Well-Rounded

I have come to the conclusion that I am really bad at application forms. It is the interests and past times portion, wrapped up in traditional or post-modern clothing, which throws me. I must 'do' stuff otherwise where does all the time go? I'm just not sure that I know what counts. My gut reaction when I think of 'interests' are activities like deep sea diving, bungee jumping, white water rafting, the territorial army, sports, astronomy, photography, playing instruments, stamp collecting, bird watching or macrame.

I engage in none of these.

I read, but that was always the thing you wrote down if you had no hobbies on your UCAS form. Actually, given the amount of people who haven't read a book in years (I shudder at the thought), I think reading can safely be classed as a solid interest or past time. So, interest number one. I read. I read a wealth of varying genres in bouts of voraciousness and drought. I consume the printed page when hungry for stories, and am currently trying to read my local library dry.

OK, this is going well. What else do I do? I play computer games, specifically the Wii (and at the moment, pretty much exclusively Mario Kart which I am enjoying racing friends across the miles and time zones). This must count as an interest. It is actually the first game that I have ever tried to 'complete'. I'm a long way off, but the act of playing enough to unlock something else is great, but maybe that is the unemployment talking. Interest number two, I like to play computer games in a non-geeky, non-addictive and semi-competitive way.

By the way, this post had a totally different point but I think the way I am travelling now may ultimately help in my continuing quest of defining myself in 2 sides.

Number three is practically jumping out of me. I cook. Not in a I'm hungry and it's dinner time kind of way. More in a read Nigel Slater just to drool as a past time in itself, watch cookery programmes, think about what food goes with other food, experiment wildly, research recipes endlessly, take pleasure in farmer's markets as a great day out, and generally breathe food. That last one probably just counts in the gluttony pile which I am not sure I should count as an interest, although it is one of my past times. Hmm.

I people watch. No, I observe, riddled with fascination and sometimes rendered mute with fury / elation / confusion. Sometimes I write about them, cruelly. Worse, I enjoy it. A lot.

I now have a new hobby, a 'proper' one to add to my funny little list. Mike and I have started knitting, which is a cute little joint hobby to have. Now I am 30, I need to think about these things. Imagine my shame at tea dances if my contemporaries are discussing patterns and tricky stitches now the joints aren't as nimble, and I am a knitting virgin, not able to add my ten pounds worth ( I have cleverly added inflation there.) I need worry no more on that score.

I hope I get better soon. Failing that, I hope there is suddenly a demand for small square(ish) shapes of very holey woollen structures, worth four times the prices of the wool.

Mike, of course, is excellent. He has used his extraordinary meticulous mind to solve the puzzle of knitting and taught himself lots of stitches from books and YouTube, rather than just learning two types and embarking on a grand scarf project on day two of the new past time.

Needless to say, my scarf turned out to be an abject, miserable, shoddy beyond belief, failure, and Mike is almost ready to start his first project of a throw, which just on it's own puts my scarf to shame. It will be beautiful, perfect in every way and possibly the talk of the town. I will continue to sit in remedial classes for a few weeks, then give up completely, but still quote this interest on any form which requires a well-rounded person - together with swimming ( I do swim but not enough to call it a hobby), badminton (see swimming but with an extra caveat that the last time I played was about 4 years ago) and writing short stories ( these days, I find that reality is a lot more entertaining to me).

Self knowledge is a terrible and wonderful thing.