Hobbies anyone?

Off the Wall

Dec. 7, 2006

Over the last few months, I realized there was a definite void in my life. Ever since I was in my teens, I have not utilized my spare time properly by having a hobby.

Hey, but in talking to others recently, I found that in the course of conversation, they also expressed the fact that they needed to find one, too.

I guess the question that arises, "Is this more prevalent than most people are aware?"

While I was attending high school, my uncle tried to stimulate my interest by collecting stamps. He saw to it that each month I would receive first day covers of a particular stamp that had rolled off the presses, stuck to an envelope and then stamped with a particular date. I thought it was great fun to see what came via the postman and eagerly looked forward to receiving them. I lost interest when I moved out-of-state to attend college.

I was always told that I should hang on to them, for they would become collectors' items and take on value over the years. Not long ago, I learned via the grapevine that there is no market for them, of consequence, they are just pretty pictures attached to white sheets of paper and dated.

Collecting coins have become a favorite past time for some people. I know this, because when I go to the bank to get rolls of change for the store, there are always people's names on the wrappers.

One fellow, who used to frequent my store, would stop in at St. Vincent de Paul weekly and purchase a puzzle. He then would spend his spare time fitting the pieces together. That was his hobby.

There are a number of ideas that crossed my mind that could become my hobbies (and others as well) if the proper energy would be applied. The following are listed in no particular order:
1 Doing my laundry every other day, rather than once a week.
2 Ironing my clothes if they look wrinkly.
3 Pressing and folding certain clothing before putting them in dresser drawers.
4 Growing plants in my home (the legal ones ­ of course, few of anyone visits my home anyway, so how would it be known that I cultivated the illegal vegetation?).
5 Make cloth doilies (maybe, but somehow that doesn't sound like something I would find appealing).
6 Construct rockets that actually can be fired. Sure, I can see it now. I spend hours putting the thing together, investing all kinds of money. The day comes I launch the thing only to watch it soar out of sight only to never see it again. Sounds like great fun.
7 Make a family tree. Everyone has relatives they love to brag about, good or bad, love or hate. Of course, once it's complete, unless other members are on the way, once complete, it's time to find another hobby.
8 Learn to cook. ­ Should learn from someone else, otherwise you'll end up like me, eating the same thing day after day ­ yuk!
9 Repairing items that can be utilized by others. I know of two women whom have done this for charitable reasons, one retrieving discarded material and making purses out of it (not my bag!!!), and the other, collecting used dolls and restoring them to be given to Indian reservations.
10 Learn to sew. Maybe people may needle you about it, but persons such as me will quickly come to understand the ins and outs of patching and repairing shirts and pants that have appearances that they should be tossed out (we guys aren't too happy about doing things like that!).

With the season of giving just around the corner, this would be a good time to share one's hobbies with another. It really takes very little effort to promote ideas about which we are excited to others especially when they are searching for things to do.

One man told me that he has heard of several retirees, who after they have left stressful jobs, go from one extreme to another ­ being very busy to not doing anything.

Love a hobby? Tell someone about it. It just may be a blessing in disguise.

Paul j. volkmann'

10/21/06

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