A Man and His Hobbies: Is This Work-Life Balance?

I love to throw a line in the water and watch a fish take a fly. I then lovingly release it back into the water, careful to not touch its gills or stress it out. Yes, I hook a fish only to do all I can not to harm it. On a surface level, it seems a little silly – without purpose. After all, men are supposed to achieve and to accomplish and coming home with nothing to show is counterproductive.

But in the dark winter, when the snow crunches from the cold and the days don’t last through the commute, thinking about standing on a river gives me comfort.

Men have other hobbies – sports, golf, cars, woodworking and lawn work. Is this what a work-life balance looks like? Do we work hard just so we can play?

Kyle Worley explores the connection men have to their hobbies. His article, “Hobbies, Gift or God,” appears at the Council on Biblical Manhod and Womanhood.

Although Kyle is still relatively young, he observes that with time, “the hobbies just got bigger and more expensive. With salaries and full-time jobs, young men are given resources to take their hobbies and obsessions to new levels.”

It’s true. I have many friends who spend fortunes on hobbies, because, they say, “it gives them balance from their work.”

The problem with expensive hobbies is that you feel obligated to pursue them. A row boat might sit in the backyard for years without a drop of water touching the hull. But upgrade to a ski boat and you absolutely, must spend every summer weekend on the lake, kids in tow.

“We often have a hard time being able to enjoy our hobbies in a restful way, without immersing themselves headfirst in a world of distraction,” writes Kyle.

Read his article here. I’m interested to find out, do hobbies give you balance?

Post by Newsletter Editor David Rupert.

Click the graphic to read more great articles in the Work-Life Balance series.

Image credits to be found in the accompanying gallery.