Article #53-Finding Your Passion

It’s my anniversary––been writing this (Senior Sampler) column for a year now, and have found my retirement passion. Earlier in my life I focused on raising a family of four lively boys. My years as a mom (photo on left me with youngest son #4) left little time for hobbies, although I occasionally found time to research my genealogy. Now that I’m an empty nester, I enjoy visiting with my offspring, and find I have more free time for pursuing my lifelong passion for family history through publishing my ancestor’s stories and writing articles for columns, blogs, and magazines. 

Finding a passion or interest you enjoy can add richness and interest to your days whether you are able to make it into a livelihood or just a leisure activity. I was trying to recall if any of my immediate family members had a hobby. My dad had several––he was a ham radio operator, an amateur photographer which included developing and enlarging his own negatives, and a private airplane pilot (his license photo below). He also shared an interest in hunting and fishing with his dad and brother. Camping and cookouts were cherished outdoor activities enjoyed by his whole family.

My mom loved music and in her later years bought an electronic organ. She found delight in finally learning how to play her own tunes. Her mother (my grandmother-see photo below in Canada) loved to travel and see new places. She drove herself cross-country and loved taking the new passenger planes available in the last years of her life. The purpose of her traveling was always to visit family. My other grandmother enjoyed sewing and doing needlework while she watched TV so she didn’t feel that she was wasting her time in the evening hours. I have one of her quilt tops that I finished and gave to my mom one Mother’s Day. Each piece of material in the quilt has a story behind it. One piece was made from cloth used to make a housedress, another a useful apron, etc.

Spare time to pursue hobbies or talents was a rare commodity for our parents and grandparents as they used all their time just to put food on the table. Recreational activities were few and far between for them, although they used holidays and family celebrations to gather together and enjoy each other’s company. They would have loved to have more breaks from every day activities to pursue their individual talents and hobbies. What’s your passion?