SUNDAY LIFESTYLE Angela Mollard - territorystories.nt.gov.au fileand building model trains, now...
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18 Sunday Territorian. Sunday, July 7, 2013. www.sundayterritorian.com.au PUB: NT NEWS DATE: 7-JUL-2013 PAGE: 18 COLOR: C M Y K s).4%2%34&2%%s,!9"9!6!),!",% tiny tiny prices. BIG BIG MATTRESSES, DOUBLE, QUEEN, OR KING SIZE FOR THE PRICE OF A SINGLE! |3TUART(IGHWAY7INNELLIE|2IGHT"ED2IGHT0RICE2IGHT.OW Available on Best 4 Rest Physio Balance & Physio Posture range sundayterritorian.com.au Angela Mollard SUNDAY LIFESTYLE Email [email protected] Follow her on www.twitter.com/angelamollard Make time for your hobbies Immersing yourself in something such as orienteering purely for the pleasure of it is to embrace the kaleidoscope of life R ECENTLY I was at a wedding having a nice little natter with the bride’s uncle when he asked me: ‘‘What do you do in your spare time?’’ Ha, I thought, who knew Uncle Lawrence was a sleazebag with a repertoire of pick-up lines. Next he’ll be asking if I’m Jamaican ‘‘be- cause Jamaican me crazy’’. But, no, Uncle Lawrence is from the generation who says ‘‘bottom’’, not ‘‘bum’’ or ‘‘arse’’, and he was genuinely enquiring what I did in my spare time. Spare time? What, like a stretch of hours during which there is nothing to be done? How quaint. I haven’t had ‘‘spare time’’ since 1999 and that only came about be- cause I had gastro so, tech- nically, was busy chatting on the big white telephone. Hang on — before you flick the page under the misappre- hension I’m one of those self- important bores who bleat about being terribly, terribly busy (Oh God, I probably am) this is a column about hob- bies. And how virtually none of us have any. In the years BC (before children) I used to have a range of mind-broadening pursuits with which to regale people at weddings. There was book club, which I’ve had to leave because I got rumbled pretending I’d read Wolf Hall when I’d only skimmed the synopsis on Amazon. And skiing, which I love, but have curtailed be- cause it’s cheaper to do a kit- chen renovation. Surfing I’ve abandoned because I’m too unfit to get up on the board. Thankfully, I still play hock- ey every Saturday but that’s because I like hitting things so it’s more anger management than a genuine pursuit. Go back a few more years and my weeks were spent in a dizzying round of orient- eering, baton-twirling (seri- ously), tap-dancing and ama- teur theatrics which I still draw on every now and then. Yep, I was the ultimate extra-curricular kid with an armload of girl guide badges to prove it. Now I could prob- ably only gain proficiency in social media, wine tasting and laundering. It’s not just me and the other moaning mummies — even my single friends and people under 30 don’t have hobbies. Pastimes, it seems, were for past times. ‘‘A hobby — what’s that?’’ laughs a friend, a 29-year-old make-up artist who works from 5am ’til 6pm seven days a week running her own business. ‘‘I have a potplant — does that count as garden- ing?’’ enquires another. ‘‘Ooo, I have a hobby,’’ claims one mum. ‘‘It’s such fun — I drive my son to row- ing at 5am and sit in the car with the engine running and the heater on until 7am. If I close my eyes I can almost pretend it’s meditation.’’ Hobbies pursued for enjoy- ment, relaxation or curi- osity, have been usurped by child ferrying and activi- ties designed for self- improvement: fitness, cook- ing, home decoration, personal grooming. Men like my dad who whiled away hours sailing and building model trains, now cycle. And talk about cycling. And have coffee after cycling. And shop for cycling pants. ‘‘No, it’s not a hobby,’’ laughs a mate, ‘‘call it a beer tax because it offsets the drinking.’’ Women, meanwhile, have pedicures, take selfies and sit in the car even after they ar- rive home because you’ve got to take five minutes solitude and an upholstered seat where you can get it. As for families, 80 per cent say watching television is their favourite pastime, fol- lowed by eating out and shop- ping, according to research from the Macquarie Group. And yet we’re happiest when we’re hobbying (mak- ing up words is a very laud- able pursuit). Reese Wither- spoon says she loves shopping for antique linens when she’s not shouting at police, Cameron Diaz enjoys snowboarding, Gisele Bundchen adores volleyball and Gisele Bundchen’s hus- band, I suspect, is made pretty happy by watching his wife play volleyball. Indeed, a loving partner, up to $100,000 of household income and a social activity that offers a sense of purpose make up the ‘‘golden triangle of happiness’’ shows re- search by Deakin University. ‘‘Some people associate hobbies with wasting time and regard them as not im- portant but that’s a mistake,’’ says Tim Sharp, psychologist and founder of The Happi- ness Institute. ‘‘Although, by definition, many hobbies don’t have an immediate purpose, the con- tribution they make to life is enormous because by boost- ing happiness they, in turn, boost quality of life which in- cludes productivity, health and success.’’ He’s right. We’re in danger of reducing ourselves to two dimensions: work and on- line. Immersing yourself in something purely for the pleasure of it is to embrace the kaleidoscope that is life. A friend battling MS clearly gets great joy making candles and pickles which she gives away generously. My mum, like Julia Gil- lard, relaxes by knitting alth- ough, unlike Julia, she has yet to be impaled on her needles. As for me, I plan to take up paddleboarding, topi- ary and extreme ironing. In the meantime, I get my happiness quotient laughing myself stupid at others’ at- tempts at scrapbooking.
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Transcript of SUNDAY LIFESTYLE Angela Mollard - territorystories.nt.gov.au fileand building model trains, now...
18 Sunday Territorian. Sunday, July 7, 2013. www.sundayterritorian.com.au
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tiny tiny prices.
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DOUBLE, QUEEN, OR KING SIZE FOR THE PRICE OF A SINGLE!
�������������|�������3TUART�(IGHWAY�7INNELLIE����|���2IGHT�"ED����2IGHT�0RICE����2IGHT�.OW��
Available on Best 4 Rest Physio Balance &Physio Posture range
sundayterritorian.com.au
Angela MollardSUNDAY LIFESTYLE ay
Email [email protected] Follow her on www.twitter.com/angelamollard
Make time for your hobbies
Immersing yourself in something such as orienteering purely for the pleasure of it is to embrace the kaleidoscope of life
RECENTLY I was at awedding having a nicelittle natter with the
bride’s uncle when he askedme: ‘‘What do you do in yourspare time?’’
Ha, I thought, who knewUncle Lawrence was asleazebag with a repertoire ofpick-up lines. Next he’ll beasking if I’m Jamaican ‘‘be-cause Jamaican me crazy’’.But, no, Uncle Lawrence isfrom the generation whosays ‘‘bottom’’, not ‘‘bum’’ or‘‘arse’’, and he was genuinelyenquiring what I did in myspare time.
Spare time? What, like astretch of hours duringwhich there is nothing to bedone? How quaint. I haven’thad ‘‘spare time’’ since 1999and that only came about be-cause I had gastro so, tech-nically, was busy chatting onthe big white telephone.
Hang on — before you flickthe page under the misappre-hension I’m one of those self-important bores who bleatabout being terribly, terriblybusy (Oh God, I probably am)this is a column about hob-bies. And how virtually noneof us have any.
In the years BC (beforechildren) I used to have arange of mind-broadeningpursuits with which to regalepeople at weddings. Therewas book club, which I’vehad to leave because I gotrumbled pretending I’d readWolf Hall when I’d onlyskimmed the synopsis onAmazon. And skiing, which Ilove, but have curtailed be-cause it’s cheaper to do a kit-chen renovation. Surfing I’veabandoned because I’m toounfit to get up on the board.Thankfully, I still play hock-ey every Saturday but
that’s because I like hittingthings so it’s more angermanagement than agenuine pursuit.
Go back a few more yearsand my weeks were spent ina dizzying round of orient-eering, baton-twirling (seri-ously), tap-dancing and ama-teur theatrics which I stilldraw on every now and then.
Yep, I was the ultimateextra-curricular kid with anarmload of girl guide badgesto prove it. Now I could prob-ably only gain proficiency insocial media, wine tastingand laundering.
It’s not just me and the
other moaning mummies —even my single friends andpeople under 30 don’t havehobbies. Pastimes, it seems,were for past times.
‘‘A hobby — what’s that?’’laughs a friend, a 29-year-oldmake-up artist who worksfrom 5am ’til 6pm seven daysa week running her ownbusiness. ‘‘I have a potplant— does that count as garden-ing?’’ enquires another.‘‘Ooo, I have a hobby,’’claims one mum. ‘‘It’s suchfun — I drive my son to row-ing at 5am and sit in the carwith the engine running andthe heater on until 7am. If I
close my eyes I can almostpretend it’s meditation.’’
Hobbies pursued for enjoy-ment, relaxation or curi-osity, have been usurpedby child ferrying and activi-ties designed for self-improvement: fitness, cook-ing, home decoration,personal grooming.
Men like my dad whowhiled away hours sailingand building model trains,now cycle. And talk aboutcycling. And have coffeeafter cycling. And shopfor cycling pants. ‘‘No, it’snot a hobby,’’ laughs a mate,‘‘call it a beer tax because
it offsets the drinking.’’Women, meanwhile, have
pedicures, take selfies and sitin the car even after they ar-rive home because you’ve gotto take five minutes solitudeand an upholstered seatwhere you can get it.
As for families, 80 per centsay watching television istheir favourite pastime, fol-lowed by eating out and shop-ping, according to researchfrom the Macquarie Group.
And yet we’re happiestwhen we’re hobbying (mak-ing up words is a very laud-able pursuit). Reese Wither-spoon says she loves
shopping for antique linenswhen she’s not shouting atpolice, Cameron Diaz enjoyssnowboarding, GiseleBundchen adores volleyballand Gisele Bundchen’s hus-band, I suspect, is madepretty happy by watching hiswife play volleyball.
Indeed, a loving partner,up to $100,000 of householdincome and a social activitythat offers a sense of purposemake up the ‘‘golden triangleof happiness’’ shows re-search by Deakin University.
‘‘Some people associatehobbies with wasting timeand regard them as not im-portant but that’s a mistake,’’says Tim Sharp, psychologistand founder of The Happi-ness Institute.
‘‘Although, by definition,many hobbies don’t have animmediate purpose, the con-tribution they make to life isenormous because by boost-ing happiness they, in turn,boost quality of life which in-cludes productivity, healthand success.’’
He’s right. We’re in dangerof reducing ourselves to twodimensions: work and on-line. Immersing yourself insomething purely for thepleasure of it is to embracethe kaleidoscope that is life.
A friend battling MSclearly gets great joy makingcandles and pickles whichshe gives away generously.
My mum, like Julia Gil-lard, relaxes by knitting alth-ough, unlike Julia, she hasyet to be impaled on herneedles. As for me, I plan totake up paddleboarding, topi-ary and extreme ironing.
In the meantime, I get myhappiness quotient laughingmyself stupid at others’ at-tempts at scrapbooking.
