The Fun Theory

I don't know if this will work but, I'm trying it. In the spirit of promoting fun and not being too much of a perfectionist to try things here is a link. I don't know why it isn't blue. Somebody sent me this email called Piano Steps:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lXh2n0aPyw

The Fun Theory is a project thing Volkswagen is doing. The idea is that you can get people to do things if they think they are more fun. It really does look like it would be fun to go up and down those piano steps.

I wonder what kind of ideas I could come up with to make things more fun and make me what to do stuff that I don't want to do?

I remember working with someone on a boring job. We were hand-writing addresses on envelopes for a business (they employed us because they wanted to give the personal touch to a sale they were having). This person I was working with encouraged us to have races to see who could get the most done in a certain amount of time. It did make the time go by faster (and we got more done). We had thousands of names to go through. After a while it did get pretty tedious. He was good to work around because he also had a good sense of humor as well.

I used to not like washing dishes and now I don't mind it. In fact it is one thing I seem to get done regularly. I do them by hand because the dish washer is broken. I don't know how much fun it is for me, however. Maybe I like doing it because I like having it done. But I really don't mind it. I've heard many people who say they hate to hand wash stuff, they only want dishes and pans they can put in a dishwasher, and to use the dishwasher for everything no matter how many loads it takes. I wonder why. Maybe it is fun for me! I know I feel satisfied when it is done.

I also know people who hate to do hand sewing. Hand sewing is something I enjoy.

I also like peeling vegetables. I wouldn't want to have mountains of potatoes to peel like in those old army movies, but I don't mind doing enough to make a meal for myself or others. I find it relaxing.

During a period in my life when I was feeling stressed out a woman who I just had started to get to know was giving me a ride with her to Curves (a workout place for women). She was a neighbor who I just had waved hello to in the past. She suggested we go to the Dollar Store (a generic term) after our workout. In the store she went to the greeting card section, noticed some cards out of order, and she started putting them in their right places. She said she found that relaxing. Hehe! I thought I was the only one who did stuff like that!

But I have been having trouble with my quilting because of perfectionism, and I'm not sure what else. And quilting is fun. I think the most fun part is picking the colors and designing. I haven't gotten into a groove about quilting. Maybe I need to just do it.

Churchill liked to lay bricks and painting for fun. I think he enjoyed writing. I think he also enjoyed writing speeches (which seems like a distinct kind of writing). I enjoy writing. I have done painting in the past and have enjoyed it.

I've been reading about Churchill as I've said in previous posts. I haven't gotten very far in the first book I was reading, I got interested in Churchill more than the book written by him, and ended up getting into a library book about him. (I had gotten two actually but I took one back. The book I took back was by Churchill's granddaughter and seems like it would be worth trying again later. It was about lessons in leadership we could learn from Churchill.) The one I've kept is The Last Lion, Vol. 2: Alone 1932-1940, which were years during which everyone had dismissed and mocked Churchill as a man who had failed to live up to his potential and a reactionary not to be taken seriously. That would make another post.

Is travel in my future?

I was looking over his shoulder when my brother was showing his girl friend the recently posted pictures that my niece had put on her myspace site. She just finished another trip. I have to admit jealousy!

I think it would be great to travel that much. She has found a way to fund her travel lust - she does contract work overseas. I don't think they would take me. I'm not that keen about living in a war zone either. But I can understand why she does it.

I could manage to do some traveling. It would be nicer to have someone to go with. I have a yen to visit some places in this country just now. Specifically, Chicago is calling me. I was born and raised there (til 14). Maybe I should go. I also think it would be neat to do a trip from Savannah up to Maine, including Washington DC, maybe Baltimore, NYC and Boston, maybe on a train or Greyhound or a combination. I would like to see West Virginia, again, where my Dad was from.

Someday, China and NZ are high on my list, in that order. I have got Israel checked off my list, but it would be neat to go back.

Quite a few years back, I enjoyed a trip to Houston, Texas to the International Quilt Show. I went on a trip organized by a quilt guilt from Tennessee. We went by bus. On the trip was someone else from my quilt guild, she actually was how I learned about the tour. Later, we made another couple of trips together.

One trip we drove to a quilt show in Nashville. We did the KOA thing, staying in a tiny cabin. I don't mind roughing it a little. But that was hard, specifically, the mattress was really hard - I barely managed to get any sleep.

She had asked me to go on some cruises with her, but I wasn't that excited about it. She ended up going to Alaska and through the Panama Canal with family members. Maybe I should have gone.

One of the trips I did make with her was to Ohio. That part of Ohio is very rural, much more isolated than the small town where we live. There are a lot of Amish. It was nice to be visiting with someone who knew the area, and to meet the people she knew. It is mostly very flat farmland. I can't say Ohio was ever on my list of places to visit. But it was a pleasant trip, more interesting to me than I might have thought. And it snowed which I loved. We don't get much snow down here in Georgia. The trip back it was hard driving - doubtless due to lack of sleep. But I'm glad I went with her. Life can give you surprises sometimes.