This First Person column is written by Julia Zarankin who lives in Toronto. For more information about CBC’s First Person stories, please see the FAQ.
By my early 40s, I had exhausted all the hobbies that were supposed to make me feel better about entering middle age. I had taken an improv class, started learning a new language, launched myself into an unsuccessful pursuit of a craft only to amass a collection of unevenly stitched handmade books and given yoga a second chance. I’d even bought a recliner to help alleviate the malaise.
And then, at the height of my low-grade
