New Year — Old Time Hobbies

This is the first post of a new year, so I thought I’d do something different. On one of my other blogs, I choose specific topic to have all posts for that month focus on. I thought that would work well here, too. If not, you can always tell me so on a comment, right?

Anyway, January tends to be a time that people focus on their goals and resolutions for the year. As a writer, one of those resolutions should be to keep your mind toned and healthy. Having a hobby other than writing is one way to not only do that, but also keep those creative juices flowing. You never know when you’ll come across a new idea for your next story.

So, what’s your favorite pastime? Hobby enthusiasts know that spare time is not to be “spent” but savored. If you have a pastime you enjoy, you will never look at your spare time in the same way again. If you’re not sure what pastime hobby you would enjoy, here are some suggestions.

Music Hath Charms

Many people listen to music as a favorite pastime. There is much you can learn about any style of music. You can learn composers, famous melodies, and all about performers past and present. You can develop sophisticated tastes in jazz or classical music or collect a large assortment of CDs. Certain types of music have been found to stimulate the brain, too.

Pets

A lot of people love animals. Pets of all sorts can become your hobby. Perhaps you enjoy watching birds. If you have trouble finding them in the trees near your home, maybe you’d like to get a pair of canaries, a budgie, or a cockatiel. People who live in the country sometimes become interested in raising ornamental chickens, pigeons or pheasants. It is very interesting to watch a mother bird take care of a nest of young chicks. Perhaps you can even raise some prize winners!

Dogs make a great hobby, too. Walking and enjoying a pet dog is one thing, but breeding and raising show dogs is something else entirely. Show dogs may require a bit of an investment, but many puppies are free. There is also the aspect of training a dog. Dogs give a lot of love back to their owners, too, so if you start a pastime of caring for a dog, you will never be lonely. However, dogs require quite a bit of work and attention, especially when they are being trained, so keeping dogs is not for everyone.

You’ll Look Neat Upon the Seat

Bicycles can become your favorite pastime. Hobby bicyclists are becoming more and more common, and you can see them cycling along lesser traveled highways taking in the countryside. Cycling requires a helmet and suitable clothes. as well as a small tool kit for roadside repairs. However, you can enjoy cycling on a smaller scale, simply taking fun rides with your family.

Get a Hobby, Expand Your Mind

The world is full of interesting things to learn and do. Don’t merely sit back and watch TV. Get interested in a hobby. It’s good for your mind. In fact, it might even keep you from going senile in your old age, if you stay active in a pastime. And it’s a good example to our kids and grandkids if we spend our time doing something meaningful.