Musings on Hobbies

Here are some musings on my drive for simplicity in life, and how hobbies fit in.

So I have been thinking more that maybe hobbies can be too distracting at times. And I have been evaluating what is really important to me, what I truly want to spend my time on. I have been stripping away pieces of my life, one by one, and trying to determine who I am.


We sold our home. We packed away instruments. We walked away from religious obligations. I have been tuning out of technology for entertainment and only using it for "work" like teaching my online courses and keeping up an educational facebook page, and blogging. We took most of the entertainment off of the children's tablets and filled it with educational games, and only use them a little bit each day. We have spent time camping and hiking and at playgrounds - all with our kids. We have been traveling to spend time with relatives and on our own. We are learning more about ourselves and our family, in the absence of unwanted distraction.


I have learned that there are some things that are really, very important to me. My voice is the most important instrument I have. I can't run away from it, nor do I want to. I can make it do more now that I am not using the keyboard or mandolin as a crutch. And I like the way it feels to sing. I like the way it soothes my children, and I like using it to teach them.

So... singing is a hobby that I will keep, and develop.

We lived for a couple of months with no plants of our own, and we started to itch for more green. So we bought a tomato plant and some petunias the other day, and have them out on the balcony of our current short-term home. Gardening isn't going away. We may have to invest in new plants every time we move, but it's something that we need.

Then there's building. I tried packing away the kids' building blocks for a few days, but I found myself wanting to use them for lessons and they wanted to use them for play. So we got them back out again, and even added more. Building materials are here to stay.

Art. We kept our crayons, but I didn't purchase more paints when we ran out the other week. And we got through a few weeks without paint, but only because we have been using crayons non-stop. So I purchased paints again to use with our favorite paint brushes, and then the kids spent hours painting. And I realized that is something that matters deeply to them, and to me.

So, singing, gardening, building, and painting we have kept. But other hobbies have fallen away. Our days are streamlined and easier because of the direction and focus that having less offers.


What about you? What do you know? What do you care about? What are you passionate about? Have your hobbies led you a better understanding of yourself or your family?

Obligatory photo of a kid. In a playground. Being cute.