Reading, cleaning the house, biking, going fishing, watching television, playing cards, and renting movies—all of these are on the top fifty list of America’s favorite hobbies. What’s your most favorite hobby? Surprisingly, going fishing is ranked in at number five, losing to watching television by only a few points. Obviously, more adults voted on the poll than teenagers, or “listening to my iPod Nano while ignoring my parents” would definitely be higher on the list, along with “ignoring my siblings” and “not taking out the trash.”
Hobbies are an important part of America and they take up most of our free time. If we had a choice, we’d be working at the ideal job, where it wouldn’t be work, it’d be a hobby. Unfortunately, for America, life isn’t just like that. There are businesses devoted to helping you have the right hobbies, and they’re devoted to financing everything for the hobby as well—at a cost, of course. Websites are devoted to biking and the bikes there can run up to $5,000 or higher. Expensive fishing lures can be sold at a ridiculous price, as high as $100 for a fishing lure that will end up catching a fish worth $25. Hobbies are important to America, and individuals who make websites devoted to selling $5,000 bikes and $100 fishing lures know that.
What’s in a hobby? A hobby should be relaxing, rewarding, and enriching. Most Americans, of course, would find watching a television rewarding; but it’s not exactly enriching unless, of course, you’re watching a documentary, which most American teenagers would avoid like the plague. A hobby should be enjoyable. If a hobby isn’t enriching you with its knowledge (with reading) it should be creative (with knitting). If you’re losing money, time and sleep on the hobby, it’s time to start a new hobby. Chances are if you’re worrying about whether or not the hobby is legal, it’s also time to start a new hobby.
Americans all over the world love doing hobbies. Unfortunately, it looks like most of today’s teenagers prefer to watch television instead of knit. Watching television can be a good use of time, as long as it’s on the History Channel instead of the channel that plays Stephen King’s horror show. Hobby time should be enriching.
Nobody can decide your hobby but you, and nobody can devote to your hobby but you. If your hobby is playing guitar, pick up the guitar at least once a day and do it! Hobbies like playing guitar always seem to get put to the wayside for hobbies like “using the computer.” Individuals make sure to use the computer every day, and they should make sure to play the guitar every day as well. The nation is getting better and better at using the internet but it is forgetting how to play a trombone or a drum.
Hobbies should be physical and should get you moving. So, if, say, your hobby is playing the Wii, make sure to get some games that will force you to embrace action. Although many families can’t find the time to get together to spend family time on a hobby, they should attempt to, like taking those long family walks that the teenager hates before he or she even gets out the door.
What’s in a hobby?
A hobby should be physically engaging, exciting, enriching, and it should keep you active. Playing the Nintendo DS, for example, does not count as a hobby. However, something as simple as “collecting different types of sea shells and labeling them” or “collecting different types of rocks and labeling them” counts as a hobby. Anything that teaches you or that you learn from is a hobby.
What’s not a hobby?
A hobby is not something where you sit down and stare into blank space, hoping to learn something by looking at the white wall for hours. A hobby is not sleeping, eating, or getting dressed (although getting dressed can turn into a hobby for some teenagers, who spend hours a day obsessing over their outfit!). A hobby is not your basic daily routine. Your hobby is what you find enriching and rewarding. Some people find school a hobby, and do it on the side for many, many years until they’ve either taken all the possible classes, or given up.
One of the most popular hobbies everywhere is collecting. Many individuals like collecting different things and making it a hobby. For instance, someone might say, “I’m going to collect all the American Dolls” or “I’m going to collect all the Hardy Boys books.” Then they will set a goal to achieve their hobby. Usually people only collect collector’s items, although sometimes, you find things on Craigslist that are sold under the collection item such as “bath soap from ten years ago, only used once.” Don’t trust Craigslist to tell you what is and what isn’t a collector’s item—it’s far better to do research yourself first. Otherwise you might find yourself with a collection of old and used Pez containers that nobody wants.
All in all, hobbies are important and exciting to be discovered; so, what’s your hobby?