There’s nothing quite like being introduced to a new person to realise just how hard it is to define yourself.
Into fashion? Er, sure, I guess I have a passing interest – in stuff that is actually wearable, that is, as opposed to couture. (The only time I’ve ever spent any time surfing style sites was when I worked on the website of a fashion mag, combing through photos of collections and trying to write short pieces about each one – basically just an excuse to make a photo gallery).
Music? What am I into? *pause* Everything really. Especially the eighties though. Everything from, well, Whitney Houston to Spandeau Ballet to Metallica and Guns’n’Roses. And today, everything from Muse to MGMT and the occasional Gaga song.
I don’t really consider myself a foodie, but I love watching cooking shows and going to restaurants. I know what I like to eat and eat lots of it!
To be honest, my biggest interests are super dorky right now. Blogging. Money. Work (or rather, furthering my career, I suppose). And travel – although going anywhere aside from home and the office isn’t on the cards at this stage. Damn, I’m boring. When my childhood best friend got in touch with me, she had exciting hobbies to share – like rock climbing.
What is a hobby? When do you get to say you’re into “surfing” – when you’ve been once? Five times? Ten? Does shooting hoops every other week qualify me to call basketball a hobby? Yeah, I didn’t think so.
I guess, just like I struggle to articulate what I want to do – write? edit? take photos? layout? all of the above? – sometimes I struggle to describe myself in a nutshell. I want to have interesting stories to share. I don’t want T’s lack of employment and our struggle to get by to overshadow everything, because I am starting to feel very one-dimensional.
Right now, career and money concerns are dominating my life and I feel like I’m losing balance. And after Stephany’s poignant post on living with intention, and unsolicited advice from a colleague on finding fulfilment outside of work – doing a job well, he says, means going above and beyond in order to learn and progress, but not giving everything over to it – well, I never thought work-life balance would be a problem for me, but perhaps I’m wrong.
On one hand, yes we should live with intention and have hobbies and things we are passionate about etc. but on the other hand don’t fret yourself over it! Like you said: Money, blogging, work, and if you’re PASSIONATE and care about those three things then there’s nothing wrong with considering them your hobbies!
I would say blogging and social media is my biggest hobby – I LOVE reading blogs, writing blogs and finding new blogs. Some people might think I’m wasting my time away on the internet but I enjoy it so who cares 🙂
I like the ‘living with intention’ idea. I don’t know how to effectively describe myself, either.
I think my hobby is trying lots of new things. I don’t know. I guess at some point I should settle down and pick something. 🙂
I dunno. I’m practically 30 and I have no idea who I am. I don’t think it’s possible to describe me in 100 words or less. And yknow what? I kinda like it that way. 🙂
You also suddenly reminded me of a song I loved when I was in high school.
Check it out and enjoy. 🙂
Words to live by. Especially the love letters. I used to keep love texts, too. Ah, to be 15 again
We are apparently, each other, with the same interests and likes. 🙂
And while your colleague has a good point, it’s one thing to tell someone to do that, it’s another to understand and recognize it viscerally after having experienced it. And some things we just have to experience for ourselves.
[…] June 10, 2010 Imagine being called up and asked to give a summary of your life on the spot. No, worse. Thinking up an interesting, clever, witty bio on the spot. This is me, girl of many vague interests but no definitive ones. […]