I have always felt the strong need to pursue some hobby consistently. Some people say that there is a particular talent that they possess on which they can always fall back on. Honestly, I have never pursued any hobby for more than four years. I do attain some level of perfection in the activity chosen to the extent that many people have told me..'A little more of practice and you are sure to be the best!' ahem..
By hobby, I am excluding reading books because I think that everyone should read books not only as a hobby but for gaining knowledge.
I just felt like tracing all the various activities that i have attempted, my highs, my so called growth and how 'The end of the activity' came about. I will still not call it the end as I am still harbouring hopes in my bosom that i will one day or the other accomplish the unfinished tasks!
I took up drawing and swimming classes around the same time. Let me first describe my attempts at drawing. I diligently attended classes for five years(From 2nd standard). Two of my close friends used to attend these classes with me and all us very motivated to draw!Infact we used to make our own cards and gift each other. Soon, studies took precedence and we could not regularly attend those classes. But we resolved to draw regularly. After a year all the ‘josh’ fizzled out and I very rarely drew. Nowadays I just restrict myself to glass painting (I have painted just about three pictures in two years). So, I cannot claim that I as pursuing drawing because I rarely indulge in it.
I must tell you that I always liked drawing and painting and hence I never felt frustrated while pursuing it. But swimming was a nightmare! I took up swimming lessons during first standard vacations. The classes were for two whole months (every morning). The incentive was that you could practice in the evening. Damn! I was so stubborn that I would simply not swim in front of my teacher. He hated me for that and I am sure that even today he will remember me and my kutti face. I did not detest him until he wanted us to jump from that plank on top. I know it must be nothing for most of you reading this. But I simply could not jump from that plank. I would go all the way to the tip of the plank and come back saying ‘No, I cannot take my feet off the plank.’ So, that man used to push me from behind which I did not mind. Thinking back, nobody would like to push someone into the pool! Even now, I can only swim but I cannot jump from anywhere. Still every summer I relentlessly pursued swimming learning simple styles and pleading with everyone not to make me jump from the plank! Then one such summer break I developed some sort of skin rashes because of the water and I stopped swimming too! Unlike drawing, till date I have never been able to pursue swimming!
At this juncture, I heard about table tennis classes and thought that it is very important to pursue a game. I enrolled myself for these classes in the summer break after fifth standard classes. These classes used to start in the morning at 6 stretching till 11 and then again at 4 till 7 in the night. I really enjoyed them and I even participated in a few competitions (I lost them..but each time my teacher used to say…keep on practicing ..you will win next time).I stopped these classes temporarily in the tenth standard but the break became permanent!
At around the same time as these table tennis classes I started learning to play the Casio. It was very convenient because the teacher was coming home. Every time I used to go to a book shop I bought some tune books. Nothing much to say about its present status except that it lying in the attic waiting for my touch! I can still hear my dad and mom debating about selling it. Any takers?
I was never enrolled into music classes and it was out of my own sheer will that I joined carnatic music classes. I pursued singing consistently for five years and also happened to sing in a temple and school. After my schooling, I had these early morning classes (6 to 8) and college (1 to 6), excluding traveling time. My practice hours drastically came down to the extent that my teacher told that if I cannot practice regularly then I can stop my lessons. My Shruthi box is dusting away to glory and i wonder if I can even sing t he basic swaras correctly now!
Is it that only I do not find time for such activities or is it the same with others too???