I love this game too much to quit it but I do have to figure out a better way of handling the down times. I've had a couple of historically bad weeks this season and that has pretty much ruined those Sundays for me. I realize at the time I'm caring way too much (although there is a lot of money on the line) but it still feels like a massive kick in the nuts. I have to figure out a better way of working through that.
I think it helps to schedule family activities during games. Kind of sends the message (and it's a helluva lot louder than anything you can say) "This is what matters most to me." NFL Sunday? Well, if nothing else is going on. But if you guys want to go ice skating, that's cool. Or go hike the Appalachian Trail with them.
Or start by skipping the ####ty TNF/SNF/MNF matchup, you can read about it later.
I really love football - a lot of sports, actually - but your heart is where your treasure is, and nothing counts more than time.
Just being there and spending time with your kids is pretty huge. You can't get that time back. They're only going to be 17 or 7 or an infant once. They'll be another NFL Sunday next week.
It would be great if either of my kids enjoyed the NFL but they don't. That's not going to change so I have to write memories some other way. I don't want them to ever wonder what mattered most to me.
If you go out of your way to schedule times during, then it's avoidance on some level and not balance. Balance is when you pick up the dry cleaning, bathe the dog, cook dinner, and mow the yard, and then off to Johnny's movie he wants to see and somehow you get your hobby time in. But if you are purposely doing things DURING the hobby time, then it begs the questions are you going out of your way to prove a point?I'm not calling you out. Just thought it is an interesting statement for all of us to look at because while you or I may be bale to carry this out, what I see a lot of (and have done and hate) is that, yeah, I'm "in the room" with the family on Christmas or Thanksgiving or any other football day and although I'm there in body, I am A MILLION miles away. The people that are talking to me are getting quick, canned, non-attentive answers because 98% of my mind is on watching that DJAX TD or trying to constantly keep up on the scores in my playoff week and heave help the poor souls when I start taking a bad beat because I'm like a pool of radioactive goo that nobody wants to approach and people then stop talking to me.
People pick up on it, especially kids. They know when Daddy or Mommy is in a bad mood. They might even know it's because you just saw Calvin Johnson go limping off to the sideline.
I remember two years ago, in the title game and it was Christmas and looking back on it, I can't believe I didn't get called out on it. My family is on the house, conversing, snacking, talking, having a good time. Meanwhile, I am holed up in the den watching a small, hardly used TV hanging on every play of football games. People are checking on me asking if I need anything (drink/food). Occasionally, I get the "hey come here, we are ready to eat" or "hey, come here. Grandpa is here and we are going to give him his gift"
That was my "aha" moment in that this is not bigger/better than life doing other things. It is a very time-consuming hobby that can absolutely drain you emotionally and put your worst face forward when you are losing. Some people will respond to this and say "ahh, you just can't let it get to you, etc" and, honestly, those are the people I feel the most for because those are the denial people.
People can say what they want but I have NEVER met a FF player who played more than once/one year that didn't carry around a lot of residual emotional baggage when they are into the games...and lots of times we don't even realize it because we are so consumed by it that we are oblivious to what others see so clearly.
Anyway, off the soap box...That scenario was the moment that put the gears in motion to quit and, admittedly, it has taken two more years AFTER that realization, but that either goes a long way in saying how weak-willed I am or it goes a long way to saying how much pull this game has when you get into it.
But I will be completely open and honestI have felt better the past 3-4 weeks than I have in years. I am looking forward to wrapping this up as it gets closer. And I sincerely appreciate threads like these because it does me a lot of good to see that I am not the only person who thinks of this in this way or questions it.
