The dictionary definition of hobby is “an activity done regularly in one’s leisure time for pleasure.” Pastime means the same. Whichever term one wants to use, it’s safe to say most folks have one, two or more things they do for fun and not profit, though they may not view them as “hobbies.” Years ago, for instance, America’s favorite pastime (at least among boys) was a sport: baseball. Most every kid played it via organized leagues and/or pickup games, and followed their favorite professional teams. Although it’s grown more popular as a passive endeavor, football never surpassed the participation aspect, though—arguably—basketball and soccer (aka traditional football) have. The explosion of fantasy leagues and legalized betting has added additional layers to those pastimes, too, but it’s beside the point. Most everyone has something. Some hobbies, such as watching TV, are passive endeavors, while others—woodworking, knitting, video games—are active.
My main hobbies, these days, are this blog and its primary focus, music—though, often, music is little more than a McGuffin for my flights of fancy.
Mind you, I’ve received review requests since the days of the original Old Grey Cat (1997-2006), though back then I mostly ignored them. During the pandemic, however, I opened one such request, then another, and then another, and began to find and feature a wealth of young artists who spoke to my aging soul. As a result, most mornings (and some late nights) I press play on a forthcoming release—today’s pick is Charlie Kaplan’s A Hat Upon the Bed, which is out this Friday—and then press play on it again. I listen. I think. I open up Pages, aka the Mac version of Word, and jot down ideas and phrases, paragraphs even, and visit and re-visit until I’m done. It’s fun.
The Old Grey Cat 