Have you ever had to give up something you loved to do? / LJWorld.com

Previous Next

Asked at Massachusetts Street on October 22, 2007

Browse the archives

“Yes. I love to drink wine, but I had to give it up for a whole year to have a baby.”

— Ann Lopez, therapist, Lawrence

“Yeah. I gave up making artwork for a while for financial reasons. I’m just now starting to draw and sculpt again.”

— Shannon Blakey, University of Missouri-Columbia senior, Columbia, Mo.

“Ballet. I wasn’t going to make enough money to make a decent living, so I decided to work with computers instead.”

— Tenley Metcalf, sustaining support engineering specialist, Wichita

“Yeah. A long time ago I gave up bicycle racing to go to graduate school. I’d like to think it paid off, but I guess you never know.”

— Bryan Foster, professor, Lawrence

Copy and paste the link:

LJWorld.com doesn’t necessarily condone the comments here, nor does it review every post. Read our full policy. Also, read about banned accounts and harassing comments.

blue73harley (anonymous) says…

Freedom - I was single once.
October 22, 2007 at 6:38 a.m.
sunflower_sue (anonymous) says…

sleeping in.
October 22, 2007 at 7:17 a.m.
inmate (anonymous) says…

That first word Harley mentioned and everything that came with it.
October 22, 2007 at 7:18 a.m.
inatux (anonymous) says…

It used to be that LJW would link to the story if it was related. I have a feeling this is the case with this POTS, but I don't feel like hunting down the story right now.

I wish they'd go back to linking to related stories if there is one.

Bringing back the old design wouldn't hurt either.
October 22, 2007 at 7:25 a.m.
farmersdaughter (anonymous) says…

http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2007/oct...

Here's the story inatux.

Beautiful work Debra!
October 22, 2007 at 7:47 a.m.
Godot (anonymous) says…

Many times, it is called dealing with what life throws at you.
October 22, 2007 at 7:56 a.m.
The_Original_Bob (anonymous) says…

I gave up quoting Warren Zevon songs.
October 22, 2007 at 8:50 a.m.
snap_pop_no_crackle (anonymous) says…

I thought about trying to run a thinly-veiled blackmail scam by threatening to release the personal information of some users on bulkerbiz. I gave it up as a really stupid idea. Somebody that goes by outingbulkerbiz gave it a whirl.
October 22, 2007 at 9:28 a.m.
sgtwolverine (anonymous) says…

I gave up getting a regular paycheck. I loved that.
October 22, 2007 at 10:17 a.m.
Azure_Attitude (anonymous) says…

I gave up gettin' it regular.
October 22, 2007 at 10:33 a.m.
mom_of_three (anonymous) says…

When my kids came along, I never had enough time to do what I loved and one of those was as simple as reading. Now, I am back in college, and enjoy every minute of it. I have an excuse to read.
I used to ride in horseshows as a kid, and I loved it. But when we moved, I had to give it up. I don't yet have the financial stability for the upkeep on horses. But my dad still has a few, so I am able to ride when I visit.
Luckily, I only had to give things up to due to time and financial resources. I am luckier than some.
October 22, 2007 at 10:38 a.m.
jonas (anonymous) says…

I apparently can't play basketball anymore. Tried over the summer for an hour or two and limped for three days afterwards. Curse that herniated disc!
October 22, 2007 at 10:40 a.m.
trinity (anonymous) says…

i had to give up my '86 sportster due to really bad behaviour, back in '94; but happy to say, i got a different scoot this past summer! *sigh*, i am so very very lucky, fortunate, blessed...sometimes if you're willing to give *stuff* up, you wind up getting *stuff* back or even better STUFF!!! :)
October 22, 2007 at 11:20 a.m.
ms_canada (anonymous) says…

I loved nursing. Really loved it. But then when my kiddies came into my life, I could no longer do what I loved. Working evening shift was out of the question as my husband would not take on the kids in the evening after a long day in construction and daycare was not available.
Raising three kids was much harder than nursing, that is for sure.
I never did get back to nursing. Alas, alac and woe to me!!
October 22, 2007 at 11:56 a.m.
ms_canada (anonymous) says…

pywacket, dear lady - did you catch Will Shortz on PBS last night? A whole hour on crossword puzzles and the addicts who can't get away from them. One thing I noticed was the many left handed people who solve the puzzles or try to. Like me. Are you a lefty, py????
October 22, 2007 at 11:59 a.m.
dminear60 (anonymous) says…

I had to give up eating whatever I want whenever I want...old age and high cholesterole have a way of doing that to you
October 22, 2007 at 1:08 p.m.
Pywacket (anonymous) says…

Ms C~ Rats! I missed that. I'll look it up and see if it will be on again. I love Will Shortz. And yes--of course i'm left-handed. Good with math & art--you, too? I'm glad to learn that you're another of the chosen people. Not surprised. Now here's a good one: only one of my grandparents was left-handed, neither parent was, but four out of five of us sibs are southpaws. (We disown the righty!) How's that for bucking odds? Of my own chillun, only one is so gifted. My lefty son doesn't do crossword puzzles (yet) but is a whiz at sudoku.

As for today's question: I gave up believing wholeheartedly in Santa a long time ago and I bet some of the rest of you did, too. What wouldn't you give to go back to being that innocent and full of hope and delicious suspense? Even if only for one night out of every year? Didn't you love believing?
October 22, 2007 at 2:03 p.m.
Ceallach (anonymous) says…

A little over 10 years ago I had to give up running. I usually ran a couple of miles a day, either outside or in the field house. After a battle with pneumonia I developed adult onset asthma, the pneu won :{
October 22, 2007 at 2:08 p.m.
Ceallach (anonymous) says…

We should conduct an official OTS poll . . . everyone in their right mind, say YEA!

YEA!
October 22, 2007 at 2:11 p.m.
sunflower_sue (anonymous) says…

Nay!...but oddly, art seems to be my thing. (I also loooove crossword puzzles.)
My sis is a lefty so I'll say yea for her, but add that her art gene is not as dominate. :P
October 22, 2007 at 2:27 p.m.
Ceallach (anonymous) says…

sue, three of the six girls in my family are either left-handed or ambidextrous, of my four granddaughters, 1 in a solid lefty, another is ambi (as am I).
October 22, 2007 at 2:32 p.m.
sourpuss (anonymous) says…

Hey, harley (and everyone else who likes to make snide comments about marriage), you can always get a divorce if you are so miserable. Otherwise, stop bad-mouthing your relationship to the public.
October 22, 2007 at 2:44 p.m.
blue73harley (anonymous) says…

sourpuss - ya ever heard of the country song "It's Cheaper To Keep Her"?

Sounds like you are just a tiny wee bit too sensitive about the subject to me. Carrying some baggage, are ya?

Let me know when your next marriage is and I will make sure and send a sympathy card.
October 22, 2007 at 2:58 p.m.
Centrist (anonymous) says…

Ms Canada said .. "" my husband would not take on the kids in the evening after a long day in construction ""

You mean he didn't want to spend time with his kids after a long day at work not seeing them?
October 22, 2007 at 3:40 p.m.
ms_canada (anonymous) says…

centrist - when we got married my husband was just starting his construction business and put in loooong hours. And in the evenings he would spend much time down in his office on the phone and doing things in books. If I had to work 3-11pm shift, there was no way he could feed the kids, bathe them and get them into bed. That was just the facts, m'am. Day care was almost non existant back in those days. How far back? My eldest daughter will be celebrating 50 years this Friday and I will be driving for 3 1/2 hours south to spend it with her.
October 22, 2007 at 5:42 p.m.
GretchenJP (anonymous) says…

Yeah, I gave up on my promise to stop participating in LJW discussion groups.
October 22, 2007 at 5:44 p.m.
tangential_reasoners_anonymous (anonymous) says…

I had to give up free falling. It always ended badly.
October 22, 2007 at 5:57 p.m.
srj (anonymous) says…

"Hey what's the point on waiting you gotta live life while you can and live it hard"
"Ah the Chris Farley method, that's good"

Family Guy, always good for a quote.
October 22, 2007 at 6:11 p.m.
RETICENT_IRREVERENT (Ronaldo Ignacio) says…

Yes.
October 22, 2007 at 6:19 p.m.
livingstone (anonymous) says…

Staying home.....
October 22, 2007 at 8:18 p.m.
peachesncream (anonymous) says…

sourpuss seems a bit ... um shall we say ANGRY.....guess the name fits rather nicely huh....
October 23, 2007 at 6:19 a.m.
sigerson (anonymous) says…

I can understand sourpuss's reaction. I imagine sourpuss didn't mean it this way, but having just been booted out of a 13-year relationship, I bristle a bit when others who are in a secure, happy relationship drag out the old "ball-and-chain" metaphor. It's like a hungry person standing at the window, watching someone glower at a table full of food and say, "What? Leftovers again?" I realize joshing and teasing about a life partner are part of a healthy relationship, but it still stings a bit when you're on the outside looking in and someone's even jokingly denigrating what you so desperately want.

Yeah, I'm carrying a wee bit of baggage, but hoping to lighten the load a bit every day.
October 23, 2007 at 2:59 p.m.
Crossfire (anonymous) says…

Never give up.
Never give in.
October 23, 2007 at 10:48 p.m.
sigerson (anonymous) says…

Is that line from "Galaxy Quest"? Love that film.
October 24, 2007 at 12:53 a.m.