Ever since I stopped playing video / computer games and substantially reduced my TV-watching, I’ve felt the hobby gap. I mean, reading and writing are good, but they take a lot of mental and emotional energy. You can’t do them when you’re tired or want to zone out. That’s why I’ve been asking people about possible hobbies. I decided that my hobby needed to have the following qualities:

• Intriguing to other people
• Somewhat hip
• Inexpensive
• Not too time-consuming
• Possible to achieve results at even a low level of effort and skill

These categories eliminate a lot of possibilities. For instance, golf is both expensive and requires you to be somewhat good. Knitting is not (to my mind) very hip. Cooking is too time-consuming. Someone mentioned decoupage, which I’d never heard of, but that also seemed super unhip. Buying/reselling things on eBay or in thrift stores was also mentioned, but that seems to require too much effort / skill before you achieve results. Gardening is too time-consuming, etc.

However, I knew that the perfect solution was out there. And when it finally came up, it was something very unexpected. Someone suggested that I start cultivating bonsai trees (for those not in the know, bonsai is basically when you mess with a tree’s growth in such a manner that it stays super miniature and you can keep it in a pot). And I am super in love with this idea.

For one thing, my grandfather cultivated a bonsai tree for years upon years. So that right there is a connection. It doesn’t seem very time-consuming. It’s very intriguing. Etc. Etc.

I’ll probably never do it. But I am very in love with the idea of doing it.

(Other suggestions I liked: astrology, tarot, tea connoisseurship)