Lately I have been considering going to some kind of social activity/hobby mostly out of sheer interest and also just to see how it could change up my life and perhaps make some friends through it in some way. There are a number of activities I am interested in giving a go including some I have done and enjoyed before when I was at school and others I have not yet ever done before but just look interesting to have a go at.
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So I thought I would go over some of them here and offer up my thoughts on them, including any pros or cons I believe each one could have and my overall thoughts on the activities such as if I would really end up liking them or not or perhaps it is just a fad that one last for me or not. All in all, though I think doing at least one or two of these activities during my life will have a positive impact in improving my social ability and I think that is the main healthy outcome of doing some kind of hobby activity and as well as that many can lead to entering into competitions as well!
Number 1 – Fencing
Ever since I read up about left-handed swordsman being the bane of battles back in the days where those weapons were once used extensively, really piqued my interest into swords and sword fighting considering I am also left-handed. Yeah, I know that fencing is not “sword-fighting” in what many see sword-fighting as, but it is still something kind of related that I am interested in giving a go.
At the same time I am also not sure if you can use your left-hand in fencing or whether it is a rule to use your right-hand for fairness, or perhaps you just get matched up with the person who uses the same hand, I have no clue, perhaps it doesn’t matter at all. But whatever it is I am still interested in perhaps one day giving it a go as maybe I’ll enjoy at.
But I must also consider my flat feet and leg problems which can cause pain means that this may not be the best idea for me to partake in something such as this. As well as that Fencing for me is an outlier, since it is not similar to many things I would actually like, Fencing may just be one of those things that is just a fad thought and, in the end, I don’t actually really find it that fun. Who knows?
Number 2 – Pool
Pool is something that I know I enjoy as I used to actually go to an after-school Pool club which also included a drink and a good meal. It was good fun and I got pretty good at it, knowing where to hit the ball to get it to where you want it to go, or where to hit it so it hits other balls to get them to either move out the way or get one of your balls into a hole, I learned a lot of tactics during my time at that club. I’ll need to be reminded on to how to set up the balls though as there was a specific order/pattern to the balls.
So, considering that I think it is one of the best options on here for me to start out in finding a normal social pool club to try out now that I am obviously no longer in school or anything, I have found one that seems interesting. I can’t really think of any downsides related to it, all I know is that I enjoyed it a lot when I used to do it and I have remained good at it during the times I have played it since then and so it only makes sense to do it within a club that meets up to play that would possible lead to making friends and can also lead to competitions if I wanted to go that far.
Number 3 – Tabletop Gaming
I have always found things such as card-games like Magic: The Gathering and also things like Warhammer and Dungeons and Dragons interesting and as of yet I have never played them, but collecting cards or Warhammer figurines or D&D related stuff always seemed like it’d be exciting just to see what I’d get. I don’t know, perhaps I’d just be a better collector than an actual player of many tabletop games, but again, who knows?
What’s even cooler about Tabletop Gaming you can really find your specific group of people who you get on really well with, specifically those you’d game best with and fit best with in one of these specific games and I believe that it is probably one of the best options to choose if you are looking for a group of friends, at least that is what I’d think, clearly I don’t actually know that. But to me that would make the most sense as Tabletop Games often require teams, although card games can often just be 1on1.
Obviously, the downside of this is it only offers additional social interaction, but it will not offer too much of a difference to what I already do at home, such as in playing games already at home as well as sitting down and not getting too much physical activity.
Number 4 – Volunteer Work
The problem with inactivity can be fixed though with Volunteer work which is morally good, fulfilling and often a job where you move about and can lead to you getting some form of exercise as well as just being a helping hand for free in places that need it, such as with animals for example or volunteering to help for charities or maybe doing volunteer work for a political party if that is more your thing.
Doing volunteer work is also apparently one of the best ways to make new friends although you may not connect over a hobby, you connect perhaps, over doing something morally good together. Volunteer work is fulfilling because you can feel like you are giving back to society and helping those more in need than yourself and others or just helping the world go around in general.
The only problem for me is getting over the anxiety obstacle, obviously that is the case with any of these activities on this list, but I feel with volunteer work there is a degree of added anxiety for me, such as knowing what we’ll be doing on a particular day and worrying over messing up any tasks I get put to do and making myself look silly or something.
Number 5 – Hiking/Something Outdoors or in Nature
I have always been interested in going on some kind of hike or just camping out in the wilderness, being able to look up at a clear, starry sky un-effected by light pollution, being able to sit in quiet peace, listening and watching the surrounding wildlife and just taking in all the great views a hike or camping trip would have to offer.
It also does not just have to be camping in the woods or wilderness, it could also be at a defined camping spot with set-up surrounding activities to take part in, something of which I have actually done once before as an end-of-year school trip, back there I did climbing, archery, wildlife walks and much more. But there is still so much more I want to try out in the wilderness or while camping such as driving a quad-bike or fishing.
The obvious downside though is again, like fencing, my feet and leg problems would most likely impact and limit me in what I can do and when I need to rest or not and if I get hit by a particularly bad period then that could potentially ruin the entire experience. I am actually going through a bad phase right now with leg and knee pain and so it serves as a reminder that if I were to do something like this, I have to be careful and not over-do myself and try to go during a time that my legs, knees and feet are not playing up as bad. It’s all about timing I guess and some luck.
To round off, my overall goal in finding a hobby is to get myself more socially active and to just have something different to do from time to time rather than sitting at home all the time stuck in my same old routine, which is mostly surfing the web, tracking news and politics and writing blog posts or stories. Perhaps it will also lead to finding a group of long-term friends which will change my routine for the better.
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