Comments on: Questioning Things: Vol. V

By: camping gear

camping gear — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:24:08 +0000

I try to play by myself several nights a week drumming along with music from my iPod through headphones which is good love for music. I too much love music and my passion will remain forever.

By: Chris

Chris — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 22:43:38 +0000

#1: Blogging maybe? I don’t have any Internets at my apartment so my only access is at work and in the library or occasional coffee shop. I would feel really weird blogging from work, so the quantity of my blogging has fallen off (though the quality is truly inspiring).

#2: I haven’t kayaked in over 2 years. Owning a whitewater boat in flat, dry Austin is the kind of luxury I can’t afford right now. And I’m thinking of swapping my car for a scooter, which would make transporting a boat and gear comically impractical.

#3: I would like to get paid for loafing around Austin drunk with my friends, but we already have a mayor so that’s out. For now… (Kidding! I love Will Wynn!)

By: Jarred

Jarred — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 16:17:16 +0000

1. As I mentioned in the post, I wish I could play more music with other people. In high school I played with people almost every day, but when I went to college I unfortunately let that practice slip. There wasn’t much physical space to jam at our small school, so while I would get together on rare occasions with others — mostly to prepare for Battle of the Bands — I stayed out of practice for most of the year. The other exception was pep band, but that’s a little different than rocking out with your friends. These days I do have more flexibility, but with neighbors all around there are limited windows of time to crank the volume up and let loose.

2. I really miss camping. I do this maybe once a year, if that, but I consider it pretty much one of my lost regular activities. In Boy Scouts we’d go somewhere every month. I miss getting back to nature, relying on scarce resources, and feeling disconnected from the ever-connecting world we live in for a few days.

3. I’d say blogging or drumming. If I could find a way to make money doing either, then I’d be happy. Like anything, I guess I would just need to practice and network both to improve my abilities and to get on the road to riches.

By: Rachel

Rachel — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 13:27:14 +0000

Oh my God, this is something I struggle with so constantly.

1. Writing. Reading. Lame though it sounds, I want to be a writer and only continual practice can make that possible. Not being able to fit The Writer’s Life into my work schedule is the biggest problem I have right now. In an effort to focus myself, I’ve instituted a schedule and everything, with a small measure of success.

2. I used to play the flute, but gave up freshman year at Davidson. It’s a shame because even though I played for 10 straight years, I don’t think I’d be able to read music any more.

3. Definitely with the writing. If I could afford to spend 8 hours a day writing poetry, I’d be the happiest, best, and potentially craziest possible me. Which is why I’m starting to make preliminary plans to head back to school…

By: Laura

Laura — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 00:25:58 +0000

I love letters. During my first week of college, I stopped by the post office to find out the time by which mail would be delivered each day; there may have been 3 or 4 days total throughout my college career when I didn’t check my mailbox.

The flip side of this love for receiving letters is that I also love to write them. For whatever reason–maybe it’s the fact that it takes me longer, so my thoughts have more time to wander–I find myself being honest in a way that I often am not. There are plenty of things that hold me back: time, the fact that I can communicate more quickly by calling/emailing, and, frankly, I’m just bad at finishing letters even if I start them.

I couldn’t think of any hobbies/activities I’ve completely left by the wayside–if anything, graduating has helped me to once again pick up those sorts of things–but as for turning this into a job, I don’t think I would. I’ve always been careful about separating hobbies from work (one of the main reasons why I didn’t major in English). That is not to say that I want to hate my job or do work I don’t enjoy, but rather that I don’t want my hobbies and my job to overlap completely. I like having some “escapes.” For me, there’s something nice about knowing that I choose to do something because I truly want to, not because I need to pay my bills.

By: Taylor

Taylor — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 00:02:00 +0000

1. Music is certainly one that suffers for me, but not just playing guitar: I don’t have/find time to discover much new music anymore. When I worked for the radio station in college I was constantly inundated with new tunes…mostly horrendous stuff, but some of it was incredible and I wouldn’t have heard it otherwise. While there’s absolutely no dearth of good music blogs and sites out there, discovering new bands and music has lately taken a back seat to other passions and interests.

2. I have to say, I miss playing baseball…it’s something I haven’t done in earnest since high school, for the simple fact that finding 17 other people for a game (or sometimes even one other person to throw with) is a chore. Softball is a decent substitute, but ultimately the game is very different (particularly in the co-ed rec league).

3. Ironic considering my answer for #1, but I think I would be very good at crafting soundtracks for movies and TV shows. Not composing, mind you, but rather finding songs that help create a mood or powerful dramatic moment. I’m pretty sure there are far more talented people doing this already…so I’ll stick to my iPod.