For some mysterious, fun-killing reason, several of the links in this post didn’t work yesterday. HOpefully the problem is corrected. Let the fun begin!

“Many of us have forgotten to have fun.” 

These words from author and (my) agent Bob Hostetler shocked me. Until I realized his statement was true. 

“Writers get so caught up in deadlines, and word counts, and edits that we forget what drew us to writing in the first place – the pure pleasure of the craft.” 

You’re probably not a writer (although some of you are), but regardless of our profession or life circumstances, Bob’s words apply to us all. 

Have you been so busy paying bills, keeping house, and meeting obligations that you’ve forgotten to have fun in your marriage? 

Have you been so busy training your children, overseeing their education, and keeping them safe that you’ve forgotten to have fun in your parenting? 

Have you been so busy caring for an aging parent or spouse, taking them to appointments, and meeting their physical needs that you’ve forgotten to have fun in your relationship? 

Have you been so busy meeting your quota, climbing the ladder, and planning your next career move that you’ve forgotten to have fun in your work? 

I took Bob’s class at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference in Black Mountain, North Carolina. As he taught “The Well-rounded Writer,” he outlined his goals. “I’m going to teach you writing as ministry, business, and craft. But first, I’m going to help you have fun. I want to remind you why you fell in love with writing in the first place.” 

Then he invited us to participate in an exercise entitled “First Lines.” 

“Choose a first line and write a story about it,” he said. I chose this first line: “There’s nothing quite like the smell of . . .” 

How would you complete this sentence? And what would the paragraph say? 

In a moment I’m going to share my story, but before I do, I’d like to pose the same question Bob asked me. “Are you so busy doing __________ that you’ve forgotten to have fun?” 

Be honest. 

If the answer is yes, it may be time for intervention. I Googled “Fun family activities,” “fun date nights,” or “fun things to do in your workplace” and included a few of the more promising finds below. Why not scroll through the ideas and pick one? Then do what it takes to make it happen. You’ll be glad you did. So will the others around you.

“101 Fun Things to Do with Kids this Summer”

“Laugh for a Happier Marriage“ on Family Life Today. 

25 Ways to Have Fun at Work

Fun Activities for Seniors

Maybe this post sparked a few ideas of your own. I’d love for you to leave a comment at the bottom to tell us what you did to add fun to your situation. Who knows? Your bright idea may inspire someone else’s, which may inspire someone else’s, until everyone remembers a thing or two they love about the life they’re living. 

Now, are you curious about how I finished the sentence, “There’s nothing quite like the smell of . . . “? 

Here goes:

There’s nothing quite like the smell of bacon. It draws men from everywhere. Trust me, I know. 

If you’ve ever flown out of Columbia Metropolitan Airport, you know that the first smell to greet you as you make your way up the long ramp between the TSA checkpoint and your gate is the smell of bacon. 

There’s a little kiosk at the end of that ramp, and every morning at 4 a.m., someone starts frying bacon. For three years, that someone was me. 

That’s how I learned the power of bacon. Within minutes of firing up the griddle and slinging the greasy strips of pork onto the sizzling surface, men would begin to line up. Handsome men in business suits, maintenance workers in coveralls, and everyone in between – all drawn to the smell of bacon—and me, their cheerful cook. 

I worked there every summer — until I married – a pork-loving, business man who queued up at my kiosk every month for a year so I could serve him bacon. 

(In case you’re wondering, this story is an amalgamation of truth and fiction. Which parts do you think are true? Leave your guess in the comment box. I’ll tell you which is which in a day or so.)