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What weird hobbies do you have?

I'm not great at memorizing. I'm just not. I easily mix up people's names sometimes, even people I know quite well. So my brain, it seems, is wired a little oddly in this regard. As a consequence, I occasionally like to challenge myself to memorize something fun or tricky. I recently committed "Jabberwocky" to memory.

What I'll often do is learn a few lines, a stanza or two, and tuck it away in my short-term memory. I'll likely get parts of it wrong within just a few minutes, but if I have a decent understanding of the meaning I can usually retain some significant chunks of it long enough to start reciting it in my car during my hourlong commute to work or home. And that's when I can move a little of it into my longterm memory. Bit by bit, I memorize it and eventually have the complete passage etched into my brain.

As I've practiced, I've found that memory acts a little like a muscle: the more you use it, the stronger it becomes. In some ways, I'd say my memory now is better than it was when I was in my late teens. I tried as a high school senior to memorize Hamlet's "To be, or not to be" soliloquy, and I stumbled all over it when reciting before the class. Today, however, I've memorized it and I understand every line. And I find that I am better now about remembering people's names than I used to be, which is an interesting (and welcome) development.

So, I fully acknowledge this is a strange little hobby I enjoy. But I want to know what your unusual hobbies are. What's something you take pleasure in doing that might be considered uncommon or that others might not think of as especially fun or interesting?

resserts 8 Apr 30
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12 comments

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1

This was a fabulous post. Thank you.

If I'm not completely paying attention, I receive The Pledge of Allegiance wrong. And I'm a teacher!

Great post. Thank you!

1

I have lots of hobbies, mostly crafting stuff...

But, I do have a hobby I do on my commute to work once or twice a week...I try to think of as many vocabulary words as I can with something in common: example: as many words as I can that end in -tion...supposition, commotion, locomotion, annihilation, etc. I change it up...it keeps my brain active while remembering vocabulary and spelling...

2

I’m kind of between hobbies now, but if my life ever stabilizes I’ll return to lutherie and bonsai.

2

Well it isn't considered weird where I live, but it probably is here. Sometimes I like to break out the ol' Ruger 10/22 and make a few glass bottles my bi-atch or head down to the range and make sure the XDM is still sighted in.

I know many of you have an aversion to guns and gun owners, but I gotta say. Shooting shit is just fun. I'm terribly sorry, but there is a catharsis in it that you have to experience at least once while shooting at a target. Might make you rethink your position.

1

Normal building computers gaming ect

1
  1. Sewing and altering clothes.

  2. Hand-kneading and baking whole grain bread.

  3. Keeping shoes and boots polished and waterproofed.

  4. Cooking food from scratch. I avoid processed food.

  5. Taking photos while hiking. I run to catch up with the group, pack bouncing.

2

I’m boring. I don’t have unusual hobbies.

That comment is totally worth a follow.

2

My first weird hobby, my addiction to Agnostic, then I have lots of pairs of shoes and store them in their boxes, and I put them out every now and then to clean, polish them, and I enjoy doing it!

Ah, yes, something satisfying in that, I imagine.

3

I don't know how weird it is but my wife and I have taken up photographing birds-in-flight. It's a difficult type of photography but the challenge is what makes it fun. I'm also learning a lot of bird names.

gearl Level 8 May 1, 2019

Very cool. Some of the best photos I've seen have been birds in flight.

2

Few of us china paint anymore. The old fashioned marshmallowy flowers and stuff on plates, and other crockery? Yeah.

Do you like it for relaxation, or to be connected to tradition? Or is there something else that appeals to you about it?

@resserts It is relaxing and its enjoyable for me to express my artistic side. As an accountant I get little opportunity to do so otherwise. And it's somewhat scientific because it's multiple layers to get depth. Each fire melts the glaze and the paint, which is just pigments ground and mixed with mineral oil, to sink beneath and then the glaze solidifies back over it. Some colors can float in the kiln and get in the wrong places and must be removed with acid, etc. Typically a plate has like anywhere from 5 to 15 firings. I have a propensity for doing many things that are old and dying or just unusual for women to indulge in. I've made my own kitchen cabinets before....actually they were overly made.

@Larimar Oh, that's so cool. I had no idea that the paintings were so layered. But I know many beautiful works of art, e.g., The Mona Lisa, rely on layering for depth and realism, so that makes a lot of sense to me.

This is an example

@Larimar That's very pretty! It's a whole art form I really wasn't familiar with. Outstanding!

@resserts The mice in the teacup on top was actually a card I got one year!

3

Accordingly to others around me I'm lame and weird due to my joy of birdwatching

I love bird watching! My girls and I took a walk with my granddaughter, she's 2.5. We pointed out the robins to her, she saw them finally. She was so excited! I can't wait to show her cardinals and Blue Jays.

Although I never got into birdwatching, I do enjoy watching them come to the feeder and flit about. Fascinating little critters!

3

I have a worm box. I feed worms so I can use the worm castings in my garden. Gardeners find it cool even if they wouldn't do it. Non gardeners just find it weird πŸ™‚ I've had the box about 4 years, maybe longer.

I had someone just recently tell me how they do this. I think it's quite fascinating.

OMG ME TOO!!! That is also my, β€œthis is how weird I am” thing.

That brings back memories. My dad did that back in the 1950s. They were heaven into composting too.

@NoPlanetB I keep the worms for the castings they make. I could fish with them I suppose, and I'd allow a few to be harvested for that purpose. I could have quite a breeding operation pretty easily.

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