I haven’t played hockey in three months. It wasn’t
intentional, it just worked out that way. It was nice to have a break from
hockey.
At the end of the winter season, I was happy it was over.
Some seasons I’m ready for a small break, but this winter was different. The
season was disappointing in a variety of areas for me. I wasn’t happy about my
performance on the ice. I started whining towards the officials. All of these
and more were just evidence and/or consequences of me not wanting to be around
hockey.
The three months without hockey were actually productive. I
started recognizing how bad my diet had become and made steps to change it. I
got back into the gym enough so that I spent more time there in these three
months than I did all season. I rediscovered old hobbies and found new ones as
well. I did quite a bit.
When it came time to put the skates on again, I wasn’t that
thrilled. I knew if I didn’t do it though, I’d probably not play for another
year. Still, I committed to playing and I know how bad it is to have people
fall short on commitments. I’m going to put forth my effort like I normally do.
I’m going to follow through on my commitment. But I’m doing this season for
myself. I want to just have fun. I’m not going to focus on making things go
smoothly for everyone.
