Do you ever do things outside of your work hours that are the exact, complete opposite of your 9-5 (or whatever your hours are) activities?

Your 9-5 might be an office, a truck going from here to there, it can be parenting, customer service in the retail sector, teaching, a courthouse, a gym, an airport — anything. What do you do after you finish doing what you do?

What do you do when your attention isn’t turned to your spouse, your significant other, your laundry, the dishes, your finances, your worries, the house, the pets, your kids, your next meal?

Sometimes I wonder if I should’ve majored in one of my hobbies, or pursued one as a career path. Music? Writing? Bartending? Cooking? Baking? Even travel?

Immediately after thinking this, each and every time, I’m reminded that those things — for me — are intended to be my releases. If they were anything more, I wouldn’t have the life that I have, the hobbies that I have or perhaps even the friends that I have. I wouldn’t look to them to unwind, but then again, I suppose it’s true that I’d have new ones. But still..

What about you? Could your hobbies ever become a career? Would you want them to become a career? Would you want them to sprout wings, or would you rather they remain as your personal route to R and R?

Tonight I am thankful my releases, for the rejuvenation they provide, for their ability to become more or less than what they are, and for the balance they provide in my life.