RiverBender Blog: I Did Something Weird, or, How to Create Special Occasions

I recently did something a little out of the ordinary. Nothing too extreme, but just a side quest to break up my week. And it was awesome.

To clarify, it really wasn’t anything wild. My friend and I were bored one day last week, and we decided that instead of our usual “get food and watch TV” evening, we’d go out and do something different. We ended up painting pottery. It was a new way to spend an hour, and it broke up our ordinary routine.

And then this past weekend, my friends and I stopped by a billiards bar and played some pool. I’ll say right now, I am not a games gal. I don’t win because I generally don’t care enough to compete. But there was something exciting about this new adventure. As we Googled the rules and practiced our trick shots, I realized something: I was having fun.

(I did not win. We barely kept score, anyway, but I am certain I did not win because I scratched again and again and then finally sank a ball! The 8 ball. Whoops.)

Anyway, both of these experiences were just abnormal enough to be noteworthy. My routine is usually pretty straightforward. I go to work, come home, repeat. Sometimes I see my buddies. Often we watch movies or grab coffee, and that’s it. And while those get-togethers are so, so much fun, it’s also really neat to do something out of the ordinary.

Let me say right now, I don’t believe you have to do something special to have a special time. It’s all about the people around you. Even the most basic days can be a lot of fun. My best memories with my friends include movie nights, homemade dinners, sharing chocolates and testing out cheap wines or sipping iced coffees and browsing shops.

There are also ways to elevate an ordinary night into a great experience. I remember one night, my friends and I gathered for dinner at someone’s apartment. One of my buddies had just returned from a trip to Europe (lucky duck!), and he had a bottle of champagne for us to enjoy. Our group split it and it was delicious, but really what I remember most about that night is laughing as he tried to open the bottle and our screams when the cork finally dislodged.

My point is, he could’ve saved that for a special occasion. But by sharing the champagne on a normal evening, that’s what made the night special. There’s no such thing as “wasting” the champagne on a nonevent. We created an event.

For those of us who are balling on a budget (no French champagne for me on the daily, thanks though), things like painting pottery and playing billiards are totally doable. The important part is just doing something to get out of the routine.

It’s easy to get bogged down by daily life. Habit and structure are beneficial, but sometimes it’s nice to do something a little spontaneous with the people you love. So I spent a few hours painting pottery and now I have a nice bowl to show for it. I played some pool and challenged myself to enjoy it.

And now I have those memories, which I’m thankful for. There’s no need to wait for a special occasion. By pushing yourself and trying something new, you can create a special occasion. What a gift.