Being Yourself: Your Hobbies

Being Yourself: Your Hobbies

            Being yourself involves all that you are, all that you say, and all that you do. For me, I see that as all the activities one does for the pleasure of partaking in that said activity. One thing I can’t stand is the world deciding for you what activities are considered “cool” or even “normal”. Just because someone plays basketball or baseball, they are considered normal, but then when someone plays the Cello they are considered nerdy? Or perhaps someone ice skates, or even dances, they are constantly judged for what they do.

            I always here and say, do what you love, it will only make you better. This isn’t what everyone seems to think however. I see everywhere I go, judging eyes that cast down their look on someone who they think is lesser than themselves. To me that’s not fair, and for the most part, the reason they are glaring is because of what that person does, their hobbies, and what they love to do. I am a prime example of this because ever since I was in fourth grade, I have been in the team known as the Iowa Skippers. The Iowa Skippers is a jump rope team that does demonstration performances for schools across Iowa to promote the American Heart Association. Right off the bat you were thinking that this wasn’t ordinary weren’t you? It’s not necessarily your fault, society has hardwired out brains to subconsciously judge others without a second thought. Believe me I’ve been told many times already (directly to my face I might add) that being on a jump rope team is girly and stupid. Now I am not one to let peoples words get to me, and with this hobby it was generally easy to shut them up because of what I can do. I specifically remember a time in middle school when I was doing really well in the skippers, becoming one of their elite jumpers on the team and around the same time my school had just started a jump rope unit during gym along with other physical fitness activities. Prior to this time I had just recently admitted to people who didn’t already know that I was part of a jump rope team, to which their only replies were giggles, snorts of laughter and questions such as: “are you serious?” and “that’s so dorky”. I didn’t let any of that bother me, because the minute I showed them how I good I was they couldn’t talk because their mouths were dropped so low. It was such a satisfactory feeling to watch them stare in awe at all the tricks I could do, how fast I could jump and how many I could do in a minute if I really pushed myself. That was a moment where I knew I was being myself, and not surrendering to the pressures of the world. And I shoved it right back into their faces.

            I know I’m not the only one who has a weird talent or hobby, and I also know I’m not the only one who has taken some abuse for it. But what other people say doesn’t have to define what you do or who you are. Keep doing the things you love and someday it will be all worth it, it may not seem that way right now but I promise it will down the road. As always guys, Love you all. Peace!