About Your New Stepdad
Life is often unpredictable. Friends and family come and go, you may never feel at home in your career, or maybe one day you have to move to somewhere new. One of the few things that rarely changes is hobbies. When you find a hobby that speaks to you, you can almost always follow that hobby for life. If you're like me, you're a curious little bastard that's a cross between the ultimate extrovert and the isolated introvert and may find yourself with multiple hobbies. Some are social, some are solo. But they'll always be yours.
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In my experience, with various forms of hobbies may come various groups of friends. In my experience there aren't too many people that have the same balance between the nerdy lifestyle and the active lifestyle as I do. My teammates on my high school football teams made fun of my D&D book collection while my nerd friends made fun of me for not wanting to schedule a one shot during Sunday Night Football. This site welcomes those of you stuck in this same dichotomy.
The Introvert
I was told from a young age that my hobbies were a waste of time and that I needed to be productive. Tough news for an 8 year old. For a long time, anytime I was seen reading a book, playing a video game, or watching a movie, I was told it was useless and I was pathetic for wasting my life. When I found Dungeons & Dragons at 13, I was ecstatic but had to hide my new hobby for years. I was making homemade dice, folded from paper and reinforced with tape and glue, and sneaking out to go to a friend's house a couple miles away. I've played many tabletops in my time, but Dungeons & Dragons has been a staple for my entire life. There are
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I've always had a penchant for writing, usually using my skills for journaling, short stories, D&D campaigns, poetry, and random prose. Ever since getting a degree in English, I've wanted to write for an audience of some kind but having never felt good enough and had home personal hangups, I felt as though writing was a waste of time. In addition to writing, I've been hooked on reading since I was a kid at the Scholastic Book Fair and got a sick nasty poster of a Dodge Viper and my copies of Hatchet by Gary Paulsen and Ranger's Apprentice by John Flanagan. Since then I've loved reading. Menus, manuals, shampoo bottles while I'm pooping, newspapers, magazines, textbooks from courses I have no interest in. I just love to read, though my favorite genres will always remain fantasy and horror.
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I love tabletops, but like anyone born in the last 40 years, I also love video games. From Call of Duty Hardcore Multiplayer with my friends to staying up all night and wasting a weekend playing all three Mass Effect Games. I may be a bigger movie dork than video game dork, though. I live for the movies and go at least a couple times a month and love taking advantage of the drive-in theatre with my friends and my dog in the summers.
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Though I often come across abrasive in my thoughts and opinions, and enjoy a good-natured argument, I would never want anyone to feel ashamed, guilty, or embarrassed for their hobbies. Do what you want. If someone tells you that you're wasting your time, then forget them. You know what's good for you.
The Extrovert
As much as I love my time on the couch, at the table, or at the movies, I never feel more at home than out in nature. I'm a (reasonably) seasoned backpacker and amateur nature/wildlife photographer. I typically travel once a year for a camping or backpacking trip, including Glacier National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and Grand Tetons National Park. And of course there are the dozens of local and state parks near me that I visit a few times a year. I often do these trips solo, giving me plenty of time to think about D&D campaign ideas while I wander through the backcountry of the United States' most beautiful parks, mountains, and forests.
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I also participate in a few sports and am an avid weightlifter, spending a ton of time in the gym, typically 5 - 6 days a week. I like my Sunday Night Football with friends, having a few drinks and passing ball on a nice day, going jogging or hiking with my dog, swimming in the lake or the river, and am always down for any new adventure. It can be hard to make time for these kinds of hobbies with a full time job but I always try to make a point to get out and enjoy some outdoor activity with friends.
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My extrovert life often crosses over with my nerd life. Though I'm not an expert on comics or anime, I enjoy going to comic conventions and renaissance faires, I've been to Point Pleasant, West Virginia for the Mothman Festival, and I like going to art museums when they have new exhibits. These are the kinds of events that I'd love to write about here in addition to my standard nerd ramblings.
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I know people who have struggled to go outside of their home to do things, preferring the safe comforts of home. And that's okay. But I highly recommend to anyone with only solo or home-based hobbies to at least try joining a more outgoing activity or club or group. Sometimes a good friend to take a walk with makes all the difference.
