What's your hobby?

What do you do for fun?

Published on July 28, 2004 By dharmagrl In Misc

I'm reading 'Simple Abundance' and todays thought was about hobbies.

I used to have an abundance of hobbies. I used to sketch, knit, crochet, sew....target shoot, fish, swim, practice yoga...

...and somewhere down the line I ran out of time and energy. I can't quite pinpoint where it was, but I simply stopped doing all of those things. I didn't have the time, or the energy, to do my hobbies anymore. When someone asked me what I did for fun, I'd have to stop and think about it...and then would usually only be able to come up with "umm...watch TV?" as a response.

Recently, I've tried to make a point of making time for myself to practice my hobbies. I'll turn the TV off or go outside to read instead...or if I am watching TV I'll pick up my needles and knit. I'm trying, in this ever-frantic world, to make time for myself, to give myself permission to do that which I enjoy.

My question to you is this: what are your hobbies? How do you make time them? If you don't have one...well, why don't you have one? And if you could choose anything as a hobby, what would it be?

I'm looking forward to seeing your responses. It's going to be interesting to see how JoeUsers spend their downtime.

Comments (Page 1)

crimson

on Jul 28, 2004

Joeuser falls into the category of my hobby, as I love writing and reading, pretty much everything and anything. I also like playing basketball, swimming, and kickboxing. I like to draw as well, although I am a pretty shite artist. Does going out for pints after work count as a hobby? I would love to learn how to sew, knit, or crochet, but have really never gotten around to it. I play the saxaphone but desperately want to learn how to play the guitar. Again, I haven't gotten around to purchasing one yet.

I've got aspirations, but not much motivation, because I am just as content to amuse myself by watching old movies, late into the night, as to do anything else. For me it's not about giving permission, but kicking my own ass into gear!
Nic.
oh yeah, check your email.

Lengirl

on Jul 28, 2004

My biggest hobby would have to be writing..so I suppose my participating on JoeUser helps with that one. I also do a lot of cooking...I'm lucky enough to work from home so I can put a lot of time to that. Reading would be another one, this gets fullilled most nights just before dropping off to sleep...

My partner and I both love to go for walks around the area, I'm a (learning) historian so we head out and check out local ruins etc on the weekend. That's the biggest thing is making the time, even if it's only a few minutes a day or an hour a week, it's important to indulge yourself in something you really enjoy doing.

I would love to learn to knit, I can't think of anything more fun than putting on a scarf on a winter day and thinking.." I made this!" but it never seems to go very well for me..

Hope this is vaguely what you were looking for...nice to meet you.

dharmagrl

on Jul 28, 2004

Nic: I got it thanks....and I sent you one back. Let the letter writing begin!

Lengirl: Nice to meet you too! Your response was exactly what I was looking for. Where do you live that you have ruins close to you? I used to live in England and loved going day tripping to local ruins, museums etc. I knit, and I can tell you from experience it's very satisfying to be able to wear something you've created on your own. I just finished a poncho, all I have to do is sew it together and make the fringe and then I'll be able to sport that around!

I should have included writing in my list of hobbies...blogging is really just an extension of that.

It seems that so far people really are making time for the things they enjoy. I like that.

AwfullyEmo

on Jul 28, 2004

I raise Hermit crabs, obviously... And I am into the local music scene here. I think that is a lot more than a hobby for me, though, its sort of more of a passion. The music business is the thing I want most to be involved in. I want to be a tour manager for a band, I want to be on the road 10 months out of the year. I want to live in a van with people who haven't showered in 4 days. Scary that I can say that so assuredly. I want to prove myself and prove to the msic business that women can do it to. I want to prove that we aren't all groupies. I want to earn our place.

Like I said.. little more than a hobby.. BUT...

I do freelance tasks for bands such as press kits and one sheets and merch set ups.. thats a hobby I guess.

I used to write a lot but lately I haven't had a lot to say. I write very well when I am depressed and heart broken, and "unfortunately" I'm not quite there lately.

Jay Walker

on Jul 28, 2004

My hobby is learning.

In the 1980s I learned about herbal remedies and became reasonably adept at using them for our family. In the later 1980s, I studied ecology. I personally wrote to every Canadian MP, and included a 12 page booklet I'd written about that, encapsulating our pressing environmental problems. I have personally signed letters from the two prime ministers, and several cabinet ministers, thanking me for my efforts. I also studied diet at this time, and became a vegetarian - although that phase is over for now.

In the early 1990s, I wrote a large unpublished personal manuscript, musings on my family, poetry and children.

In the later 1990s, I put my valuation background to work, became self-educated about stocks and corporate value, and wrote a stock-market newsletter, which I published for two years. This later grew into a book, published at a now defunct internet book-store. It teaches how to find and measure corporate value and compare that value to the stock market price. It also shows key measurement ratios to see how well corporate management is putting its profits to use. It was aimed at the layman. (BTW, it's available as a PDF file for JoeUser people - just send me an email at remarkablesuccess@hotmail.com - and I will send it to you free).

Lately, I been learning about and benchmarking various learning disability systems.

I remain curious about the world, and fill my time through learning about various aspects of it.

JW

CS Guy

on Jul 28, 2004

My hobbies include saving the world, battling super villains, and wooing the ladies. Oh, and resisting the urges of my darker side, thus preventing my descent to the sourge of all Earth.

Lengirl

on Jul 28, 2004

Thanks dharmagrl,

I live near Glasgow and have access to a few local sites...I love all aspects of history...though my passion is ancient history so the UK really lets you get a glimps into that. I tried my hand at a couple of hats..they turned out not to bad, however then the scarf came and I don't know how I did it, but the end I started at was a completely different width than the end I finished at. Oh well I suppose practise makes perfect. Good Luck with the poncho...how long did it take?

citahellion

on Jul 28, 2004

I'm going to guess that the disappearance of your free time coincided with the arrival of your kids.

I know I certainly don't have as much free time as I used to, and I've only got the one, and she's only 7 1/2 months old.

Anyway, I read, take my woman to new restaurants, play Ultimate Frisbee, frisbee golf, and table tennis, and I watch tennis and cartoons and play computer games.

Locamama

on Jul 28, 2004

I scrapbook and rubber stamp. It's fun and one of the things I like about it is that you don't have to have lots of time to finish a project. You can find an hour here or there or if you have kids that will leave your stuff alone you can find 5 minutes here and ten minutes there. Of course, now I am making money from my hobbies. I sell rubber stamps as a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, I teach classes at the local scrapbook store and I have been published in four different idea books and one magazine. I am glad to make some money doing something I enjoy but sometimes I feel like I never get to scrap or stamp just for fun, it's more about working on a submission, preparing for a workshop, preparing for a class, etc. Every now and then I have to take a step back and say today I am only going to work on stuff for me.

I also read and blog and talk on the phone. Does that count as a hobby? I also like to sing. I'm not saying that I'm a good singer I'm just saying I like to sing. I should join the choir I suppose. I annoy my boys with my singing. Do you have to sing mom? I threaten to go to their school and sing at their school assemblies. I told my husband I was going to sing at his re-enlistment - Proud to be an American but I wimped out. Maybe that's a good thing. I probably would have embarrased him.

I would really like to find a more active hobby. I have too many sit on your butt hobbies. I need a get up off of your butt hobby. I have always been an outdoor nature type girl. I would love to be able to go hiking or canoeing. My goal is to go to a BOW workshop next year. I wanted to go this year but it didn't happen.

DylanZimmerman

on Jul 28, 2004

It's more of a passion than a hobby, but I guess mine would be playing and writing music. And JU, of course. I usually have time during the day since I work evenings.

I used to practise yoga myself too, but I just ran out of time I guess.

Glad you found more time for your hobbies, Dharma. Good article

Dyl xx

xtine

on Jul 28, 2004

My goal is to go to a BOW workshop next year.

Oh, I did that! It was a gift to myself when I got my associates degree. It was fantastic. I went all by myself scared out of my mind, but I had a great time in the end and learned a lot.

My hobbies are gadgets & computers, books, carpentry/remodeling, canoeing, beads, and learning (like JW).

Great Blog Idea! I may have to pirate it and write an article of my own about my passions. Thanks!

AwfullyEmo

on Jul 28, 2004

Wow, I knew I was forgetting something huge... I scrapbook like a mad woman with Janders, Jillie Bean, and a bunch of other people. And I take a lot of pictures because of it...

dharmagrl

on Jul 28, 2004

Wow!

Us Joe Users are a busy lot on our 'spare' time!

Jay Walker: My husband and I both say that if we ever win the lottery or come into a substantial amount of money we're both going to become professional students. We're going to take whatever classes we want to, and not worry about earning a degree at the end of it all. If something interests us, we'll take a class.

CS Guy: Good to know we have a resident super hero. Can I have your number in case of catastrophe?

Citahellion: Yes, you're exactly right. My 'spare' time disappearing coincided with the appearance of my babies! I'm probably going to sound really dumb here, but what's frisbee golf? My head is spinning imagining how in the blue heck you play that!

Locamama: I have made a few attempts at scrapbooking, and have failed miserably. Perhaps when we write to each other you can give me a few ideas on where and how to start?! I like outdoor hobbies as well. We fish a fair bit, and used to target shoot all the time. Anything that we can do outside as a family is great (yes, my kids shot with us). I think that when they get older I'd like to give orienteering a shot....and Dave has set his sights on purchasing a kayak when we get settled at our next base.

Dyl: I'm glad to see you here! I used to do yoga religiously...that's something I need to get back into doing. I know what you mean about no spare time because you work at night...when I was working security at night I never seemed to have any time to do naything with either. I was either working, sleeping, getting ready to go to work or getting ready to go to bed. Insanity, really....I used to play guitar as well. I taught myself for the most part and I wasn't very good...so I sold my Fender to my neighbor. I wish I hadn't sometimes, even though I wasn't the greatest player it was still nice to pick it up and strum. Oh well, perhaps when we get settled at our next base I'll get another one.

X-tine: wow, you canoe? Cool! My husband wants to teach me how to...our son learned how when he was at camp this summer, and he loved it. What kind of beads, and do you make things with them?

Btw...what's a BOW workshop? *feels really dumb for having to ask*...

CS Guy

on Jul 28, 2004

Can I have your number in case of catastrophe?

Oh sure. I give it to you, you give it to your friends, they give it to others. Eventually I've got everyone calling me up to save their damn cat from a tree! Let's not forget my third hobby. If I'm too busy with the others then I'll have no time for what is really important.

citahellion

on Jul 28, 2004

Apparently it stands for "Becoming an Outdoor Woman"; it's a national program of some sort. see: this website here.

Frisbee golf is similar to regular ("ball") golf in that you are attempting to get a frisbee into a "hole". In this case, the target (generally called the "pin") is actually a metal basket about 2 feet across, and about 2 feet off the ground. It also has a set of chains hanging over it to help trap the disk. Frisbee golf holes are measured in feet instead of yards. You throw the disc from the tee, and try to get it into the pin in as few throws as possible.
There are over 50 disc golf courses in Minnesota alone (though it has one of the highest concentrations of any state), most courses cost nothing to play, the equipment you need will set you back maybe $20, and you can play an 18-hole course in 90 minutes. Or nine holes over your lunch break.
Of course if you're like me you end up spending almost $200 trying out new discs every once in a while. But that's my TOTAL outlay, having played for about 15 years. Lots of golfers drop that much or more on a single club. Let me see if I can draw a picture of the pin for you...
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