Hobbies are cited as a method for coping with
stress by several reputable sources including Healthline, Cigna and the CDC. And while I agree that they have their
benefits, the notion that hobbies are the panacea to loneliness, depression or
even inceldom is quite flippant, especially when echoed by normies. In fact, I’ve partaken in several with less
than ideal results.
Music was, unsurprisingly,
one of the earliest “hobbies” I tried my hand at. Specifically, I ordered an acoustic guitar
from eBay in my early twenties: a mistake in and of itself given that electric
guitars are more beginner-friendly. I
also never understood which hand goes where: the guitar I ordered was “left-handed”,
i.e., the left hand goes over the soundhole and the right over the fretboard.
Granted, I do most precision-based tasks
with my left hand, but have yet to discover whether the soundhole or fretboard requires more precision. Then there’s
the issue of tuning, a practice I never got the hang of and, consequently,
wasted more money on a digital tuning device.
Ultimately, my inability to apply the unusually excessive amount of
force needed to pluck the strings was the biggest determent from playing the
guitar.
A few years later, I tried my hand at music again with the purchase of a Yamaha harmonica. Although there was no ambiguity around hand placement, getting air to go where I wanted it to when I wanted it to still proved more difficult then it looked. Admittedly, these instruments weren’t massive investments, but the learning curve set a precedent for how cautiously I approached hobbies thereafter.
Horticulture was the next (major) obsession of my twenties. And while I learned a lot about botany, lighting and even HVAC, I’ve concluded that the gains from any self-grown harvest aren’t, generally, worth the stress. This is ironic, given that gardening is seen as a “calming” exercise. And it can be. But walking into your grow room to find that a plant that was healthy a few hours before has suddenly died will make you want to punch a hole in the wall. This is in addition to the initial investment: electrical/carpentry supplies, soil and nutrients and even seeds can be costly requirements. Indeed, outdoor gardening is an option, but probably wouldn’t be feasible in the winter. And an activity that can only be done in the Summer isn’t much of a hobby, in my opinion. All things considered, horticulture may not be the source of nirvana your local hydroponics store would imply.
DIY electronics is my most recent journey into the world of hobbies. And despite the state of zen I’ve occasionally reached when tinkering with circuitry and soldering equipment, there’ve already been speedbumps that make me question if this is yet another distraction that will consume time, money and return little value. Namely, the co-processor I ordered doesn’t work, and won’t respond to a firmware update. Further, getting the retailer to replace it has been like pulling teeth and, as I write this post, is still an ongoing issue. However, I may have to eat any losses incurred from my electronic endeavors. This is because, unlike previous hobbies, this may lead to a marketable prototype. And not for the sake of achieving some capitalist goal of entrepreneurship. But rather, to avoid the black hole that is corporate America. Nevertheless, the aforementioned issue showed me that DIY electronics can quickly go from hobby to chore.
As shown, hobbies can be as
stress-inducing and expensive as any vice. Although I’ve dabbled in other hobbies, the
activities listed above were the most taxing, relative to money, time and
mental health. Hopefully, it serves not
only as a template for choosing your next hobby, but also as proof that interests
such as gardening or electronics aren’t any more “virtuous” than say, gambling,
for instance. With that said, thanks for
reading and stay pissed.
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