Hobbies - The detour from the routine called life

In School

Get good grades. Study well. Aim for that elusive first rank. Keep studying. History. Civics. Geography. And the whole thing all over again. While this was the expectation that was set upon me during my early days in school, I was also encouraged to pursue painting as a pastime. I sought every opportunity to spend my spare time with water colors trying to reproduce the painting in the back of Reader’s Digest. This diversion gave me that much needed time off from the nerve-wracking quarterlies, half-yearlies and finals. I was never good at painting (I have hoards of participation certificates, but no prize :P) and  at some point, I realized this is not for me and gave up my aspiration, but the scores of joy it gave me are quite unforgettable.

My 21 year old water color paintings

In college

GRE. TOEFL. MS vs MBA Vs a corporate job. Peer pressure. In the midst of all this, I found a haven in writing – an interest I discovered while writing slam books for my friends in school. I took refuge in poetry and it saw me through all my years in college. It taught me to be my own friend, helped me explore my inner self, and it enabled me to make a verse out of every worse situation. My fervor for writing was never past its best despite the trying outcomes demanded by Engineering. Back in school I had cricket and football to supplement my leisure needs, but in college, I found solace only in poetry. It eventually led me to blogging, blog meets, blog friends and a new social life that I would have otherwise not known. Eventually I gave that up too.

Just another poem on Love

And now

In due course, I moved on from the comforts of my bed from where I used to write. And I took my place in the balcony where I now toil with nails and screws, wood and timber, hammers and pliers. The fascination that I have developed, for what I would call, the basic levels of woodworking is no less than the appeal that writing had in it for me. The idea of building something from scratch (though triggered by a totally different reason), fixing something that is broken, or redoing something that has lost its sheen gives me a kick now. Today, this kick  relieves me from the anxieties and stress that are a result of  all the meetings, travel, calls, projects and the deadlines.

Woodworking as a passion

In all this I realize that as I transitioned from one phase in my life to another, my likes and dislikes changed. And how much ever exciting life is, it is quite easy to get tied up in the routine that it has to offer and a leisure pastime is always required to unshackle oneself from that routine. I have learnt that it didn't matter what hobbies you pursue, but as long as you are focussed, engrossed and excited, it helps entangle you from the tiring, monotonous and sometimes taxing regimen.  

Share your thoughts on this post. Have you ever given up a passion of yours ? How do you break free from your tedious schedule ? What are the favorite activities that you love indulging in ?

- Somu

Did you like this post ? Enter your E-mail address and join our growing E-mail list

---

If you liked this, you may also like

• Preethi's art book and her oil pastels
• Every passion has a boring part to it too
• How small set of words can lead to big results
• 6 telling reasons to move to a custom domain now

---

Linking in : Colours Dekor