365 True Things: 323/Hobbies

I have been slaving away on my last editing job. I hope to finish it off tomorrow.

Which will leave me wondering what's next.

Not really: I've got so many interests and options, it's ridiculous. The most pressing being, writing (and researching what to write and where to submit). And reading. And gardening. And organizing the garage/storage space or cleaning out my closet. And cooking scrumptious meals. And going for long walks. And getting on my bike, or working out with those darn dumbbells. And spending more time with Norwegian (or German or Italian or French). And doing book arts, and maybe painting; cataloging and printing photos. I'd also like to mix in some new things. Like, taking rowing lessons in Santa Cruz or archery instruction in Salinas.

I am obviously not at a loss for things to do. But the problem is, I'm not very good at managing my time (or myself).

I've never thought of myself as much of one for hobbies, and I don't think of the above activities as such. Rather, they're a big part of who I am.

And yet, hobby:

c. 1400, hobi, "small, active horse," short for hobyn (mid-14c.; late 13c. in Anglo-Latin), probably originally a proper name for a horse (compare dobbin), a diminutive of Robert or Robin. Old French hobi, hobin, once considered possible sources, now are held to be borrowings from English.

The modern sense of "a favorite pursuit, object, or topic" is from 1816, a shortening of hobbyhorse (q.v.) in this sense, which is attested from 1670s. Earlier it meant "a wooden or wickerwork figure of a horse," as a child's toy or a costume in the morris dance, the connecting notion being "activity that doesn't go anywhere." Hobby as a shortening of hobbyhorse also was used in the "morris horse" sense (1760) and the "child's toy horse" sense (1680s).

A pastime; something done for pleasure.

Okay: "something done for pleasure." Everything except (and, okay, including) writing fits into that category. But if I were going to start a (new) hobby, maybe it should be learning how to manage my time, my interests, and myself. Collecting, studying, and implementing strategies. Paying attention.

Much easier to curate than a stamp or china collection, and it won't need dusting.