What’s In A Hobby?

Though, in fact, maybe I should title this what is a hobby. What is it? Anything you do in your free time? Anything you do for nothing much more than enjoyment? As is the next best step, let’s consult the dictionary: “an activity done regularly in one's leisure time for pleasure.” Okay…

To move on for a second, why am I talking about this? Well, for some reason, my roommate and I have more than once pondered out loud if we truly have any hobbies. We see hundreds of people making custom knitted mittens or watercolor painted mugs on Etsy and wonder, since we are not those people, if we have hobbies at all. These modern artisans have mastered the true nature of the hobby, and we are left wondering if all the avenues of individual pleasure have been claimed.

What do I do in my free time? I watch Netflix, of course (I’m only human, after all). I read. A lot. I do the NYT crossword puzzle. I write these blog posts. I go for reluctant runs. I play soccer. These must be my hobbies then. No, I cannot monetize them on Etsy, but that does not make them any less valid and formative for my sense of self.

I think it’s extraordinarily important to identify what these activities are for you, especially as an adult. The fact that I remain playing soccer on a social team, beyond college, is a huge accomplishment, because it’s not a given. You are not sent an email about the Adult Activities Fair being held in Bryant Park: “Come, put your email on the list!”

Much like friendships, hobbies take true work to maintain as you get older and more distant from the guiding forces of grade school, college campuses, or your parents. You want to continue to do the things that stimulate you, make you happy, but also offer an alternative to your 9 to 5.

Even something that requires extreme attention or concentration can be an escape. Something can keep you distracted and also leave you feeling anything but. It’s an interesting concept that we, as humans, can elect to take our time to do something that contributes nothing to our careers, almost nothing to monetary gain, nothing to our relationships with others, and yet still leaves us feeling fulfilled.

And of course, the options are endless. We’re talking extreme paradox of choice to the point that hobbies can be of personal invention. Perhaps you would really enjoy and excel at competitive chess. They say that college is the one time you will be able to try things out that you never have before, but that is not true. A Google search for “nyc competitive chess league” turns up nearly one million results. Just because we have made the transition from college student to full-fledged working adult does not mean that the doors have closed. In fact, with greater personal freedom, a salary, and a credit card, I can do whatever I damn well please.

One door closes and another opens. This is not the end of the book; it’s the beginning of a new chapter. Whatever adage you want. The point is, becoming an adult does not mean falling into a rut. It can mean finding routine, yes, but that routine will only be healthy with a sprinkling of hobbies. Find out what makes you happy, what fills those crevices in the day between work and working out. It may be something you’ve done your whole life or something you’ve merely thought of trying out.

And don’t despair if your hobby is “lame” or commonplace. Jigsaw puzzles are awesome, man. No shame in liking them just because the rest of the world does too or because they are not groundbreaking. For another adage, you know yourself better than anyone else does.

I am about to do the NYT Tuesday mini puzzle, followed by the main puzzle. I do this every day. It’s my routine. It’s my hobby. It’s an identifier and something that jives with my mind in a way that other things do not and in a way that would not jive with my roommate’s. My ultimate point? For my foreign language hobbyists out there: c’est la vie, ja?