Happy with Hobby

"Wealth and leisure, the combination which the world deems the source of happiness, in reality, brings but little joy, unless the activities of the mind, body and spirit are continually engaged in riding a hobby.....A man with a hobby is too busy to be unhappy and has no time for ennui or the blues."  Henry Earl Montgomery March 1914.

 I remember Grandpa Wells asking me what hobbies I had.  He followed up (knowing I was showing symptoms of workaholic tendencies) with the statement.  "Without a hobby, when you retire you will begin to die."  I like Henry Earl Montgomery's comment about activities of the mind, body and spirit.  The hobby or hobbies that exercise all three is important.  In fact adding a new hobby as you age can be very engaging. 

I have my own list to consider:
(1) Collecting
(2) Geneology (or for me just meaningful projects like pictures, etc.)
(3) Giving (SVP Cincinnati)
(4) Gardening/Landscaping (a new candidate this year)
(5) Investing (does that really count?)
(6) Blogging/Journaling
(7) Technology Tinkering (just tried to re-install Myst)
(8) Puzzles, Gaming, Bridge
(9) Tennis (recently added last year)

What distinguishes a hobby from just an activity came to mind as I constructed the list.  I think the hobby has a goal or continuous objective.  Afterall the pursuit of happiness should never end.