Holding Out For a Hobby
I feel like every adult has that moment where they think to themselves ‘oh I’d love to try this but I never have the time’ or ‘if only I had space in my life to learn this’...
… enter lockdown. The whole country came to a stop last year as the pandemic grew more and more serious. There was no way of knowing when it would end, and I doubt I was alone in wishing The Doctor would turn up with his trusty tardis and make everything feel less alien (geddit?). What we were left with alongside the uncertainty was time, something that I know I had longed for since I experienced my very last summer holiday break and entered the “real” and “adult” world. So what better time to learn how to folk dance? JK…. almost.
A hobby is defined as ‘an activity done regularly in one’s leisure time for pleasure.’ By that standard then really most things can be a hobby…. Yes, even that. (Unless you’re thinking something gross then not that.)
So what were some of the most popular new hobbies during the colossal crisis that was lockdown 1.0, 2.0….3.0? - I’ve lost count by this point, folks. Well, according to a series of online polls the top contenders were gardening, cooking or baking, and exercise. The importance of these new ventures were paramount as these activities would be vital in sustaining the mental health of every individual who found themselves stuck indoors for the unforeseeable. As much as we all want a break sometimes, living a life without structure or socialising sounds just as bleak as it was for so many of us.
It makes complete sense that the most popular hobbies were those that promote peace, health, and mental wellbeing - especially in a time where all of those important things were being taken away from us. However, I’d just like to put out into the universe that if you took the time to sleep, watch all of the trash TV you could find, or eat the contents of your cupboards - that too is something to high five about (sanitise your hands immediately after please.) Lockdown was hard - not a joke, just a fact, and it took everything in all of us to find the light in it. I told myself I was going to be productive and learn new skills and in some ways I was successful. I started cooking more inventive meals other than a fat plate of chicken nuggets and even bought a keyboard to learn - so far I’ve learnt happy birthday (which I now play twice whenever somebody is washing their hands) and a few other songs. But my progress isn’t important to me, it’s the fact that this was something I had wanted to do for years and now I had the chance and I took it.
One of the most popular hobbies partaken of during lockdown was quizzing! Thousands of people joined up to various video sites with their family, friends, or co-workers to have a battle of the wits. I know that during the first lockdown I spent every Saturday with a bottle of gin and various friends from high school that I reconnected with at the beginning of lockdown and over the weeks we found ourselves talking and reminiscing and connecting - which for me is as good a hobby as any. It’s that chance to talk to people, connect, laugh, and maybe debate a little.
I suppose the worry is that when things return to that N-O-R-M-A-L thing people talk about that these new activities and pastimes we’ve grown to know and love will suddenly disappear from our lives and it wouldn’t be fair for me to say that our dedication to things like hula-hooping or cocktail making - which is a hobby, I checked - won’t dwindle when we go back to work or we can physically spend time with other human beings again. The truth is that the reason we found these hobbies in the first place was to fill the gap in our lives that lockdown brought us. In a time where we couldn’t hug those we loved or sit and laugh in our favourite local haunt we had to find something to distract our minds and fill the time, and like I said you can fit it into this new normal or leave it to find one day when you want to reminisce - either of those options are perfectly acceptable.
So the big question is, will we really keep all of these beautiful hobbies when the lockdowns that we’ve come to know end for good? I suppose the answer is WHO CARES?
The way I see it is that if you get to live out a fantasy you’ve always had, if you get to try something that has always been in the back of your mind but felt too nervous to really do then I am so [bleeping] proud of you! Whether you did it for ten minutes, two days or you’re going to make a career out of it, every step should be celebrated when the steps we are allowed to take are so limited. If the Covid-19 pandemic has taught us anything at all it is of course to wash your hands… But also to take every day as a gift. Make time for the things you love and also for the things you might just have a slight crush on.
I feel a tad cliche now so I’m going to go carry on knitting a scarf for my dog (he wishes), so stay safe and I’ll see you on the other side!
Written by Hannah Stait
Hannah is a writer from South Wales. She has her Bachelors in English Literature and Creative Writing from Cardiff University. She is an advocate for mental health and loves music, theatre and performs in shows with her local theatre group.
Find her work @ clippings.me/hannahisfragile
And her socials @hannahisfragile (twitter and Instagram)
