Sunday, January 20, 2019

Hobbies and Such

SHOWER THOUGHT: The first humans sent on a voyage to another solar system might be greeted by humans who were sent later using faster space ships.

Every year, I try to find something new to conquer. I have never been much of a hobbyist, and yet I have always yearned to find that “one thing” that I can delight in and which might help me pass the time in a way that is more productive than watching television, going to movies, or reading books – all sedentary activities.

One year a friend suggested I take up golf. I was reluctant to give it a shot; years earlier when I had only just become a teen, my uncle took my brother and me out to shoot a round at a local golf course. I had never had lessons, had never gripped a club or struck a ball with one. I had seen the game played on television (black and white, grainy picture, and 13 inch screen) so I had an idea of what to do. I think we played nine holes and I shot something in the neighborhood of 180 (not counting swings and misses).

So I didn’t have much confidence I would do any better playing golf as a middle-aged couch potato. Still, he encouraged me to give it a go and even went so far as to set me up for some lessons with an instructor at the local public golf course. I took the lessons and must admit it helped bring my score down out of the stratosphere. I don’t think I ever parred a hole (but I can par boil eggs). I gave the game a run for a year or so but came to know deep in my heart that it wasn’t a sport, activity, or hobby I’d be good enough to actually enjoy, so I eventually gave away my clubs and equipment to a relative who had interest in the game – and skills.

I’ve tried other hobbies, of course. I strove to play the Recorder for a bit, but I didn’t have money to blow for lessons. I entertained woodworking for a while, but I board (sic) of it too quickly. I branched out into whittling but couldn’t make the cut there, either. I wrote music for church, but nothing of note came from that. Then I pictured myself becoming a photographer, but that didn’t develop the way I expected it to, either.

So this year, I thought I would take up calligraphy. If I become good at it, maybe I can ink a deal to create note cards for special occasions, like weddings or baptisms.

I bought a beginner’s set; it included the pen, a variety of nibs, and a bottle of ink. The online advertisement said the set also came with a case, but what they meant was one could use the cardboard box they came in “as” a case. I was underwhelmed on that score, but I appreciated the rest of it anyway.

First chance I had, I got everything out and set up and began to practice my calligraphy skills and must admit the results were more legible than my standard handwriting. I use the word “handwriting” very loosely as it looks more like a seismographic scrawl than a row of letters or a sentence. I can’t even read what I’ve written, for heaven’s sake!

Moving on, what amazed me at first was how often I had to dip the pen into the ink to draw enough fluid to produce a letter or two. It is very slow going, and I can now appreciate what it took for the writers of the scriptures to produce the books of the Bible. I think we take it for granted that everything just fell perfectly into place, but what a painstaking process it is!

If I had to rely on a traditional stylus, ink, and vellum (or papyrus) upon which to write letters, sermons, poetry, or the like, I doubt I would have the stamina to produce more than a couple of pieces per year. On the other hand, it would look so pretty.

It turns out I have fun doing calligraphy. I can’t hardly wait to do my next column in ink and vellum, which you’ll likely see around 2025. Maybe you can golf while you wait for it in this, our valley.

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