Sunday, July 10, 2011

What's your passion?

Last night, The Builder and I watched a documentary he'd recorded some time ago. He'd suggested watching it a few times, but there always seem to be something better on. Partly due to the subject matter of said doco - people who jump rope. For sport.

The last time I had anything to do with a skipping rope was my ill-fated attempt to rejoin a boxing class after the birth of my second child. Let's just say that certain muscles proved ill-equipped for the challenge of skipping in 60 second bursts. Pelvic floor muscles can be temperamental beasts, to say the least.

Prior to that, skipping was confined to the playground. Mrs M, Mrs I, Mrs S, S, I, Mrs S, S, I, Mrs P, P, I. Etcetera. I remember watching Sesame Street and seeing the kids do Double Dutch skipping and thinking it was the coolest thing ever.

But a sport?

Anyway, pickings were lean in TV land last night, so we put on Jump! (a documentary by Helen Hood Scheer with Scott B. Morgan). It followed a group of jump rope competitors through practice to national championships and then to world championships. We learned about speed jumping, single freestyle, double dutch single, double dutch pairs... We met Tori, a 12-year-old asthmatic whose intense drive allows her to nearly burst a gasket and still win a world championship. We met Marcus, super-talented but playing it too safe to take the big prizes. And we met Nick and Jeff, who make their routines so insanely difficult that it's almost impossible to get through them without mistakes - and that's the way they like it.

These people do things with skipping ropes that I can only lie back on the sofa and dream about as I watch. But the documentary was so well done that I wanted to have a go. You could see the passion that these kids had for their sport. A sport that most people have never heard of.

That's the thing with passion. It can take you into all sorts of weird and wonderful areas. It can make you into a crafter or a collector. It can see you running around a football field in the middle of winter or swimming lap after lap of a pool all year round. It can have you jumping off cliffs attached only to a thin rope or climbing mountains just because they're there. Or it can have you reciting every line from Star Wars and dressing in full Storm Trooper costumes.

I think the closest thing I have to a passion is writing. I say the closest because I don't agree with the person who said 'find what you love the most and you'll never work another day in your life'. I love writing and can't imagine doing anything else, but there are days when the saying 'familiarity breeds contempt' is closer to summing up how I feel about it. I recently wrote a letter to Mr7 (long story) about a year after he wrote one to me (long story). It said in part: 'Sorry it has taken me so long to write back. Mummy writes so much for work these days that she's forgotten that writing can be fun'.

But I have been doing my 500 words a day (well, five days out of seven this week for a total of 2539), and I'm rediscovering the joy of noodling about with words. With any luck, I'll be back to a fullblown love affair within a few weeks.

In the meantime, what's your passion? And if you're playing along with my 500 words a day challenge, how did you fare this week?

[image: www.jorymon.com]

20 comments:

  1. If you mean passion in the sense of obsession, then perhaps Twitter is mine.

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  2. I am yet to discover mine. Sometimes I think it's blogging, particulalry learning all the techical bits and the design. But also the writing and the interaction with readers and other bloggers. Other times it seems completely pointless.

    But I guess passion doesn't need to have a point, other than being a passion?

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  3. Gardening :) Sounds a bit naff but there you go! I've always liked plants and gardens, and then a bit over a year ago we got our first house with a real garden all of my own and since then the gloves are off! (or should they be on?) I live, eat, and breathe my plants, literally, and even just got a job to match it :)

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  4. Running, for sure.
    It both fires me up and cools me down when I need it.
    Running makes me feel alive and I am sure it makes me a better Mum, wife, teacher...everything.
    I'm also passionate about giving children every opportunity possible in early education.

    Yes. Skipping is for those with FULL control of their internal trampoline.

    :-)

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  5. Definitely writing, and I'm so glad to have a passion that you don't have to be good at by 18 to have any chance of succeeding at (perhaps jump rope falls in that category?!). I have always wanted to be a writer (since I was three, if my grandmother is to be believed) and I have always written in some form or other.
    However, despite promising myself the 500 words a day this past week, I have only done it twice. That is twice more than the week before though!!

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  6. I think starting tomorrow I will try out that 500 words a day thing...running used to be my passion, but not not so much. horses too, I'd be out with the horses no matter the weather or time of day, but now I don't have a horse...so uhm I guess I'm looking for my next big passion.

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  7. Photography, definitely photography but conversely since starting my business last year, I love it in a different way. It becomes work when I am doing a shoot. It means that when I take photographs FOR ME it makes me feel even more impassioned. Gosh, its too early in the morning today, I am not making any sense!

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  8. I do agree that if you find the right song, you can dance all day and all night. That's the thing with passion. But I also think there's a difference between working and doing what you love. Perhaps you've just been working too much, and not writing enough for yourself?
    Sounds like you're finding your new groove. Nice one.

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  9. You have hit the nail on the head. Writing, although a passion, doesn't always mean roses and champagne. There are hard days when I just don't feel like writing. I feel like I have bared my soul either via blog or fiction and then coupled with inspiring and encouraging through my work I just feel like a squeezed lemon. Sometimes it takes a small break, whether it be an hour or a day, to stop and smell the roses and rediscover my passion.

    I am going really well with the 500 words a day challenge, though. It has been fantastic and I am falling in love with my characters and the story line is progressing. A little bit goes a long way!

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  10. Passion ummm let me see yep it has to be Dance any (classical ,modern ) or my 1st choice would be Flamenco !

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  11. Hmmm, I haven't found mine yet... I like writing but I do it for paid work (as a marketing comms consultant) and I get sick of feeling my heart's on my sleeve when I submit something to my boss or CEO for comment - surely a passion shouldn't also create angst and insecurity? But then I like blogging... Maybe because it's just for me...

    Great post, I love the idea that the most weird and wonderful things are someone's passion.

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  12. I'm a bit like you, familiarity breeds contempt. I get right into things, overdose, and the gloss wears off. It's something I need to work on. I don't think i have a passion right now. I still love cooking, but I think that's because I love food. I'd also love for someone else to take care of the weekday dinner drudgery. I enjoy writing, but don't get to make it a priority, so it becomes frustrating.

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  13. Ah, so many passions, so little time (or money!) to fulfil them... Writing, travel, reading are my top three and one day if I can successfully combine them to make me earn money then I'll be one passion loving lady!

    Your skip rope doco sounded like something my husband would adore - loves those quirky things!

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  14. I have 2 main passions. One for work is child and maternal health. I would like to part of a team that an provide more comprehensive post natal care for women and their newborns.

    The other passion of mine is finding ways to be creative in my spare time. That can be anything from gardening, craft, photography, interioir design. Just little snippets of feeling the creative process spurs me along.

    Writing not my strong point though. Leave that up to you great guys.

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  15. I am passionate about education. MM always has to tell me to lower my voice when a conversation arises. That's when I know I am passionate about something - when I start yelling!

    I love writing but of course, unlike yourself, I don't make a living out of it. I'm with you, I think it must be difficult having your passion also "your work". It always comes back to that wriggly little rascal, Balance, doesn't it?

    It sounds like your 500 words a day goal might be just what you need. I tried this week. My score is a very low 2/7. Terrible, really! But I'll keep at it.

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  16. I have always wished I had one! x

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  17. My passion is creating garments, which is both my passion & my job as I am a fashion designer & everyday I create one off designs of evening wear & bridal gowns for clients. I balance it by taking time out (when I can) to create new garments for me and you are so right it is all about the balance! which is still a working progress

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  18. Writing. I'm newly returned to it and would like to believe it could be a career as well but maybe not. Won't stop me though.

    Along the lines of passion and documentaries, you and the Builder might like some of these about other passions. Sorry I can't remeber the titles but Netflix has them: Scrabble, crossword puzzles, spelling bees, and ballroom dancing (not professional).

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  19. I'm all over at the moment. I can't answer this for now. I'm so scattered. :(

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  20. There is definitely a difference between writing for yourself and writing for others. I don't think familiarity breeds contempt, it's more a case of 'moderation is the key'. My passion is writing too, but I do need a break from it every couple of days. It helps keep it fresh. Good luck with your passion. x

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