Hobby Please…

Every interview has some common questions like “Tell me about yourself”, “What are your dreams” and “What is your hobby”
Hobby…. This question was a night mare to me.
Mr. Toastmaster, Fellow Toastmaster and my dear friends,
During my childhood, my hobby was the same as my friend. She too had trouble. But watching realty shows has given her some inputs. She always picked the one which could not make the opposite person ask questions. However, I could not easily lie. When I was a child, I forcibly collected some stamps and purchased a set from an exhibition. I used that as my hobby. But when people asked as to what is my aim and what did I learn and what I plan to do with it, I did not have an answer.
Sooner, I found that this was not what I wanted to do or get embarrassed with. I conducted a survey on various hobbies.
Some of them were Watching TV, reading book, collecting coins or stamps, eating, roaming, gardening, cycling, dressing, singing, dancing, eating, sleeping, painting, playing cricket based on the thirst. None of the answers satisfied me nor suited me. My problem remained. One day , My aunt came down to my house.
Aunt, what is your hobby?
“Cooking, cleaning house” was her immediate reply. “What do you want?”
“I need a hobby”
The laughter took time to settle.
“Do you know what is a hobby?”
“Aunt, I know. A constant question asked by a person to whom you get introduced.”
“ My aunt took me in her hands and said, What do you do in your free time?”
“I walk behind my mother wherever she goes.”
“ Do you play?”
“No. Not much. I play when my mother is next to me.”
“ Oh.. So, walking behind your mother is your hobby?”
I felt relieved then. Later, when I grew up, I found that my hobby was just whiling away time. i.e. Laziness.
But how do I say that. Nobody will respect me, talk to me. I started playing tennikoit. Thanks to the physical training hour in school. They trained me in wobbling, smashing, serving.. I learnt it thoroughly. However, diminishing eyesight did not allow me to continue. Now I had to say hobby with an excuse. Those days spectacles were made of glass instead of plastic or high index lens.
I was in search of a hobby again. I tried reading books, however, I could not compete with book readers. My confidence started going down and I feared to meet people. Solitude hurt me.
I visited my aunt’s place. I talked continuously, when she said, “Latha, talking is your hobby. “
I was happy to find an unquestionable hobby. Then on I stuck to my hobby. Sooner, people started to analyze what I say. I was in trouble. Accidental gossips led me to trouble. I sooner had suggestions to learn what to talk, where to talk, when to talk and how to talk.
So, finalized hobby was in trouble again. But I was already in danger that if I stop talking, I may end up badly. Unable to catch up with what is required and I started changing my styles based on the listeners.
Sooner, I lost track on patterns. Thanks to age, that my grey cells had no place to store. I was worried. I wandered and bought books after books. My laziness never allowed me to read even a chapter. My mother worried more as it required greater effort to pack while shifting.
I was then in a job by then, safely settled. I had a great relief. If I do not opt to participate in reality shows, I will never be asked that question. I had created an end to a daring question.
Happiness did not lost long. Pavitra my colleague in office met me over coffee. “ How do you spend your time ? What is your hobby?”
Now Back again. The Deadly devil is here again. I quickly thought and said, “Chatting with friends.”
Name your friends was her next question. “ You…” was my immediate reply.
Now I can safely say talking, chatting, working and sleeping as I do all of them regularly. Chatting with my office colleagues on technical issues, working longer hours, talking continuously for 5 mins and sleeping when I do not do the other three.
I now have 4 Hobbies. How many do you have?
Mr. TM