It's Your Thang, Do What You Wanna Do...

People like to hang out with other people who share common interests—it doesn’t take an expert or any sort of break-through study to reach this conclusion. That’s why bowling leagues exist, tea groups have followings, and the epitome of special interest niche groups—Star Wars conventions—thrive.

Lately I have been thinking about how much I LOVE some of the stuff people I know are into, and not because of a shared enthusiasm or personal interest. One of my roommates has ardently thrown herself into participating in any and all Republican Club events, even venturing far-and-wide to attend conventions. I know someone else who is in the midst of an intense board-game phase and he recently spent give-or-take $300 on a particular game, tricking it out with multiple expansion packs (first of all, this is definitely in a league above Monopoly or other Mattel games; and second of all, expansion packs exist for board games?).

I have about as much interest in attending a Republican club convention as I do in spending a day collating papers (no offense, I don’t really think I’d like to attend a Democratic Club convention either—as oblivious as it makes me, politics is not my venue); and while I am always down for a solid game of scrabble or Monopoly, my expertise in the world of board games does not extend much further than Sorry! and the occasional, ceremonious game of Candy Land. But it makes me so happy—literally, I smile something fierce—to see these people so invested in their respective “things.”

Maybe it’s the novelty of these interests—at a college in California, the Republican Club seems a tad off the beaten path; and in general my generation seems more concerned with being informed on the cutting-edge of technology than dabbling with archaic tangible board games.

I think my appreciation for niche-interest groups extends beyond their renegade nature though, because I think it is just as great when people eat-sleep-and-breath dance, gardening, science fiction, or even pick-up soccer and basketball leagues. Someone’s “thing” is anything he/she spends an adequate amount of time doing, thinking about, and most importantly—enjoying! There is not a requisite level of skill involved either: you don’t have to be an elite bocce ball player or ceramics maker. There is no apprenticeship for knitting or bird watching which you must graduate from in order to be considered a true aficionado.

Maybe what I like so much about “things” is the action and intention they require—the fact that people must consciously set up their schedule, seek out fellowship, and make at least some life-style choices in order to accommodate said interest. There are only so many hours in a day, and we choose how to spend them. So what’s your thing? Are your Saturdays consumed by watching T.V. or do you enjoy polishing your antique musket collection or scouring beaches for junk that has drifted ashore? Is Wednesday night devoted to hot yoga or does it just slip between your fingers while you sit around doing nothing? We live in a culture that revolves around the daily grind; but snap out of it! Do something you think is cool, not just required.