Last night my wife and I took our kids to the Pro Bull Riding (PBR) event at the Save Mart Center. If you haven’t been to such an event, it’s a rodeo that’s limited to the bull riding event. It’s the first rodeo event where our three year old, Dominic, has been engaged in the event’s activities. The joy he received from observing the festivities was as enjoyable to watch as the actual event.
Dominic’s joy came from his interest in animals, his sense of wonder, and newness to this exhibit. How often as an adult do we ever have an experience on this level? Maybe when the power goes out for an extended period of time and you realize how limited you are without the miracle of electricity? I know in those moments, thanks and joy spike, and soon things go back to business as usual.
I wonder how much anxiety and other mental stress could be curved or combated from stepping back and seeing amazement and wonder within the lives we live? I know a lot of wellness programs focus on finding joy and appreciation within the day. This sounds easy, yet, I myself know it can be difficult when consumed with excessive activity. The human mind when consumed with tasks becomes tunnel like in perception.
I’m guessing that based on what I said in the prior paragraph, people with a dedicated hobby fair better than those who do not. I say this because the hobby is an escape or an outlet away from the grind of reality. Therefore, when reality becomes overbearing, the hobby serves as a therapeutic outlet, whether it is recognized as such an outlet or not.
In the last decade, I also surmise that the specter of endless connectivity/content has led to the idea of ‘hobby’ to be inhibited. With time being finite and content being effectively infinite, the need, or even the space, for hobby becomes an afterthought.
Where do we find joy? I know where our three year old son Dominic finds joy. You would to if you were around him for an hour or less. He’s three and his life dynamic is different than that of an adult. Yet, joy is joy and its impact on our mental state is relatively the same whether we are 3 or 93.