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Most of the people I know have things called hobbies. When I first
realized that, I made up my mind to have a few hobbies myself.
These things are not to be confused with Hobbits. It is known that
eight Hobbits make one Hobbyte, but even a thousand Hobbytes do not
make a hobby. There's a big difference between those things.
The first hobby I remember was reading. I read newspapers, books and
magazines. This was a very useful hobby because I learnt many words which I am
using now. I even started making poems from the words. I used to type
them on an old typewriter because I was only five years old and
couldn't write very well.
Then, I collected stamps. I had a pretty valuable collection once
with many stamps from here and there, but we had to burn them all in
the bitter winter in 1987, when the newspaper was not delivered any more and
all other books had been burnt up.
After that I became more practically-minded and started tinkering with
electronics.
I remember having put my finger into a live bulb socket once. Half an
hour later I was still wondering whether I was going to die or not.
Later, I discovered computers. This was one of the great turning
points in my life. I wanted to understand how these machines worked. It
took me about six years to accomplish that. Then I was fed up with them.
So I started working with chemicals. I blew up a
few aluminium bombs, nearly burnt our house down with black powder and managed
to spill concentrated nitric acid over my hand. These events dampened my
interest in natural science a little.
Next I came to music. I unpacked my recorder and went to
mediaeval
festivals blowing like a mad piper from an E. T. A. Hoffmann story. This
was much fun, at least for me, but I didn't have much sense for art at that
time.
When school was over and I should have had more time for living, I had to
do my civil service. No time for hobbies any more. Instead I took to
reading once again which was more nourishing to me than any food could have
been. During that time I came to another turning point in my life: I
discovered philosophy.
Philosophy! Divine nectar of truth! Ambrosia of purest thoughts and
abstractions! Many years I travelled on the path of the philosophers,
soaking in the finest thoughts ever thought, till I came to university
and started studying it. That put an end to my enthusiasm, and I travelled
around the world for a while to get experience of a more useful kind.
I rediscovered computers and enriched my knowledge, until I found out that
I had become quite good at programming. Then, I had to take to the frightful
hobby of money-making.
Actually this isn't a hobby at all, because hobbies are supposed to make
fun. That's why I turned the hobby into a profession as soon as I found
that I was forced to do it. O miracle of man! If I hadn't felt the need to
make money, I might have never done it! So great is the riddle of human
nature.
I left university, talked my parents into buying me a
camper
van and a laptop, and made money on computer programming. This is a
very good job which pays off very well. The only thing it ruins is your
health.
So I ruined my health for some time till the dreadful money-making became
such a burden that I had to give it up. Anyway I had saved a little. Now, at
the time of writing, I can afford a little real hobbying.
The main thing I am doing now is drumming. See my
music
page for that.
As well I am practicing a little carpentry. This is the first thing I
made:
There are a number of other things I intend to do if my
allotted time allows. They're about 47 to 50, and you will forgive me if I
don't mention them. E.g., I have always been interested in astronomy.
Recently I bought a telescope and watched Jupiter's moons and Saturn. It's amazing to see
that the things are really up there, and I'd like to understand a little more
about them.
When I read a book about navigation it came to my
mind that it might be a good idea to acquire a sail boat and travel around the
globe. Where is more freedom than on the wide oceans of Mother Earth? But a
lot of water is going down the creek (as we say in Wahlwies) until I'll do
that.
Next thing I'm going to do is go to India for a longer
time. Then I will walk
around the world. And when I've become famous I'll write a book about the
story of my life, which will never be printed but handed down to the coming
generations.
In my old age I will buy a small house and spend my time
gardening and philosophizing with my friends. For who is better off than
a philosopher? That I'd really like to know.
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