National Hobby Month: What’s Your Hobby?

I saw the sign below a few weeks ago when I waited for the girl to wrap up her cake decorating class – her Christmas present from the boy.  How cool is that, huh?  I thought about how fitting it was that he enrolled her in this class during January – National Hobby Month.  I also wrote some future stories in my mind about how much money the boy will save one day when he asks his sister to make his wedding cake.  Not a bad move!

I love that the sign encourages us to “help the kids find a new hobby,” but it made me a think a little bit about my own hobbies and if I even have one.  It also made me think about the way I view the hobbies of others.  In fact, I realized that the idea of something “just for fun” or that purely brings me joy sort of escapes me.

What do I like to do?

I like to write – obviously.  I think at this point in my life it might be a hobby.  When it crosses over into something a bit more lucrative, it will no longer be a hobby.  For now, as it does not have any cash value assigned to it, it is a hobby.

I like to learn.  This is an area that I need to explore a bit more this year.  In the past few years, I have learned for the sake of broadening my understanding of things related to my career and its advancement.  The last time I took a class for the sake of enjoying it and simply learning was 2002…and even then the credits eventually did go toward my master’s degree.  So…that is something to consider this year.  What would I like to learn?

Latin.  Definitely Latin.

I like to walk and listen to music.  I have put these two “hobbies” to good use over the past couple of weeks and have been happy with the results.  I woke up a few days again and realized that I felt pain in places that I did not know could have pain.  This is a good sign.  But is this a hobby?

I am somewhat miffed by this concept.  What do other people think?  What are your hobbies?  Why do you do them?  What is it about them that draws you to them?