Musing about Turner's Burnout. (aka, my attention deficit disorder)

RE the Subject Line:

Things have got to be pretty bad for someone with attention deficit disorder to get bored with an instant gratification activity like turning... maybe you need to do some small spinning tops or something equally quick to retain your interest? You'd be hopeless doing things like hand cut dovetails for large case construction. ;~)

John

Arch,

My sine wave is there too. It is just at a higher frequency. Some days I can't wait to get to the lathe and then there are times when I don't turn for days at a time. I comfort myself by saying that I'm retired and can do anything I wish. But I think we all go hot and cold on all our interests.

"Arch" wrote: (clip) How do you guys sustain your addiction the year around from year to year? (clip) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Arch, the center line of your life is YOU, not your lathe, or your welder, or any other thing you have dabbled in from time to time. Every hour you spend doing something because you *ought to* instead of because you *want to* is an hour you can't replace. At our age, "Life is short" takes on a more significant meaning. Eat dessert all the time.

It's not A-D-D, it's RE-AL-I-TY.

I have been in the trough for about a year and am finally climbing out. My down period was not about turning burn-out, but the intersection of several other things in my life. My down period has been due to many things, but I'm glad to report that I am turning again, turn-chatting again and turn-socializing again.

Joe Fleming - San Diego

I get to do things like yard work, repairing furniture that my wife buys at garage sales, or like this weekend work work trying to get reports done for that job that pays the bills

Hi there Arch

I had missed your usual banter, and thought you might be in the rain in Maine ;-*)))

So you're enjoying summer and all that goes with it, Ha.

I am doing "the living is easy" up here, less turning and more of the "watching the world go by"

You know summer is to short up here, even now being retired, the days just flit along and summers almost over again.

Yes visiting friends, and spending time with the kids and grand kids, life is sweet, and turning a joy when I feel like it.

Burn out you, I don't believe it, as if there's one that never gave up, it's got to be you Arch, and thanks for it,

Keep well, take care and have fun. Leo Van Der Loo

Life feels like a buffet table and I LOVE eating:)

The only constant is the endless pressure to "finish this house". It's not usually urgent but like a dull ache that just never goes away. For those who've built their homes themselves can relate more or less. We got trapped in the camper between houses so when we got the occupancy permit it was a relief to immediately move in though many finishing projects and the downstairs weren't completed. Once you move in then all kinds of normal living happens. Next thing you know, "It's been 3 years since you started on that"!!

My shop is one of those unfinished projects. Actually it's one of those sidetracks that happened after moving in. Still, the weekend was spent turning spindles. BTW really thin spindles sure work better with two chucks and variable speed.

And, Arch, I understand the just laying around. Seems at the present age I do more and more just savoring the woods, birds, life in general, counting my blessings every day. Which brings me back to, "It's been 3 years since...."

TomNie

Burnout is such a nice term, but as far as I'm concerned it is meaningless and useless. Just some journalist's idea of how to sell papers. The other part of 'burnout' is that it OK to have it, like some badge of courage or something. I think you need to look at true psychology, not the pop version. Maybe what's going on with you is depression or procrastination?

Dan

Damnit Arch.... if you want attention or validation, don't pull the "burned out" card and play it. Just admit it... you are tired of turning outside in a 100 degree environment where sawdust sticks to you like paste and sweat runs into your eyes when you are turning.

It's OK to tell people that after having a successful career and practice, that you want to enjoy your retirement a little more than standing on hard pavement for a few hours a day wrestling in sweat soaked clothes with a chunk of wood while the humiidty puts the heat index at about 106...

I turn very little in the summer as I don't want the shavings in my shop, and even with dust collection, it doesn't mitigate the temperature of our 100+ degree days with 90% humiidty. I work in it as a contractor because I have to, but if I were retired like you, I would be doing something other than making myself completely miserable under the guise fo having fun.

I am afraid I fall into your category of turning when I am comfortable outside, and then when it is hotter than hell I become a "keyboard turner" until fall when the weather cools and I have more energy after work.

Please Arch, get some professional help.

Don't try to diagnose this condition yourself. ;^)

Above all, be honest with yourself. ;^))

If you are tired of watching things go 'round for fun in the miserable conditions of summer in a hot, steamy South Florida there may indeed be underlying issues you need to face.

Actually, having read your posts for several years now and having gotten to know you in an "internet kind of way", I laughed my ass off when I read this post.

Good to see something interesting on the group, Arch. Thanks.

Oh yeah, and it IS okay to just say "screw it, I don't care about that today. I have other things I want to do."

Not that you need to ask for permission from anyone at all.

Robert

I will agree with all the posts regarding the fact that it is ok to have a stall in ones hobby (but not in ones means of income). For me it is a stall and I am in the middle of it also, but I have confidence it will come back, for me I have a kid going off to college and lots of other excuses for not doing anything now. The only thing that eats at me is the products that are drying up on me, ALL my CA glue, My Tung Oil ginish that has been decanted etc... But this hobby eats at me less when I shelve it than did my boat, those that have owned boats will know exactly what I mean, them things keep on costing you no matter what...

Thanks for listening.

SNIP

know exactly what I mean, them things keep on costing >you no matter what...

I have a couple of friends that finally sold their boats for good. No more. They are fond of saying:" The two best days of having a boat are the day you get it, and the day you sell it".

I can see that.

Robert

Sounds like children. Almost as if adolescent obnoxiousness were designed to make us happy they're leaving the nest.

Boat - hole in the water into which money is poured.

"George" wrote in news:aIYri.37255$ snipped-for-privacy@newsreading01.news.tds.net:

House - hole in the ground into which money is poured. lathe - thing in the garage that takes up room and absorbs money. Hank

Thanks for each and all of your responses. You rekindled the fire. :)

Turn to Safety, Arch Fortiter

Hi Arch-

Was wondering where your musings had got to...

I can sympathize- I'm a manic blur of activity from fall to spring, but once the weather gets too hot, I don't do a darn thing. Comes from spending most of my work time in the heat, I guess. Last week I put in 60 hours in a 110* shop, (with about 20 of those running into and out of the air conditioning in the office to program) and this weekend, I've barely left my chair. I'd like to go down and do some turning, but it'll keep until things cool off, just like every year- and the blacksmithing is *definately* out of the question until the evenings cool down again!

Might be sort of a shame, but I guess a guy has to recharge his batteries sometime. May as well be when it's too hot to enjoy what you're doing, IMO.