Hobbies= Long Life?

[Nighthawk]

Read an article today on health issues, and ran across this interesting quote: "A hobby is more than a way to pass the time. It may be a way to get more of it." The quote was in reference to the fact that people that engage in a hobby of some sorts are believed to live a lot longer than folks who don't. I've known lots of folks who lived into their 90's who were involved in coin or stamp collecting and were very active in their local clubs almost to the very end of their lives, in most cases! I am a firm believer in this philosophy! I am interested in knowing what other hobbies our fellow knights and knightesses are involved in. Besides collecting world coins, paper money, and stamps, I am also an avid gardener, and I love to read (especially history!) How 'bout you? 

[TwoShadows]

Well I have collected coins since 1969, which I consider my real starting year, and boy do I wish I still had everything I had ever owned. Circumstances through the years have dictated what I would be able to keep and sell but I have loved every minute of it.
For the most part I have tried a lot of things. As a young man years ago my goal was to do everything possible and I can say I have given it a good shot. I wanted to climb a mountain which Colorado provided for me twice in the 90's. Went sky diving one time (that was enough) and spent 10 years as a fireman. I was a state licensed taxidermist for a few years and raised Bobwhite Quail for 23 years (ended last fall). I have participated in most sports and coached a few. Was an avid bike rider in the 90's doing a couple of 500 mile tours. Loved it tremendously but an injury sidelined my riding for over a year so it fell to the wayside. Spent 10 years as a fireman, reaching the rank of Chief, before giving it all up. Always looking for something new!
I am now gardening, woodworking, and an active RC pilot. (Flew twice today) Me and the boys are getting ready to open a bait shop (make a few bucks for the boys this summer). My wife is getting into composting so the bait shop was a no brainer! Going to plant hybrid blackberries soon, along with a new strawberry patch, near my garden which I have not started as of this posting. This summer is shaping up to be a very busy one but I feel there are still things to do and learn and I got a 7 year old counting on me to last a while longer! (This is the 7th child I have raised---3 mine and 4 step kids). I think I have seen it all when it comes to kids! I try to squeeze in a bit of fishing and camping in the summer and a little hunting in the winter.
Also spent 12 years as a photographer and stringer for a local newpaper with my own weekly column for years. And, last but not least, I just FINISHED my first novel so I am preparing it for submission to a publisher at this present time. It is the first in a series that will probably end up being very controversial if it does manage to find book stores. I refer to it as a truth full of fiction and a fiction full of truth!
I think I have mentioned enough for now so lets here from someone else.

[Nighthawk]

Wow Terry, a novel? Keep us posted on that! I for one will want a copy! (An autographed copy, of course!) 

[CoinCrusader42]

I guess my main hobby is being a "collector" in general.

I won't take up the space that would be required to list all the collections, but some examples would be 75,000 National Geographics, 75,000 post cards, and more books than I have tried to count.

In fairness I would have to report that many of my collections are given away, now that I am retired from teaching.

After 35 years of teaching history, it's no surprise I love history books, especially historical novels.

Best history I have ever read is the "Kent Family Chronicles" by John Jakes.  That man did his historical research before writing the series.  He mixes in real personalities with fictitious characters, and as I said, for me that is the finest history reading I have ever enjoyed.

Although perhaps not considered a "hobby," my wife and I love to travel.  Whether it's just around our area in western Colorado, or to Europe and South America, we have seen quite a bit, and are richer for the experience.

 

[Triggersmob]

I started collecting stamps in 1967 and this was followed shortly afterwards with coins in 1969. Although I have a small collection of banknotes, it is not a main hobby, it just seems to come along with coin collecting. I am a moderator on Stamp Community Forum and invite anyone interested in stamps to check it out. Other than that I have no other hobbys and feel quite boring in comparison with the previous responses, but coins and stamps keep me busy enough anyway.

[Erik]

I've known lots of folks who lived into their 90's who were involved in coin or stamp collecting

It is very important message for me because I will live more as 80 years yet 

[Nighthawk]

CoinCrusader, I am a history "nut", can't get enough of reading history, ancient, medieval, world, U.S., whatever, I love learning about the past. My wife always says "what? Another book?" I always tell her, the first 50 years of my life will be spent BUYING books, the next 50 years will be spent READING them! I love reading the National Geographics, they have great articles in them. I've learned alot from reading those things. My wife and I love to travel too, but the only places we visit are the one's you can get to on a tank of gas! Lots of cool and beautiful places to visit here in Michigan/Ohio area. And Steve, is there a website for the Stamp Collecting Forum you mentioned? I'd like to check that out. Erik, if I can make it another 80 years, will you still be my friend? I will be 127 years old! Well, hey, anything's possible!     

[Erik]

Erik, if I can make it another 80 years, will you still be my friend? I will be 127 years old! Well, hey, anything's possible!     

You will be enough old man but I am sure I will be still your friend  Our collections will be huge and vuleable. 

[scottishmoney]

My belief, a long life has nothing to do with hobbies, but more to do with a good and loving wife.

[Paint Your Wagon]

Hobbies
Well I started with Reading especially Sci fi and who dunnits (like a book every two days) and music ( like long wave french radio) and films
Still read a book a week
I bred canary birds like for 10 years breading new colors ( I had more then 100 different colors at one time )
I was in the army
Then 20 year of stage illusions and bar magic and close up magic ( stopped that cause too much time goes into practicing )
Of course gold coins all my life
Then ecology and statistics and ecology tecniques
French cooking for 40 years now
I visited nearly all islands in the Mediterean sea and Gran Canaria ; Tenerife and Madeira in the Ocean . I was in Florida when the first spaceshuttle was launced and in Berlin when the wall came down.
I dabbled in shares and options and goldshares still do goldshares
I collected degrees like chem enigneer from Louvain and MBA from Northwester U and Auditing Quality and Environment from MIEMA in England
I worked at the EEC HQ ( well they got 64 buildins and I was in 11 of those )
I like fast cars ; currently got a coupe 320 BMW
Since I had TBC I never was able to do sports
Nowadays I watch the gold and dollar on one minute charts
I probably am one of the very very few who got admitted to MENSA and told them to take a hike when I was asked to PAY for membership  
I have but one regret . That is that all people less honest then me made out better in life then I did

PS I forgot ; I have like 20 years worth of postage stamps in albums in my library and I kept like 500 of the best pocket books I ever read

[Nighthawk]

My belief, a long life has nothing to do with hobbies, but more to do with a good and loving wife.

I believe a long life has everything to do with hobbies, and yes, a good, loving wife (we'll be married 29 years in December!) is a definite plus, also proper nutrition, etc... also goes a long way to living a good, long life!   Hobbies give a person something to keep their minds occupied with, instead of just sitting around ALL DAY watching the BOOB-TUBE like my grandfather did. (all 4 channels LOL!)  

[Nighthawk]

Wow Paint, you sure get around!!!  You seem to live life to the fullest! 

[Paint Your Wagon]

Wow Paint, you sure get around!!!  You seem to live life to the fullest! 

Tx Nighthawk
My motto was I work to live I do not live to work
I am now married 37 years

[Triggersmob]

Nighthawk,

You will find the Stamp Community here.. http://www.stampcommunity.org/

[TwoShadows]

Hey Paint Your Wagon I have a personal motto similiar to yours! Mine was, "I eat to survive, I do not survive to eat!"
I also collected stamps, which I forgot to mention, but their value is nothing more than numbers in a collectors guide. Couldn't sell when I got discouraged with the flood of new stamps and rising costs so one by one I used most of the collection for postage. Now all that remains are a few chosen that I felt very attached too.
I will also agree there is nothing more beneficial than a good wife. My problem was finding one! But I have a keeper now! That would explain my adventure with kids!

[Paint Your Wagon]

Essentially I have a problem to discard anything
I still have most of my Univ course books of 1966-1971

I also have a minicollection of cigarbands and of matchboxes

The offer I got on my stamp collection was less then 250 euro and I paid more around 1970 for them . So I will keep them for a while longer .
Today was the third "summerday" this year at 20 C without wind so I indulged in reading 130 pages of Ludlum one of my favourites
I pick all those books second hand at the American school booksale 

[CoinCrusader42]

I also agree with the "good and loving wife" theory.

We've been married for 43 years.

 

[Nighthawk]

That's awesome, CoinCrusader! Having a loving and understanding wife is a big PLUS to living a long, happy life! Having a hobby I believe takes you away from the stress and disappointments that the world throws at you everyday. A hobby can be a world that YOU create and maintain. A world where YOU are the boss! It's sort of an escape from reality I guess. Watching the news and seeing our country go down the tubes creates a lot of stress for some folks. I can go to my desk and work on my coin collection a couple of hours a day, and I'm in my own little world where the biggest problem is trying to identify some old Chinese coin (LOL!) Having some sort of hobby is a great way to relax and enjoy life as I believe it was meant to be! 

[longnine009]

The  claims about coin collecting adding more years to peoples' lives comes from house catalogs issued by late 1800's/early 1900 dealers such as  Ed Fossard and Thomas Elder, etc. The point they missed is that coin collecting isn't always "relaxing." And it wasn't in their day either.  Grading was just as maddening and stressful  then as it is now. But coin collectors were still known to live long lives. As some are today. Eric P. Newman is pushing 100 years  and is still active. Chet Krause is well into his 80's and is an ANA governor. Gus Sage co-founder of what would become ANS seemed to be a "natural" with coin collecting.  But when he left it behind, he died rather young, only 33.    R.I.P Gus.

IMO, people who are living their own life rather than existing as some social script monkey  will always live longer for it. That IMO is why so many coin collectors live to ripe old ages--they collect because they want to, not because it's in the social script for being  "cool."

 

[Nighthawk]

That's very interesting longnine. Thanks for sharing that! 

[TwoShadows]

The media is having a field day convincing everyone the U.S. is going down the tubes. I don't quite see it that way. I see them attempting to cover up what the filthy rich man has done to the working class taxpayers and their life savings. I see the real truth of insurance companies coming out and I see CEO's, along with other high level executives milking the life right out of their companies and walking away with millions. There are so many thieves in high places it would be impossible to arrest them all so our government and judicial system is just going to let that side of this greed driven thefts go unpunished.
I also see American people who are tired of "buying" all or allies and giving millions to corrupt governments all over the world. I see Americans who really don't give a damn about people in other lands who refuse to come out of the dark ages. If they want to live like uneducated fools, let them!
I see wage scales destroyed by the greedy rich man who found illegal immigrants will work for half what an American will work so they can STIMULATE their OWN economy south of the border. I see a lot of problems that government, which needs to be downsized immediately, has turned a blind eye too in an effort to support the filthy rich and for election votes from those they are protecting. I see a nation where We the people need to take back that which the constitution declares is OURS! The reality which is being painted right now is nothing but a ruse to keep our minds off of a much greater agenda whch is coming our way. I would suggest everyone brace themselves as our leaders are going to sell us off like cattle to slaughter and they darn sure don't want us to be ready!