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Originally Posted by Mr Mephisto
This board brings together a lot of interesting people with, presumably, some interesting hobbies. Please share them.
What do you consider your main (or favourite) hobby? Why? What drew you to it and what do you get out of it?
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Great idea for a thread Mr Mephisto!
My main hobby is dirt bikes.
Why? There's just something about a motorbike. I enjoy pushing close to the edge, but within my limited ability and not get too carried away. Which reminds me of an Army friend who was doing some abseiling. One guy in the group thought he was 'it and a bit'. He abseiled down way too quickly, was too slow on the breaking and hit the ground REAL hard. The Sergeant gathers the group around this guy who is lying on the ground in a heap and says to them "That, gentlemen, is what happens when your ego outweighs your ability". It was a quote I never forgot and it still comes to mind when I find myself pushing a bit too hard. I'm sure it's kept me out of a lot of trouble.
What drew me to it? The speed and the fact I've always enjoyed things that have a slight edge to them - (eg rock climbing, caving, etc - not that I've done those for quite a while now).
What do I get out of it? An adrenalin rush and the satisfaction of seeing developments in skills and techniques - making a great corner and jump and getting a whoop section just right. It's also satisfying to have ridden hard during the day, camp out at night then get up again the next morning to do it all again, then go home to a nice hot shower, hot meal and then collapse in a comfy bed for a good night's rest. Actually that sounds a bit like the guy who kept bashing his head against the wall because it felt so good when he stopped, but I really do enjoy the riding.
The next favourite hobby is music, which I actually did professionally for a number of years before taking a sharp right turn career change. My next musical challenge though is to learn to play a Celtic harp that I recently got. Great, mellow juxtaposition to the adrenalin rush of dirt bikes.
I also enjoy reading. Like Mr Mephisto I find the American Civil War interesting. I prefer the escapism of good literature though. My favourite author is Ernest Hemingway. 'For Whom the Bell Tolls' is sheer brilliance. I enjoy Dickens and other classics too.