Have you ever wondered what motivates people to do, act or become a certain way when considering esoteric activities such as hobbies? What causes a bunch of men to collect cars or a group of women to become giddy over books or quilting? Could it be that hobbies and the groups and energies they create serve a bigger purpose in our lives?
When we encounter people with very specific interests, we often don’t see the inherent value in it. I even mocked some of my own past projects (will save for another article) where I often sighed and questioned if this project was doing anything for me, my education or society as a whole. The short answer is YES even if I could not exactly see it.
Our seemingly disconnected passions add detours and side paths to our communities and color them in interesting, dynamic ways. Just because we may have interests outside of the realm of the mainstream understanding of “important” doesn’t mean there isn’t positive changes that can come from small positive detours.
Of course, we need people to spend their time fighting for social justice, protecting the rights of the vulnerable and discovering what drives us as individuals, but we also need people who are expressing their genuine, authentic selves, and adding light and joy to our daily lives. We can’t have one without the other.
When we follow what we’re most excited about and pursue it with a genuine love and passion, how could it be worthless? If nothing else, it brings us happiness, but it probably affects those around us in other positive ways, too. So enjoy your hobbies, your seemingly silly interests and then balance them into your life with gratitude and understanding. In the end you will find meaning and balance in ways that may not always be understood, but simply appreciated.
Peace and Love, Jim
