In September 2000, after over 2.5 years of Cub Scouting, I transferred to the Boy Scout troop sponsored by the church I was attending at the time. For a while, I went on camping trips, attended meetings, joined in on service projects, and did other Scouting pursuits...but, after thirteen months, my mom pulled the plug on the whole thing. Why? Simply because my heart wasn't in it; since I was only doing it because my sister and brother-in-law insisted, I really didn't know why I was learning to pitch tents or tie knots. My sister had told me that I needed to join because of my lack of a father figure; she believed I needed to do things with other guys. However, that never worked for me, because the vast majority of my fellow Scouts didn't have that problem; I knew they had fathers, because it was the Scouts' dads who made up the vast majority of the troop's adult leaders. In retrospect, I now realize that Scouting was a great opportunity for me to make new friends as well as learn skills that would serve me well in the future...but, at that time, I didn't really know why anyone was even bothering with the program. If I'd known why Scouting was such a revered institution, not to mention how it would benefit me in the future, maybe I would have actually given it a fair shake; instead, I disliked it so much, when I was finally given the chance to leave, I felt as if I was being released from prison.
Scouting wasn't the only thing, though; over the years, I regularly wondered why everything from gym class to owning a dog was necessary. When circumstances required me to participate in those activities, I usually did them, but my disdain for them was obvious; anyone who saw me there could tell that I much rather would have been watching television than looking after a mutt or "running" a mile. To me, I just didn't see the purpose; it was one thing if one chooses to participate in those activities, but...I was doing them against my will. Really, I was only hurting myself; I missed out on a great friendship with my would-be canine companion, and caused myself to gain weight in recent years, only because of a poor attitude. Just like with Boy Scouting, if I had known why I was doing what I was doing, instead of merely doing just what I was told for fear of punishment, it could have produced much more benefits, for myself and others.
In recent years, most of you reading this have found out all about my hobbies. You know my varied interests: family-friendly entertainment, libraries, bargain hunting, Apple technology, Disney Channel, old-school shows, Christian media, trivia, etc. You may know what I like...but, you probably wonder why I like it, as most people--especially young adults--don't bother with such things; even if they do like it, it's not as important to them as it is to me. I'm as enthused with my hobbies as most guys are with their favorite sports. You might have already known that...but, you still probably don't know why.
That's just what this series of blog posts will explain! You'll find out exactly why I do the things that I do...and, also, why I don't do certain things that "everybody else" seems to do. By the time this series is finished, you'll understand everything from my passion for bargain hunting to my love for the Disney Channel!
(The first post will hopefully be coming later today!)
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