessarily mean you should quit your job or cancel all your outings.
Instead, it's helpful to consider what specifically about the meeting, project or outing you don't enjoy. And to make sure you have enough of the stuff you ARE interested in & enough of the stuff you DO enjoy in your life.
I have no intention of selling my kids, but when I'm shown a Minecraft creation for the 17th time on a Saturday, it's a consideration.
And that's when I know it's time to do something for myself...Something that genuinely interests me for at least a tiny bit instead.
So take time to think about WHY you'd rather gnaw on glass than do some of the other things on your list this week.
Pay attention to the times you're forcing the appearance of interest.
Pay attention to the moments you feel exhausted.
What can you do instead? Or modify? (That doesn't involve selling your kids.)
What genuinely interests you? Take some time to do that.
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