I have often given thought to my fragmented hobby interests; just too many activities within which to divide my time. So what is a man to do? Make the best from all of them, of course.
I struggle to overcome what may be seen as a character flaw, that of being an amateur “renaissance man” or “polymath“. I have always aspired toward gaining a wide but significantly detailed range of knowledge and varied abilities. This does not automatically make me a genius as that is a definite distinction from polymath. I have not always followed the conventional schooled method of knowledge building, as I generally consider that route too slow and limiting. Self study and deep lifetime involvement serve me just as well.
The result is I have gained considerable proficiency in many areas of interest. Here are a few; I am a licensed private aircraft pilot; I am a licensed amateur radio builder and operator; I am a certified energy engineer; I am a trade journeyman pipe fitter; I am a Navy veteran; I am a sheet metal and copper smith; I am an electrician; I am a computer literate in both hardware and programming; I am a machinist; I am a woodworker; I have built aircraft, both model and full size with many hundreds of hours of flight time in both; I can sail a boat; I am an image artist in painting and photography; I enjoy (good) music; I perform choir singing and have played trumpet as a young man; I design and control inside environments; I build web sites and Blogs and Internet storefronts; I study the heavens and stars and wonder at nature and the universe; I have been half way around the globe; I am always asked how I know and do so much. Well, that is who I am. I am also proud to be a good husband and father.
Along side metal machining, woodworking is again my current private life passion, wood carving in particular. Wood has always been a core obsession since my maternal grandfather planted the seed. I have a large collection of magazines and books on the subject. This home library confirms I have been practicing and studying this craft all my life. I have constructed some nice projects, but I never made it a full time vocation or avocation. It’s those many other interests I listed that gets in the way of full time dedication to one single lust. I do have one passion that is a full 50% of my hours in the day and it pays the bills; it’s my profession in energy management control…
But I am not a tinkerer, or a person lacking of skill. I become proficient at most everything and master at some. My declining health has me concerned but has not stopped me. I have to work harder and sometimes slower, but I press on. I hope I encourage the young to pursue all their interests. There is a lifetime in which to do it, but it starts today.