A Hobby For You

A hobby when used in the ‘pastime’ sense was once considered a term,  that was short for “hobby horse” but it is currently considered an action that is undertaken for relaxation or gratification that is typically done during an individual’s spare time.   Hobbies are practiced for interest and satisfaction, rather than monetary compensation.   Examples may include: collecting (as in stamps or coins), designing / drawing, tinkering (such as clock repair), or gameplay (as in chess games or sports).   Each of these listed activities refer to a potential hobby, of which only a few are mentioned.

      

Engaging in a hobby can lead to acquiring ample skill(s), familiarity or knowledge in regard to the activity you choose to develop as a hobby.  Personal fulfillment is the intended goal for the individual(s) performing the activity which may be considered a “hobby”.  Your required “hobby fix” can easily and legally be found in an untold number of hobby stores for typical ‘man toys’ and such, or if you're looking for thinking games, consider the game of chess.  An alternative to these may be to select a good novel from your favorite book store.

On a broad general basis, children and teens “play”; adults on the other hand, develop “hobbies”, but it’s really about the same thing.   There are exceptions; for example 'stamp collecting' may be considered a hobby at any age as well as 'slot car racing'.

Typically, for many of us, hobbies are considered “luxuries”; for as we enter the work force … who has the time?   Really, the majority of our time is utilized trying to “make a living” or finding the time to rest following a hard day at work!  The long and short of it is simple; our hurried life style forestalls the likelihood of a hobby.

So why bother with a hobby in the first place?  Simply put, hobbies have been proven to: enhance your well being; reduce stress; they're  therapeutic in nature; plus hobbies will keep you active in your retirement years.  This (perhaps overlapping list) mentions a few of the known benefits of a hobby; so in other words one might say: if you want to reach retirement age and enjoy it when you get there, find time for a hobby!

In times long past, The Dark Ages  for example, it was a lot harder to finding available hobby time; surely, maintaining the essentials (food, clothing and shelter) required considerably more effort during that era compared to today.     Folks who lived during that time were not apt to have hobbies and should probably be excused for the inaction.    

But then, life expectancy was considerably less in those days as well!    If you're having difficulty in your effort to choose a hobby you’ll enjoy, consider the many options listed on the web-site http://www.discoverahobby.com/ .  I’m sure you will find something there to help ensure that living “happily ever after” is quite possible.

Sources:                                                                          http://www.allabouthistory.org/the-dark-ages.htm  …          http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobby_horse …                                       http://www.discoverahobby.com/  …