Oddball Hobbies You'll Absolutely Love Howard Means
Writers Howard Means and Susan Sheehan unearthed unusual pastimes for their book about hobbies. Some favorites... - Historic reuniting. Rather than just collecting old items, track down their former owners or descendants and return the items.
Examples: Old military collectibles, such as medals, dogtags and uniforms, often have names or codes that can be used to identify their original owners. Antique postcards can be traced via the names and addresses on them. Old pictures might identify the subject on the back. - Architectural tourism. Select a type of structure or architecture that you find compelling. Learn more about it, and visit examples in your travels.
Example: We spoke with a Pennsylvania man who walked across 130 catenary suspension bridges -- the most famous are the Golden Gate and Brooklyn bridges -- some as far away as Asia. He took photos of each and put them in scrapbooks. - Competitive kite-flying. Devotees design and build their own complex kites and get together with other enthusiasts to fly them. The American Kitefliers Association has more than 4,000 members and sponsors events around the country. Attending an event and chatting with kite enthusiasts is a good way to get started. 1-800-252-2550, aka.kite.org.
- Doing things the old-fashioned way. Low-tech production methods may not be practical, but they can be enjoyable. We spoke with a woman in Pennsylvania who bought a 19th-century spinning wheel and learned through the local historical society how to use it. The same thinking can be applied to other pursuits. Woodworkers might enjoy their hobby more if they didn't use power tools.
Bottom Line/Personal interviewed Howard Means, coauthor of The Banana Sculptor, the Purple Lady, and the All-Night Swimmer: Hobbies, Collecting, and Other Passionate Pursuits (Simon & Schuster). He lives in Bethesda, Maryland.
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