You know before it happens that parenting will involve sacrifices - financially, emotionally, physically. Things that I once took for granted like going to the pub, or spending one day of the weekend in my dressing grown watching entire box sets of television series: These I knew would be a thing of the past. But there are some other by-products of becoming a mum: strange things that I didn't anticipate being affected, but that I am now fairly convinced I will never try again.
Pre-motherhood I was happy to try most things: sky-diving, bungy-jumping, white-water-rafting, river-boarding; you named it, I would have given it a go.
Now with two very small people that I am responsible for, I have suddenly lost my derring-do. It no longer seems appealing to throw myself from a perfectly sound structure for the sake of bouncing up and down on the end of a large bungy cord. I was a keen recreational diver before Gertie and Gilby came along, and though we have been diving once since Gertie's arrival, I was a lot more cautious and risk aware than I ever was before.
So here, for the record, are some of the other lost activities:
- Roller coaster rides (I know they're perfectly safe, just no longer have any desire to do it).
- Taking my regulator out of my mouth for a photograph whilst scuba-diving (see photo).
- Diving from the top board at a swimming pool (as if).
- Rock-climbing (really used to enjoy this but ropes now look way too flimsy).
- Running for a bus (just a practical impossibility this one, with prams, bags, small people, etc.)
Thing is, I don't miss them - just wonder if that courage is temporarily displaced or gone forever!
