Why Having a Hobby is Important

December 20, 2023

When you have extra time on your hands, what do you do with it?

Your answer to this question might rely on whether or not you have a hobby. A hobby is something you can enjoy, doing it day after day in that one hour of free time. Hobbies keep you busy; they keep you entertained to the point you lose track of time. Having a hobby means that you crave free time because you can’t wait to spend some time doing that hobby. Whether it be painting, singing, or working on cars like I do, hobbies can be significant to have, as they can distract you from problems going on around you or just give you something to do while you’re bored.

Another good thing about hobbies is that they can make you money, and they can open up opportunities for you. Some, like me, are even able to turn a hobby into a job–and having a job that you enjoy doing is a good thing. My hobby is working on cars and it’s been very beneficial for me, as I got a job as an apprentice mechanic. Working on cars has given me a lot of knowledge and plans for the future.

But having a hobby is not just about doing something good with your time or even finding a job; it is about enjoying time with yourself. The way you can find a hobby if you don’t have one is by thinking about what you are interested in and finding a way to spend a little more time with it. For example, if you are interested in cooking, try making dinner one night. If you are interested in art, try painting by yourself or even go to a class. It really is all about seeing what you are interested in and learning more about it, going deeper into it. The best way to learn more about what you’re interested in can be done in a number of ways including looking at videos, going to events, or talking to like-minded people about the thing you are interested in.

Hobbies can be life changing. All it takes is thinking about what you enjoy and what you want to learn about. A hobby can make you take a break from the stress you tend to feel day to day.

It can open your eyes to multiple possibilities and new perspectives. All you’ve got to do is find something.

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About the Contributor

Emilio Villatoro Lazo, Staff Writer

Do you care a lot about cars or really love to drive? For some people, cars and driving mean a lot more than they do to others. Paint Branch senior Emilio Villatoro is one of these people because cars are a significant part of his life. According to him, this is mainly because he owns a Honda Civic that he built from the ground up. Emilio drives his Civic as often as possible and uses it as a place of comfort to blast music through his speakers and drive away his problems. In fact, in order to make cars a focus for him, Emilio enrolled in the Thomas Edison program for half the school day to study and learn how to fix and build cars as a trade. Edison’s Autotech which is his favorite class. As an upperclassman, Emilio only attends classes at PB for the first half of the day and then heads to Edison. Fluent in Spanish, Emilio’s favorite artist is Night Lovell who is a Canadian rapper notably known for his hit song “JOAN OF ARC.” Emilio says that music is a part of his day-to-day life. “I listen to music almost every day in my car, at school, at home-- everywhere I can basically,” he says. Emilio went to a Night Lovell concert at the Fillmore in Silver Spring this past June. Asked what artist he would like to see collaborate with Night Lovell, he says, “$uicideboy$ already did a song with Night Lovell, but a duo album between the both of them--that’d be cool.” Emilio’s a foodie along with being a car guy and his top three restaurants are Wendy’s where he gets a “Baconator,” Panda Express, and Subway, in no particular order. However, if he had to choose a favorite, Subway would be it. At Subway he gets a sandwich with pepperoni, salami, bacon, melted American cheese with ketchup. Emilio has two siblings, one in tenth grade and the other one in elementary. Though he’s reluctant to identify which is his favorite, he does note that he wouldn’t let either of them drive his car. By: Zachary Kamba

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Why Having a Hobby is Important

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