The Importance Of Having A Hobby
Now that I have suddenly reached a ‘mature’ age, it has brought home to me the importance of having a hobby, or at least for my husband to have a diversion! During my more youthful years, I didn’t have time for such an indulgence, or so I thought. I was too busy cooking for the hordes of people who were waiting in anticipation for my fresh bread rolls, beef dishes, freshly picked organic vegetables sustained with nutrient from our very own cattle, (yes, I mean manure!) Or there were cattle to be mustered, yard work to help with, correspondence schooling for our boys, not to mention housework and attending the large garden. If any of our many guests had asked me if I had a hobby, I may have responded in a rather discourteous manner.
Personally, I have never been short of hobbies, just lacking in time to pursue them. Even when I was young, I was too pre-occupied with study and work. However, a broken leg from a horse fall half way through my nursing training allowed me plenty of free time to discover a love of needlework. When I start something, I tend to become obsessive. I had bamboo rings holding patterns, pictures, initials and flowers all needing to be filled in with tiny stitches. I churned them out at a great rate and have no idea whatever became of them! I embroidered tablecloths, towels and facewashers, whatever I could get my hand on. Luckily this was only a three month period of my life!
Now, in my ‘mature’ years, I am enjoying a great variety of interests. Obviously writing is my passion. What a joy to now be able to call it my ‘work.’ There is no guilt. I am paid for this work, which is my pleasure. Gardening comes a close second place, but with my constant visits to Bunnings, I cannot identify this as ‘work.’ It is an expensive hobby but gives me a great deal of pleasure. Reading I feel I can categorise as ‘research’ for my writing, but it does come with a degree of guilt if I happen to be reclining and reading when I should be thinking about a grand repast for dinner for two! (I don’t think so!) You will gather from this that cooking is NOT one of my hobbies! Learning Italian has been a favourite pastime for the past ten years. I can only label this as pure decadence. Who wouldn’t want to learn a language with six wonderful friends, not to mention the delicious lunch, wine and chatter that follows two hours of serious work?
However, there is a downside to my husband’s hobby. He has the pleasure and joy of a workshop where we live. Rick can turn his hand to anything, especially beautiful woodwork. His work ethic and drive to be productive at the end of each day has led him to be expelled from two Men’s Sheds due to his industriousness. He was accused of selling his cheese boards, which is against the rules. He has only ever given them away! ‘No-body has that many friends,’ they said. But he does!
Now that my beloved has his own workshop, he has set about purchasing every manner of machine to make his beautiful cheese boards. This should be good news? He is busy from morning ‘til night, allowing me to follow my hobbies? NO!
These machines make a cacophonic noise, it is driving me nuts! I complained, many times, to no avail. He continued to plough away accompanied by a sound similar to a jet taking off, comfortable and confident with his ear phones on and Spotify blaring
Enough is enough I declared. Following another Bunnings visit, he happily presented me with a set of red earphones. Problem solved as far as Rick is concerned. I’m not so sure.
It IS important to have a hobby. It’s good for the mind and the soul, but I wish he would take up lawn bowls instead! PS. If you would like one of these beauties, email me!
Jenny Old.
Author
‘Innocent Nurses Abroad’
‘Back of Beyond’
