13. Archery
May the odds be ever in your favor...
For as strong and independent as I consider myself to be, doing things on my own has never been easy for me. I like to have a buddy. A friend. Someone to yap at because the voices in my head aren’t always the best company. (Kidding…?) For instance, when I buy concert tickets, I buy a second in hopes of convincing someone to tag along. It’s not that I mind being alone. I spend plenty of time alone at home. (As in with no humans since Baby is there.) But going out into the world by myself can feel intimidating and scary.
As many of us have discovered, or will soon discover, the older you get, the harder it is to find a buddy available to do everything you want. Especially if you’re not in a relationship to have a significant other to drag along. The world is built for pairs and groups. There’s a part of you that worries people are looking at you, wondering why you’re alone. Thinking that it’s sad or unfortunate that you have no one. That you must be lonely since you couldn't find a friend or date to accompany you. However, that is truly all in your head because most people don’t give a shit about you and what you’re doing. Sorry :-)
My first big step into regularly adventuring on my own was during the heyday of MoviePass. ( I miss paying $10 a month to see all the movies. How they ever thought that business model would work beats me. No one was surprised when they were like “Uh oh. We have no more money.”) The first movie I saw by myself was Wonder Woman. It was a weekday, and there were only a handful of folks in the theater. I got popcorn, since I’d have no one to mooch off of per usual, and enjoyed the quiet, comfortable theater. I still enjoy going to the movies on my own.
I adjusted to doing even more by my lonesome when completing The Artist Way. One of the many tools when going through the program is doing a weekly Artist Date. This can be anything from going to a museum to doing a craft to having an at home spa day. It just needs to be something you do alone for and with yourself. You are feeding your creativity by getting out of your routine and trying something new and different. You are to find the spark of inspiration through these dates with yourself.
During those 12 weeks, I went on solo adventures including visiting the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, The FIT museum and my big final date to celebrate completing the program by getting my TV tattoo.
While there are still pangs of anxiety when considering doing an activity by myself, it has gotten easier. Knowing I have the ability to do what I want, when I want, is a freedom I’ve come to enjoy and appreciate. It is not something to take for granted. If I want to do nothing and stay at home with Baby relaxing, I can. If I want to go see a movie and get a delicious baked good, I will.
There are still times when I know I should get out regardless of others availability but simply cannot as my worries get the best of me. However, I am continuing to work toward being that strong, independent woman who can adventure on her own. The big goal is to travel alone and I hope to find the courage to do so in the next year.
I mentioned that not everything I would be trying this year is based on the hobbies of folks I know, and this is the first on the list. Archery! I have shot some arrows in my time, but never in an “official” capacity. There were a few times it was available as an activity when I was in high school. Not sure exactly how qualified the gym teachers of South Plainfield High School were in the art of archery and I will never not think of the scene in 10 Things I Hate About You when Bianca shoots the teacher in the ass.
Another Robin Hood attempt was a few years back, when friends were living upstate, escaping the city after lockdown. They purchased archery supplies and I shot some arrows during a visit and was honestly, not too bad at it!
But I’ve had Gotham Archery in the back of my mind for years. And based on my whole intro rant, you’re probably thinking “Oh wow! You did this on your own?!” And sure, I could have and planned to do so. But I asked my sports loving friend Lizzy, who I attended the Mets game with last year for this here newsletter. She was down to accompany me on this adventure and off we went to take the Introductory Class to be our best Katniss Everdeen and see if the odds would be ever in our favor.
What did Lizzy think?
Had you ever done archery before (Lizzy)? Yes!! I did archery in high school. I remember all the safety protocols. The targets were by one entrance to the gym, so we had to put a “DO NOT ENTER” sign on that door. A student came through while we were shooting once and we all started yelling at her to turn around. I remember being ok at it I guess? It was a more positive gym class experience and that was rare for me. It helps that archery doesn’t involve running or jumping or avoiding being hit by a ball.
What were expectations going in? (Lizzy) Expectations were positive, if tentative. I was worried about it being uncomfortable, like maybe the bow would be heavy. I was worried a little bit about being sore the next day. I was also a little wary that someone would bring up the Pixar movie Brave to me, but maybe that would have been more of an issue like 12 years ago. Mostly I was excited to try a different thing!
Did you enjoy it? (Lizzy) Very much so! Our instructor was great and the facility itself was very cool. It seems like a nice, little community. We saw some kids at a lesson and that was cute to see. Loved that it was mostly girls, too!
Would you do it again? (Lizzy) Yes and thanks to the balloon competition, I can go for free! But even if I didn’t win that free hour of lane rental, I would love to go again!
Did I enjoy the hobby? Honestly, I really, truly did. I had such a fun time and was in a great mood after. We lucked out going on a weekday and were the only two in the class giving us plenty of time to work on our skills and practice. And we had the best instructor. SHOUT OUT TO MARTIN WHO SUBSCRIBED AFTER I TOLD HIM WHY WERE THERE! He was a great instructor and made the whole experience awesome.
Would I do it again? I would indeed! I’d be interested to go back and rent a lane to try my hand a shooting from a farther distance. Lizzy beat me in the balloon popping competition, winning a free lane rental. Whenever she decides to cash that in, I’d definitely love to tag along. But going back to the whole intro of this post, I think this is an activity I could and would do on my own. When you get in the swing of things, it’s meditative to nock your arrow, focus and shoot. I could definitely see myself renting a lane for an hour and just going as an escape. It has been one of my more definitive “I want to do this again!” hobbies I’ve tired in the past year.
Who might like to try? Anyone who has ever thought it seemed pretty cool. Folks looking for fun activities to try with friends, family and loved ones. People looking to try their Katniss Everdeen, Robin Hood or Geena Davis impression.
If you live, or have access to the New York area, check out Gotham Archery.
If you have a hobby you would like to share with me (and the world) email me at chelseadallasfalato@substack.com