What? You Stopped Following Baseball?! – Parade – Parade

Rachel Brel Sakers in Burlington, Vermont, writes:

When I was growing up, I was a huge baseball fan. I could rattle off the statistics of the various players and teams; I collected baseball cards and team souvenirs; and I attended baseball games and also watched them on TV and listened to the play-by-play on radio. But now that I’m married and have a family, my interests have changed, and I’m no longer interested in baseball. I no longer even keep track of how my favorite team (back then) is doing. Friends I grew up with say it’s really strange that I’ve quit being a baseball fan “cold turkey.” I tell them I’m at another stage in my life now, and I have more-preferable things to do with my time than being preoccupied with baseball. But no matter how much I try to explain why I’m no longer a fan, some of them still don’t get my reasoning. How can I explain it to them so that they understand?

Marilyn responds:

Well, you make perfect sense to me, Rachel! (I’ve gone through many interests in my own life.) Maybe you could tell your friends that your interests in almost everything have changed since you were much younger. Why should baseball be an exception? (But be prepared for looks of awe. After all, we’re talking about baseball.)