Right now I’m on a hobbies rampage. It started when I declared that I like men with hobbies. I had a cup of tea with a guy the other day who just started painting and I was immediately attracted.
A hobby denotes an ability to shut off from what “you’re meant to be doing” and to suspend for a bit doing something out of curiosity. There’s no pat-on-the-back-able purpose to it. It’s just about being with yourself and seeing what comes up. People who take the time and effort to open themselves up to this exploration are wonderful people to be around.
I realised I haven’t had a hobby for a while. Mountain biking was it for years. My adventures up and down hills were a great space for me to explore what made me “me”. Oh, the places I went (I’ve ridden around NZ, Tasmania, Brisbane to Cairns, California, Spain, Vietnam…all on the same saddle; the most reliable, stable thing I’ve probably ever put between my legs…).
But to golf. I had my first lesson today. I think it could be a good hobby.
Because:
* It’s about agility and focus and being in the flow. Where the mind goes, the energy flows. And when you focus 100 per cent on being with your movement, you connect with the ball every time and send it in the right direction. This is insanely satisfying. It’s a small experiment to play with yourself, but one that teaches you so much about stillness and “nowness”.
* It’s quite proper. The tradition and care that goes into the game and all the protocol surrounding it (which I’ve always dismissed as stuffy and lemon plaidy) actually makes for something lovely and stable to be part of on a Sunday. It’s like when you sit down to tea made with a beautiful pot and a nice cup with a strainer…it tastes better because it’s done proper.
* A lot of blokes play. The driving range at Moore Park, Sydney, today was oozing men. You walk in as a chick on your own and I tell you, you suddenly feel like the most fascinating person on the planet. If you’re single this is ace. Plus, I think it’s good for women (single or otherwise) to do stuff that not a lot of other women do. It plants you in a different zone. Around men with a hobby, open to exploring themselves in some nowness.
PS. My mum always told me I needed a hobby. I was always bored as a kid. I’m typing this as I talk to her on the phone. She’s laughing at the irony.
