08.11.06
Posted in Fishing by Haikal
The Recreational Value of Fishing
Many people consider that fish are only a medium of survival, or to some extent a food supply; yet there is another angle that is little known. The manufacturing industry utilizes more than two billion pounds of fish and fish by-products every year. This is slightly more than is used for food.
What most people do not know is that fishing continues to provide recreational activity of making it one of the most preferred hobbies.
In fact, fishing as a hobby is continuously growing and that is why the estimated number of people who acquire fishing licenses each year is more than 12 million.
Moreover, surveys show that for every dollar spent for a fishing license, there are sixteen dollars spent for equipment, such as fishing tackle, food, clothing, and transportation. There is more money spent on fishing than on any other hobby in existence.
Why is it a Great Hobby?
It is a means of providing something to free the mind and body of the worries of the day. It has also been proven to help in mentoring troubled teens, replacing negative thoughts and activity with more positive traits and pursuits. Fishing is truly a wholesome sport.
The use of all types of fishing equipment has added something that no other feature could possibly accomplish. Thousands of youngsters are enthusiastic to learn how to cast a fly or plug bait.
These youngsters have an interest in fish and fishing and they desire to fish in a lawful and recreational manner.
Boiled down, fish and fishing may be considered one of man’s essential resources. It is hoped that further realization of fishing as a hobby will develop the necessary knowledge of the true recreational value of fishing, the fish, and the general conservation of all natural resources as well as the value of good sportsmanship and developing good citizens.
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08.10.06
Posted in Uncategorized by Haikal
Is Your Hobby Helping or Hindering Your Family Life ?
Ask a room full of people what hobby they have and you will get as many answers as there are people. Others will confess that they do not have a hobby. They probably do; but just do not label it as such. By definition, a hobby is an activity or interest pursued outside one’s regular occupation and engaged in primarily for pleasure.
Whether stamp collecting, chat rooms, trains, soft ball, scrapbooking, golf, reading, painting, tap dancing, yard work, crafts, auto mechanics, music, hunting down garage sales, sewing, fishing, cooking, boating, furniture refinishing, javelin tossing or a plethora of other activities or interests the key element is balance. You must find balance between your family life and your extracurricular activities.
Too much of a good thing turns bad. Everyone should have an outlet and a special interest that they enjoy doing for themselves. Self indulgence, to a point, is quite healthy. Escaping from day to day grinds to take some time to devote to your special hobby or concentration is therapeutic. You have all heard, “if Mamma ain’t happy, no one’s happy.” It does not matter if your role is father, mother, husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend, son, daughter, brother or sister, if you are just going to work or school and have no real outside activities, you are probably not always the most friendly person to be around.
Conversely, if you bury yourself and it seems to others that all you care about or all you ever want to do is bang on the drums all day, you are setting yourself up or prolonging discontent. People deal with depression in many ways. Some sleep all the time. Others want to do nothing but read, read, read. Still others will spend hours upon hours downstairs building a bigger, faster widget, just to avoid the real cause of their frustrations. Hobbies are supposed to be a healthy outlet, not a catalyst to ignore issues that need addressing.
Likewise, hobbies can get very expensive. Sure snow mobiles, motorcycles and ski equipment are obviously expensive. But sometimes those seemingly low cost activities can add up. You start out with trying to budget for the monthly karate lessons. Then you need (or want) the gi, the uniform. Do not forget about the protective sparring equipment. Perhaps you think you need to have a heavy bag or some shields to help you practice. Figure on $30-$50 per tournament that you enter. Of course there is the uninsured medical and orthodontia costs to be calculated in as well. “Let’s see, do we pay the mortgage this month, so get that new helmet that you just have to have?”
If your hobby is doing more harm than good, if it is dipping into the family budget and time allocation, more than you can or should be spending, it is time to reevaluate. If you are not doing something outside your standard occupation that you enjoy, it is time to find something, for your and your family’s sake!
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