When looking back at the beginning of my new occupation I begin to realize how much has changed in this short amount of time. I chose bowling as my occupation to be able to practice an occupation that I had previously disliked in my childhood. I did this to challenge myself in a way that I normally would not. I am so glad I did this. Through this experience, my thoughts towards bowling have completely shifted. Now instead of it being an activity I dislike and purposely avoid it is something I have found joy in doing.
This week for my occupation I had the opportunity to bowl in my hometown bowling alley. I have not been to this bowling alley since my 6th grade P.E. class. The building has not changed at all. They still have the paper scoring with a projector to show your score above you. The last time I bowled here bowling was something I dreaded. This time I was actually able to enjoy the experience because of the different perspective I have adapted to when it comes to the game.
Being a first-year grad student has challenged me in many ways. A big part of being in grad school is simply scheduling and finding time to do all the things that need to get done. When it comes to the experience with my new occupation I feel like I have surprisingly been able to balance both the occupation and school well. I think I was able to do this because I simply set a plausible goal of going bowling once a week. If I were to have picked an occupation that required participation multiple days a week I do not think I would have found balance as easy. At the beginning of the semester, I did find it easier to go bowling during the week, but as the semester went on and tests and papers were due I found this harder. I found that on weeks when big assignments were due, it was easier for me to focus on school during the week and my occupation on the weekend. While there have been weeks where it was hard for me to find time to bowl for the most part my new occupation has been a way to debrief outside of school. Most importantly I have learned the importance of participating in occupations outside of school and allowing myself to enjoy these occupations without thinking about my next assignment.
Hi Sami, I really enjoyed seeing how your occupation shifted for you over the course of the semester. I remember you talking about how you were really not looking forward to going bowling and thinking why would she have picked this occupation. Now I think you have picked the exact right occupation and challenged yourself in a unique way that a lot of us didn't even consider when choosing an occupation. You make me want to try golf again even though I have hated it in the past! Do you think you will try more new occupations that in the past might not have been super positive?
ReplyDeleteHey Brenda,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment. I think you're exactly right about the challenge that bowling brought forth for me. I went through the same feeling of wondering why I picked this occupation, but now I am glad that I did. I definitely think I will try more occupations that I have previously moved past that were not super positive experiences. Once of the first things that comes to mind is soccer. I have never truly given soccer a fair change, but feel like I would want to try again with an open mind.