Hobbies And A Healthy Lifestyle
Although traditional arts, crafts, and hobbies are enjoying a huge surge of
popularity at every level of American culture– if you don’t believe it, just
“Google” the first past-time that comes to mind– it’s still interesting to
see how many people don’t connect a hobby or past-time with a healthy life-style.
As an enthusiastic eater and cook, who was still cooking not only for family
but for boarders as well, I decided that, for the Lent of the year 2000, I’d
make a more consistent effort at what are really the very moderate demands of
the Catholic Lenten fast. I’m the daughter and the sister to a couple of gifted
knitters, although my Mom had actually moved on some time ago to a master’s
degree in French literature and then full circle back to the drawing and painting of her art school days.
I’d tried to take up knitting on multiple occasions over the years, but could
never quite make it happen–I was way too uptight and too impatient. Passing
a very hip, and previously unknown yarn shop, I decided that, why not?,I’d give
it the old heave-ho once again: it would get my mind off of food…and my grumbling
stomach. This time, giving no thought to health or lifestyle, I promised myself,
it would be about the process and not the product…
My point here is that you don’t have to be a master craftsperson…just find
something beside the television or surfing the internet that can engage your
attention and your hands, a few minutes a day, or even a few times a week. Ironically,
the internet has been a god-send for this area of human endeavor!
I am not the greatest knitter– I quickly learned to restrict myself to small
items, to lessen the pain of regularly ripping out miscounted rows or stitches–I’ve
always been so absentminded and distractable that today I’d probably be labeled
ADHD! In any case, it’s easier to take these types of small projects in the
car, on the plane, or to an appointment.
Interestingly enough, there’s now significant psychological research that supports
the case for a consistent past-time’s healthy ef
