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       #Post#: 171066--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Sharing Hobbies with loved ones
       By: GingerJ1 Date: March 10, 2023, 1:04 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [quote author=billieryder link=topic=1790.msg171054#msg171054
       date=1678473890]
       [quote author=Sahmtoo link=topic=1790.msg171044#msg171044
       date=1678470944]
       [quote author=billieryder link=topic=1790.msg170861#msg170861
       date=1678416798]
       But yeah.... It has been made crystal clear to me that he
       can't/won't pick the hobby because he has no interests therefore
       he wants me to be sufficiently passionate about something he can
       join in on and share.
       [/quote]
       It's just not reasonable for him to expect someone else to
       provide this level of energy to get him excited about doing
       something. You can't be his external motivation, even if you
       were inclined to be as obsessive as he is asking you to be. My
       guess is that he's depressed or something, and he's hatched this
       plan for how you could solve his lack of passion because it's a
       way for him to dodge his own responsibility for his life.
       What do you get out of this?
       [/quote]
       This is what I need to make crystal clear back to him.  I've
       told him that I can't make him happy by taking a moguls clinic
       for example to become better at moguls (I have improved but I'm
       still pretty bad.  Just not utterly hopeless).  It doesn't work
       that way.  And we have proof with skiing and cycling.  I'm been
       pretty pleased with my cycling in particular (pre eye).  Less
       pleased with skiing skills but I am still pretty decent.  But he
       is better at both by a wide margin and therefore he is unhappy
       with my passion and his ability to share at a level that is
       meaningful to him.
       Mostly what I get out of this is hassled.  Either for my lack of
       passion, my inability to think up something or my lack of
       interest in whatever he suggests.  This is being presented as a
       shared thing so I must participate.  But see above on how well
       this sharing has actually worked - not well at all.
       [/quote]
       Honestly, this is the nub here: This is what I need to make
       crystal clear back to him.
       Hax has said it many times in different ways: Your job is NOT to
       get him to understand. The magic words to get him to see things
       clearly do not exist, because he doesn't want to see things any
       other way. Your job is set your boundaries and not let him past
       them--not easy, but necessary.
       From the vantage point of not being in this situation, this
       looks like another facet of his trying to control you. He's
       putting up impossible hoops for you to jump through and
       insisting that you try. Then, when you inevitably fail to jump
       impossible hoops, he makes it a failure on your part.
       The only way to win this game is not to play.
       You have to tell him no. Please please do this.
       And you know this particular little game is just a facet of what
       he's been doing all along.
       I know it's hard to step back and see the big picture while
       you're stuck here, but eventually you'll be able to look back
       and see how he's controlling you, playing with you, and
       emotionally abusing you.
       It's not your fault; he's slowly and gradually pulled you in and
       criticized you to the point where you think it's YOUR problem
       when he demands things you cannot possibly do--let alone the
       fact that it's things you do not want to do in the first place.
       I wish you would follow acl's advice and send him back to his
       own place. Spend that time looking objectively at your situation
       and figure out how to do the work to extricate yourself from
       him. And while he's gone, change the locks so he can only come
       by at YOUR invitation.
       Here is something I found on line, five ways to recognize
       emotional abuse. Please look at them and ask whether this is
       what is happening.
       [quote]
       They are Hyper-Critical or Judgmental Towards You
       It is human nature to critique or judge, but in emotionally
       abusive situations, someone takes it to the next level. This can
       look like someone is:
       [list]
       [li]Putting you down in front of others
       Humiliating or embarrassing you
       Using sarcasm or “teasing” or “jokes” to make you feel badly
       about yourself
       Having an opinion about a lot of what you say, do, or think
       Upset if/when you don’t agree (e.g., how you dress, how you
       spend your money, who you spend time with, what you are
       interested in)[/li]
       [li][/li]
       [/list]
       They Ignore Boundaries or Invade Your Privacy
       We all have the right to our own space. Sometimes it can be
       tricky to distinguish between the rush and thrill of any new
       relationship or connection and a violation of your space because
       you may feel that you want to spend all of your time with this
       awesome person. This can look like your partner:
       [list]
       [li]Wants to move a relationship faster than you are comfortable
       with either emotionally or physically (e.g. saying “I love you”
       very quickly and pressuring you to do the same, pushing you to
       engage in sexual activities, pushing you to move in together)
       Checks your texts messages, email or social media accounts
       without your permission[/li]
       [li][/li]
       [/list]
       They are Possessive and/or Controlling
       The abuser may try to restrict your behavior through
       unreasonable jealousy such as:
       [list]
       [li]Monitoring your actions
       Constantly calling or texting when you are not around
       Getting upset when you want to spend time by yourself or with
       family or friends alone
       Isolating you from other people in your life and/or activities
       you enjoy or work
       Demanding access to your phone, email, or social media
       accounts[/li]
       [li][/li]
       [/list]
       They are Manipulative
       An emotionally abusive person may try many things to get you to
       do what they want or feel badly, such as:
       [list]
       [li]Withdrawing affection when you’ve done something “wrong”
       Ignoring or excluding you
       Guilt trips
       Making you doubt yourself
       Denying something you know is true[/li]
       [li][/li]
       [/list]
       They Often Dismiss You and Your Feelings
       The abuser might try to play down your emotions or feelings by:
       [list]
       [li]Saying you are too sensitive or calling you crazy
       Making fun of your achievements or hopes and dreams
       Refusing to talk about or take responsibility for their actions
       Blaming you or someone else for their actions (it’s never their
       fault)
       Being indifferent to your feelings[/li]
       [li][/li]
       [/list][/quote]
       #Post#: 171067--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Sharing Hobbies with loved ones
       By: animaniactoo Date: March 10, 2023, 1:09 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [quote author=billieryder link=topic=1790.msg171054#msg171054
       date=1678473890]
       [quote author=Sahmtoo link=topic=1790.msg171044#msg171044
       date=1678470944]
       [quote author=billieryder link=topic=1790.msg170861#msg170861
       date=1678416798]
       But yeah.... It has been made crystal clear to me that he
       can't/won't pick the hobby because he has no interests therefore
       he wants me to be sufficiently passionate about something he can
       join in on and share.
       [/quote]
       It's just not reasonable for him to expect someone else to
       provide this level of energy to get him excited about doing
       something. You can't be his external motivation, even if you
       were inclined to be as obsessive as he is asking you to be. My
       guess is that he's depressed or something, and he's hatched this
       plan for how you could solve his lack of passion because it's a
       way for him to dodge his own responsibility for his life.
       What do you get out of this?
       [/quote]
       This is what I need to make crystal clear back to him.  I've
       told him that I can't make him happy by taking a moguls clinic
       for example to become better at moguls (I have improved but I'm
       still pretty bad.  Just not utterly hopeless).  It doesn't work
       that way.  And we have proof with skiing and cycling.  I'm been
       pretty pleased with my cycling in particular (pre eye).  Less
       pleased with skiing skills but I am still pretty decent.  But he
       is better at both by a wide margin and therefore he is unhappy
       with my passion and his ability to share at a level that is
       meaningful to him.
       Mostly what I get out of this is hassled.  Either for my lack of
       passion, my inability to think up something or my lack of
       interest in whatever he suggests.  This is being presented as a
       shared thing so I must participate.  But see above on how well
       this sharing has actually worked - not well at all.
       [/quote]
       No. You do NOT need to make it crystal clear back to him. He
       doesn't want to hear it. He has made this clear and at this
       point, you are the person resisting that. Which is not helping
       you.
       Your responsibility is for making the attempt. NOT for how he
       receives it. How he receives it is out of your control.
       What is within your control: Having attempted to explain,
       stopping at No. I am not doing this. And sticking to it.
       If you have already said your no, and attempted to explain, then
       your taking on the "job" of finding a way to make it crystal
       clear to him is just another version of you putting in more work
       than he is willing to do. Stop putting in the extra work. It's
       not yours, and it will never succeed as long as he is unwilling
       to put in his end.
       We all make little adjustments and put in a little extra for
       those we love and care about because nothing is ever perfect.
       But in return, we expect cooperation, appreciation, and their
       doing the same for us on the things we are a little boneheaded
       about ourselves.
       But not when "a little extra" isn't useful in getting a result.
       And it's not getting a result because it seems that he doesn't
       want to hear anything that contradicts his view of what should
       be or could be.
       Which limits your responsibility to the thing you can control.
       Being clear that it's a no. That's all that you can do if he's
       not receptive to any other POV.
       Figuring out why it's a No, is mostly for your OWN benefit, to
       help you keep in mind why it's a no in the face of his pressure
       and desire for it to be a Yes.
       #Post#: 171068--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Sharing Hobbies with loved ones
       By: billieryder Date: March 10, 2023, 1:13 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [quote author=acl-ny link=topic=1790.msg171058#msg171058
       date=1678474356]
       [quote author=billieryder link=topic=1790.msg171054#msg171054
       date=1678473890]
       [quote author=Sahmtoo link=topic=1790.msg171044#msg171044
       date=1678470944]
       [quote author=billieryder link=topic=1790.msg170861#msg170861
       date=1678416798]
       But yeah.... It has been made crystal clear to me that he
       can't/won't pick the hobby because he has no interests therefore
       he wants me to be sufficiently passionate about something he can
       join in on and share.
       [/quote]
       It's just not reasonable for him to expect someone else to
       provide this level of energy to get him excited about doing
       something. You can't be his external motivation, even if you
       were inclined to be as obsessive as he is asking you to be. My
       guess is that he's depressed or something, and he's hatched this
       plan for how you could solve his lack of passion because it's a
       way for him to dodge his own responsibility for his life.
       What do you get out of this?
       [/quote]
       This is what I need to make crystal clear back to him.  I've
       told him that I can't make him happy by taking a moguls clinic
       for example to become better at moguls (I have improved but I'm
       still pretty bad.  Just not utterly hopeless).  It doesn't work
       that way.  And we have proof with skiing and cycling.  I'm been
       pretty pleased with my cycling in particular (pre eye).  Less
       pleased with skiing skills but I am still pretty decent.  But he
       is better at both by a wide margin and therefore he is unhappy
       with my passion and his ability to share at a level that is
       meaningful to him.
       Mostly what I get out of this is hassled.  Either for my lack of
       passion, my inability to think up something or my lack of
       interest in whatever he suggests.  This is being presented as a
       shared thing so I must participate.  But see above on how well
       this sharing has actually worked - not well at all.
       [/quote]
       So what are you going to do about it?
       [/quote]
       I have a counselling session on Tuesday to try and figure out
       how to make the above clear to him.  I want out of the "I must
       take on making shared hobby meaningful to him" role.  He makes
       it meaningful to himself.
       #Post#: 171070--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Sharing Hobbies with loved ones
       By: Queenie Date: March 10, 2023, 1:14 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [quote author=billieryder link=topic=1790.msg171068#msg171068
       date=1678475584]
       [quote author=acl-ny link=topic=1790.msg171058#msg171058
       date=1678474356]
       [quote author=billieryder link=topic=1790.msg171054#msg171054
       date=1678473890]
       [quote author=Sahmtoo link=topic=1790.msg171044#msg171044
       date=1678470944]
       [quote author=billieryder link=topic=1790.msg170861#msg170861
       date=1678416798]
       But yeah.... It has been made crystal clear to me that he
       can't/won't pick the hobby because he has no interests therefore
       he wants me to be sufficiently passionate about something he can
       join in on and share.
       [/quote]
       It's just not reasonable for him to expect someone else to
       provide this level of energy to get him excited about doing
       something. You can't be his external motivation, even if you
       were inclined to be as obsessive as he is asking you to be. My
       guess is that he's depressed or something, and he's hatched this
       plan for how you could solve his lack of passion because it's a
       way for him to dodge his own responsibility for his life.
       What do you get out of this?
       [/quote]
       This is what I need to make crystal clear back to him.  I've
       told him that I can't make him happy by taking a moguls clinic
       for example to become better at moguls (I have improved but I'm
       still pretty bad.  Just not utterly hopeless).  It doesn't work
       that way.  And we have proof with skiing and cycling.  I'm been
       pretty pleased with my cycling in particular (pre eye).  Less
       pleased with skiing skills but I am still pretty decent.  But he
       is better at both by a wide margin and therefore he is unhappy
       with my passion and his ability to share at a level that is
       meaningful to him.
       Mostly what I get out of this is hassled.  Either for my lack of
       passion, my inability to think up something or my lack of
       interest in whatever he suggests.  This is being presented as a
       shared thing so I must participate.  But see above on how well
       this sharing has actually worked - not well at all.
       [/quote]
       So what are you going to do about it?
       [/quote]
       I have a counselling session on Tuesday to try and figure out
       how to make the above clear to him.  I want out of the "I must
       take on making shared hobby meaningful to him" role.  He makes
       it meaningful to himself.
       [/quote]
       I submit that it is not incumbent upon you to do any such thing.
       Long and wordy hasn't worked.  Try short and sweet:  I like
       needlework.  I can do this even with my eye issues.  Feel free
       to join me!
       #Post#: 171071--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Sharing Hobbies with loved ones
       By: GingerJ1 Date: March 10, 2023, 1:15 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [quote author=billieryder link=topic=1790.msg171068#msg171068
       date=1678475584]
       [quote author=acl-ny link=topic=1790.msg171058#msg171058
       date=1678474356]
       [quote author=billieryder link=topic=1790.msg171054#msg171054
       date=1678473890]
       [quote author=Sahmtoo link=topic=1790.msg171044#msg171044
       date=1678470944]
       [quote author=billieryder link=topic=1790.msg170861#msg170861
       date=1678416798]
       But yeah.... It has been made crystal clear to me that he
       can't/won't pick the hobby because he has no interests therefore
       he wants me to be sufficiently passionate about something he can
       join in on and share.
       [/quote]
       It's just not reasonable for him to expect someone else to
       provide this level of energy to get him excited about doing
       something. You can't be his external motivation, even if you
       were inclined to be as obsessive as he is asking you to be. My
       guess is that he's depressed or something, and he's hatched this
       plan for how you could solve his lack of passion because it's a
       way for him to dodge his own responsibility for his life.
       What do you get out of this?
       [/quote]
       This is what I need to make crystal clear back to him.  I've
       told him that I can't make him happy by taking a moguls clinic
       for example to become better at moguls (I have improved but I'm
       still pretty bad.  Just not utterly hopeless).  It doesn't work
       that way.  And we have proof with skiing and cycling.  I'm been
       pretty pleased with my cycling in particular (pre eye).  Less
       pleased with skiing skills but I am still pretty decent.  But he
       is better at both by a wide margin and therefore he is unhappy
       with my passion and his ability to share at a level that is
       meaningful to him.
       Mostly what I get out of this is hassled.  Either for my lack of
       passion, my inability to think up something or my lack of
       interest in whatever he suggests.  This is being presented as a
       shared thing so I must participate.  But see above on how well
       this sharing has actually worked - not well at all.
       [/quote]
       So what are you going to do about it?
       [/quote]
       I have a counselling session on Tuesday to try and figure out
       how to make the above clear to him.  I want out of the "I must
       take on making shared hobby meaningful to him" role.  He makes
       it meaningful to himself.
       [/quote]
       Please read my answer above. You can't make it clear to him,
       because he's not listening.
       If your counselor is not helping you figure out how to say NO
       (and to get rid of him), you need to find a new counselor.
       #Post#: 171073--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Sharing Hobbies with loved ones
       By: acl-ny Date: March 10, 2023, 1:21 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [quote author=billieryder link=topic=1790.msg171068#msg171068
       date=1678475584]
       [quote author=acl-ny link=topic=1790.msg171058#msg171058
       date=1678474356]
       [quote author=billieryder link=topic=1790.msg171054#msg171054
       date=1678473890]
       [quote author=Sahmtoo link=topic=1790.msg171044#msg171044
       date=1678470944]
       [quote author=billieryder link=topic=1790.msg170861#msg170861
       date=1678416798]
       But yeah.... It has been made crystal clear to me that he
       can't/won't pick the hobby because he has no interests therefore
       he wants me to be sufficiently passionate about something he can
       join in on and share.
       [/quote]
       It's just not reasonable for him to expect someone else to
       provide this level of energy to get him excited about doing
       something. You can't be his external motivation, even if you
       were inclined to be as obsessive as he is asking you to be. My
       guess is that he's depressed or something, and he's hatched this
       plan for how you could solve his lack of passion because it's a
       way for him to dodge his own responsibility for his life.
       What do you get out of this?
       [/quote]
       This is what I need to make crystal clear back to him.  I've
       told him that I can't make him happy by taking a moguls clinic
       for example to become better at moguls (I have improved but I'm
       still pretty bad.  Just not utterly hopeless).  It doesn't work
       that way.  And we have proof with skiing and cycling.  I'm been
       pretty pleased with my cycling in particular (pre eye).  Less
       pleased with skiing skills but I am still pretty decent.  But he
       is better at both by a wide margin and therefore he is unhappy
       with my passion and his ability to share at a level that is
       meaningful to him.
       Mostly what I get out of this is hassled.  Either for my lack of
       passion, my inability to think up something or my lack of
       interest in whatever he suggests.  This is being presented as a
       shared thing so I must participate.  But see above on how well
       this sharing has actually worked - not well at all.
       [/quote]
       So what are you going to do about it?
       [/quote]
       I have a counselling session on Tuesday to try and figure out
       how to make the above clear to him.  I want out of the "I must
       take on making shared hobby meaningful to him" role.  He makes
       it meaningful to himself.
       [/quote]
       I'm so glad to hear you're going to counseling.  But as Ani
       said, the focus of the counseling needs to be on you, not on how
       to make things clear to him. Because nothing you do will
       accomplish that goal. You can't make him do or see anything. Let
       the counseling be on how to stop allowing him make you do stuff.
       #Post#: 171092--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Sharing Hobbies with loved ones
       By: billieryder Date: March 10, 2023, 1:50 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [quote author=acl-ny link=topic=1790.msg171073#msg171073
       date=1678476103]
       [quote author=billieryder link=topic=1790.msg171068#msg171068
       date=1678475584]
       [quote author=acl-ny link=topic=1790.msg171058#msg171058
       date=1678474356]
       [quote author=billieryder link=topic=1790.msg171054#msg171054
       date=1678473890]
       [quote author=Sahmtoo link=topic=1790.msg171044#msg171044
       date=1678470944]
       [quote author=billieryder link=topic=1790.msg170861#msg170861
       date=1678416798]
       But yeah.... It has been made crystal clear to me that he
       can't/won't pick the hobby because he has no interests therefore
       he wants me to be sufficiently passionate about something he can
       join in on and share.
       [/quote]
       It's just not reasonable for him to expect someone else to
       provide this level of energy to get him excited about doing
       something. You can't be his external motivation, even if you
       were inclined to be as obsessive as he is asking you to be. My
       guess is that he's depressed or something, and he's hatched this
       plan for how you could solve his lack of passion because it's a
       way for him to dodge his own responsibility for his life.
       What do you get out of this?
       [/quote]
       This is what I need to make crystal clear back to him.  I've
       told him that I can't make him happy by taking a moguls clinic
       for example to become better at moguls (I have improved but I'm
       still pretty bad.  Just not utterly hopeless).  It doesn't work
       that way.  And we have proof with skiing and cycling.  I'm been
       pretty pleased with my cycling in particular (pre eye).  Less
       pleased with skiing skills but I am still pretty decent.  But he
       is better at both by a wide margin and therefore he is unhappy
       with my passion and his ability to share at a level that is
       meaningful to him.
       Mostly what I get out of this is hassled.  Either for my lack of
       passion, my inability to think up something or my lack of
       interest in whatever he suggests.  This is being presented as a
       shared thing so I must participate.  But see above on how well
       this sharing has actually worked - not well at all.
       [/quote]
       So what are you going to do about it?
       [/quote]
       I have a counselling session on Tuesday to try and figure out
       how to make the above clear to him.  I want out of the "I must
       take on making shared hobby meaningful to him" role.  He makes
       it meaningful to himself.
       [/quote]
       I'm so glad to hear you're going to counseling.  But as Ani
       said, the focus of the counseling needs to be on you, not on how
       to make things clear to him. Because nothing you do will
       accomplish that goal. You can't make him do or see anything. Let
       the counseling be on how to stop allowing him make you do stuff.
       [/quote]
       You are in luck.  The latest disagreement has been about me NOT
       doing it and declaring an impasse.  The most I would commit to
       was thinking about the problem.  But now that I've seen what
       others have said.  Thinking about it will return me to "This is
       an impasse.  I can't solve this problem for you."
       But I also want to stop these discussions.  That is just
       pressure regarding hobbies in another form.
       #Post#: 171096--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Sharing Hobbies with loved ones
       By: animaniactoo Date: March 10, 2023, 2:00 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [quote author=billieryder link=topic=1790.msg171092#msg171092
       date=1678477801]
       [quote author=acl-ny link=topic=1790.msg171073#msg171073
       date=1678476103]
       [quote author=billieryder link=topic=1790.msg171068#msg171068
       date=1678475584]
       [quote author=acl-ny link=topic=1790.msg171058#msg171058
       date=1678474356]
       [quote author=billieryder link=topic=1790.msg171054#msg171054
       date=1678473890]
       [quote author=Sahmtoo link=topic=1790.msg171044#msg171044
       date=1678470944]
       [quote author=billieryder link=topic=1790.msg170861#msg170861
       date=1678416798]
       But yeah.... It has been made crystal clear to me that he
       can't/won't pick the hobby because he has no interests therefore
       he wants me to be sufficiently passionate about something he can
       join in on and share.
       [/quote]
       It's just not reasonable for him to expect someone else to
       provide this level of energy to get him excited about doing
       something. You can't be his external motivation, even if you
       were inclined to be as obsessive as he is asking you to be. My
       guess is that he's depressed or something, and he's hatched this
       plan for how you could solve his lack of passion because it's a
       way for him to dodge his own responsibility for his life.
       What do you get out of this?
       [/quote]
       This is what I need to make crystal clear back to him.  I've
       told him that I can't make him happy by taking a moguls clinic
       for example to become better at moguls (I have improved but I'm
       still pretty bad.  Just not utterly hopeless).  It doesn't work
       that way.  And we have proof with skiing and cycling.  I'm been
       pretty pleased with my cycling in particular (pre eye).  Less
       pleased with skiing skills but I am still pretty decent.  But he
       is better at both by a wide margin and therefore he is unhappy
       with my passion and his ability to share at a level that is
       meaningful to him.
       Mostly what I get out of this is hassled.  Either for my lack of
       passion, my inability to think up something or my lack of
       interest in whatever he suggests.  This is being presented as a
       shared thing so I must participate.  But see above on how well
       this sharing has actually worked - not well at all.
       [/quote]
       So what are you going to do about it?
       [/quote]
       I have a counselling session on Tuesday to try and figure out
       how to make the above clear to him.  I want out of the "I must
       take on making shared hobby meaningful to him" role.  He makes
       it meaningful to himself.
       [/quote]
       I'm so glad to hear you're going to counseling.  But as Ani
       said, the focus of the counseling needs to be on you, not on how
       to make things clear to him. Because nothing you do will
       accomplish that goal. You can't make him do or see anything. Let
       the counseling be on how to stop allowing him make you do stuff.
       [/quote]
       You are in luck.  The latest disagreement has been about me NOT
       doing it and declaring an impasse.  The most I would commit to
       was thinking about the problem.  But now that I've seen what
       others have said.  Thinking about it will return me to "This is
       an impasse.  I can't solve this problem for you."
       But I also want to stop these discussions.  That is just
       pressure regarding hobbies in another form.
       [/quote]
       I ask you this from all my years of therapy:
       If you can't stop him from trying to start the discussions, what
       CAN you do? What is within your control that needs no assent or
       cooperation from him?
       #Post#: 171100--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Sharing Hobbies with loved ones
       By: TwoASAPsAgo Date: March 10, 2023, 2:04 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [quote author=billieryder link=topic=1790.msg171092#msg171092
       date=1678477801]
       [quote author=acl-ny link=topic=1790.msg171073#msg171073
       date=1678476103]
       I'm so glad to hear you're going to counseling.  But as Ani
       said, the focus of the counseling needs to be on you, not on how
       to make things clear to him. Because nothing you do will
       accomplish that goal. You can't make him do or see anything. Let
       the counseling be on how to stop allowing him make you do stuff.
       [/quote]
       You are in luck.  The latest disagreement has been about me NOT
       doing it and declaring an impasse.  The most I would commit to
       was thinking about the problem.  But now that I've seen what
       others have said.  Thinking about it will return me to "This is
       an impasse.  I can't solve this problem for you."
       But I also want to stop these discussions.  That is just
       pressure regarding hobbies in another form.
       [/quote]
       What might be useful is to have some ready phrases in your back
       pocket for when he tries to start up the discussions.  Off the
       top of my head:
       * We've already talked in circles on this subject and there's
       nothing more to say.
       * We'll have to agree to disagree.
       * Nothing has changed for me since the last time we discussed
       this.
       * I'm not going to get in the way of your pursuing [hobby du
       jour].
       *  I'm going to pass on that (today).
       * Have fun!  I'm doing X and Y today.
       * Non sequitur to change the subject.
       #Post#: 171119--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Sharing Hobbies with loved ones
       By: Queenie Date: March 10, 2023, 2:36 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [quote author=billieryder link=topic=1790.msg171092#msg171092
       date=1678477801]
       But I also want to stop these discussions.  That is just
       pressure regarding hobbies in another form.
       [/quote]
       You are under no obligation to have these discussions just
       because he starts them.  Zero.
       *****************************************************
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