Hobbies. Something you do, right? I’ve always struggled to list my hobbies. Reading (quiet, solo, lonely – is it an activity?). Shopping (greedy, shallow). Then the list ends. To be honest, I don’t know what a hobby is. Collecting things? Traveling? Visiting microbreweries? Playing chess? I’d call those hobbies, but how are those interests more easily labeled than mine? Surely my interests are interesting enough to share.
I don’t know that I’d call anything I enjoy a hobby, and I think that’s always been my problem. I have things I love doing, things I’d rather do more than any number of things when I can choose. I have passions, not hobbies.
I love to laugh so hard I need to cross my legs and pray. I love to tickle my babies and make my husband smile. I love reading a great book and discovering a piece of me that was always there but never quite understood or falling into pages that take me somewhere I never knew I needed to be. I love feeding my loved ones food that makes them smack their lips and hope for more.
Maybe I’ve never properly understood or appreciated the word. People who list playing chess as a hobby surely find passion in that. Or maybe it’s the hobby list that forms request. Ticking off a short list of key words seems to rob the things you love of what makes them special. Whose bright idea was it to try boxing up such wild, unique, dynamic pieces of a person? I think it must have been a person who loves math and hates words because surely I’m not the only reader/writer/daydreamer type to (mentally) smack down my hand and shout, “YOU CAN’T LABEL MY PASSION!”
Or maybe I am.
I collect hobbies. I’m not even sure that they are hobbies because of how quickly I pick them up and then move on…. Like scrapbooking, which I used to do passionately until I found online/digital photobooks. Yoga was another one of those “I must own 6 yoga pants” hobbies, only to discard the physical act a year later. At least I can still wear my yoga pants happily, any time. I think photography is the only thing I’ve stuck with…that and adopting animals. I seem to find plenty of room for animals.
But are any of those hobbies? and do they define me? I hear ya.
My hobbies can’t be called my hobbies because I barely have time to do them all these days. Especially after having my baby who is 18 months. BTW my hobbies are doing handicraft, reading, blogging and photography.
I had this same crisis a few months ago. I was filling out an application to become a volunteer babywearing educator and it asked for my hobbies/skills/interests. My first answer was, “are you kidding? I’m a toddler mom! I don’t have time for any of those things!” But then I started writing and before I knew it I had a whole paragraph that I felt perfectly described my passions and interests outside of being a my daughter’s mom. Seeing it written down even inspired me to work at reincorporating some of those things back into my life.
I have gone through this many times. I would say traveling is my hobby but it happens so rarely anymore. Because even when you take out the expense of flights there are hotels and food and possibly car rental and of course doing things… Stupid money.
I guess maybe you could say watching movies is a hobby? Especially since I’m working my way through a lot of classics and such. Still feels pretty lame though.