Too Many Hobbies

There's way too much to learn/do in 2023

Part of me wishes I grew up in a time before the Internet. I should preface by saying I understand how convenient everything is now, and how the Internet has improved so many aspects of my life. I really only want to live in a time before the World Wide Web because instead of children—I’m growing hobbies.

Let’s say you want to learn to cook. Pre-internet you’d have to buy cookbooks, go to a library, take some classes, and spend hours figuring it out in a kitchen on your own. Now I can cook an amazing cacio e pepe with no prior experience and a blender. This is great for me, not my waistline. However I feel like this age of “Google it” has made me take things for granted.

I’m working on a small electronics project for my wedding—wiring a phone to be an audio guestbook. If you’d have given me this task pre-internet, I would have had to invent something. Maybe I would wire a Sony Walkman to the phone that it would record into. Now, with raspberry pi computers and YouTube tutorials I’m procrastinating on this project since I know it The worst part is I’m going to do this electronics project, and I may never do another one again.

That’s the problem with these hobbies. They are so easy to learn, but no one is taking the time to master them. There was a documentary called Jiro Dreams of Sushi (it’s amazing, you should watch it). The story is about a legendary sushi chef, and his two sons following in their father’s footsteps. The titular character, Jiro Ono, has been a sushi chef since 1951! He spent his over seventy years of his life making sushi, becoming a true master. Meanwhile learn how to make sourdough starter, use it for four months, accidentally kill it, and bail to another thing.

I guess I’m concerned we’re in an age where we will all be masters of none. Sure, I’ll kinda know how to make pasta, and kinda be able to solder wires, but don’t you dare ask me to teach someone. Otherwise you’ll end up covered in pecorino romano and electrical burns.