What things do you do that your passionate about?

John Baker

John Baker

Final Approach
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John Baker
On tonights world news, there was a story about a talk show host calling it quits. She made a speech about living your life with some sort of purpose. Then a television psychologist gave his thoughts about that subject.

He claimed you should not quit your job, sell your house, and devote the remainder of your life for the good of all mankind, but rather keep all those things, but do something you are passionate about. Do things you really enjoy doing.

Myself, I enjoy rescuing, or at least helping, the creatures nobody else cares about or wants, ugly damaged alley cats, cur dogs, sick pigeons and ones with broken wings, possums, raccoons, skunks, etc..

My other love of course is flying.

So...... besides getting laid, what arouses your passions?

John
 
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Family
Road Racing
Coin Collecting
Wine
Cooking
Flying

Most of all? I'm one of the fortunate souls who love my job. I get to make products that touch the food plates of about 15MM people every day, and the challenge of doing that in the current environment is extraordinarily rewarding. We have also just started production in Africa which, from humanitarian and spiritual perspectives, is just amazing.

Eggman
 
Teaching.
Putting humpty dumpty together again.
Bringing ne'er do wells to justice.
Coming home to family.
When I have any energy left over, cooking.
 
Helping animals that need it, flying (and other associated conversions of fuel into noise), working on vehicles, riding motorcycles, and (of course), spending time with my bride-to-be.

No wonder I'm so happy. :)
 
Nothing. Not even flying. I do it, just for something to do.
 
My passions have changed over the course of my lifetime, but I've always been passionate about airplanes, and after I retired from the police department I thought that I would just be happy to work on planes and fly. That didn't last as long as I had hoped it would. Last summer my wife and I decided to take some swimming lessons and become better swimmers. For me it just got way out of hand, and the results were that next week I will be on the deck of the Furman Aquatic Center as a lifeguard supervisor and shift leader. This week we have been doing in-service lifeguard training, and this week I found that I am passionate about swimming. In fact, I'll be in the pool drowning at noon today. One thing about being a 61 year old lifeguard supervisor is that in training I make a great heart attack or stroke victim. :wink2:
 
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My family.
My German Shepherds. I've always had dogs, but I've had German Shepherds for 17 years. I brought back a few from Germany, I like a breeder we know there. A month ago over Easter, I adopted a German Shepherd from a kill shelter in Florida. Just looking at him, he is from imported lines, likely DDR or Czech lines, and he was not a cheap puppy. I can't believe he was dumped. He has some medical issues we're fixing, heartworms. But he is a great dog already.
 
Passion? That's a tough one. There are many things I enjoy--some more than others. Even after my 1st solo and the solo cross-countries I couldn't quite muster a war hoop. Big smile, yes.

Maybe I'm wired differently.

The wife and I do foster care for four medically fragile kiddies and we always seem to be adopting someone else's dogs and cats. We just do it because we can and the wife, as an RN, is pretty handy with sick kiddies.

I agree with Heinlein that "specialization is for insects" which as I why I pursue lots of avocations. I haven't been lucky enough to find a job that I loved so much that it consumed me and never felt like work.

The only true "passion" I've felt in the past years seems to involve political causes and that's because I'm pi$$Ed off.

$0.03
 
I don't do "lists" since I am very open to new experiences. My immediate passion changes according to my age and economic status. But, to answer in the sense of the question, my family comes first (I could be Pac Protector), then all manner of water and air vehicles. I love my work, although it is still 'work' and I would happily leave it tomorrow if I could. I guess my life-long recreational passions are science, warm water sports, and flying.
 
John Baker said:
He claimed you should not quit your job, sell your house, and devote the remainder of your life for the good of all mankind, but rather keep all those things, but do something you are passionate about. Do things you really enjoy doing.
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You have to have the job in order to pay for the house every month for the rest of your life so you'll have a place to stay while you go to work to get money to pay for the house so you can go to work. The house owns the person, not the other way around.

That psychologist is a fruitcake.

In order to do what I'm passionate about, I can't have the cookie cutter job and I certainly can't have the rabbit hutch house. Having either destroys who I am and I what I do.

Passions:
Travel (I'm pretty sure I'm in AZ right now. Probably. I think. Maybe)
Photography
Live theatre (backstage, not in the audience)
Motorcycles, boats, motorhome, whatever keeps the journey going.

<--- Nomad
 
Things I really enjoy doing besides flying airplanes:

Waterskiing.
Snowskiing.
Playing hockey.
Socializing with other pilots, especially when they're working on their planes.
Fixing things (or more accurately diagnosing problems, I'm happy to let others do the fixing most of the time).
 
fgcason said:
You have to have the job in order to pay for the house every month for the rest of your life so you'll have a place to stay while you go to work to get money to pay for the house so you can go to work. The house owns the person, not the other way around.

That psychologist is a fruitcake.
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Uh, Frank... Read closer. There's a *not* before "quit your job" there.

As for me... Flying, making music, travel.
 
John Baker said:
So...... besides getting laid, what arouses your passions?
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Suuure, take out the fun one. ;) :rolleyes2:

tonycondon said:
soaring
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We would have NEVER guessed, Tony! ;)

gismo said:
You must be passionate about your apathy then.
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I've met more than one person like that. ;)

For me I like so many things about life it's hard to make lists. Some things I would put on a "makes life worthwhile" list would be:

  • Volunteering, especially in Emergency Services type organizations. When the you-know-what hits the fan, it's good to help other people.

  • Flying, of course. Actually "piloting" or "driving" any vehicle is fun. Airplanes, cars, trucks, boats, whatever. Kinetic feedback types of activities.
  • Photography (Something I've avoided for far too long in life, but liked as a young man, and avoided due to costs for the gear I'd really want. Took the plunge and picked up a Sony A55 recently and a couple of lenses.)
  • Telling stories of others to a wider audience. Have always liked that... dig in, find all those folks who don't brag about having done amazing things, and try to respectfully tell more people about their life's story.
  • Hanging out with people. (Kinda have to like hanging with people if you want to hear their stories.)
  • Fixing/Maintaining things. Doesn't really matter what it is... I'll enjoy learning how and also doing it.
  • Learning new things.

Dunno, there's probably more...
 
gkainz said:
Can I be apathetic about my passions, then? :D

Hunting, shooting, snowmobiling... used to be very into scuba when I lived in San Diego - dove 3-4 times a week for years.
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Guns, I forgot guns!
 
Hmm.... Passionate?

Solving the problem... whatever problem....just because. I like the challenge.
Which comes with learning new things. Id rather be wrong, learn something, than be right all the time.

Motorcycles, track days, group rides. Being "one" with the bike. I know it sounds stupid, but once you've laid your knee down at 100mph, pure focus and clarity. Nothing much compares.

Helping friends, just because.

Flying, for the challenge and the group of friends it brings.
 
Taking care of my girls. I love them, and I treasure every moment with them, even when they're throwing a fit. I really love being "Daddy." Being a father is like the Army -- the toughest job you'll ever love.

Other passions?

Coaching soccer. I really enjoy communicating my love of the sport to kids.

That's about it. I'm not really a passionate guy. Must be my Scottish ancestry!
 
I'm lucky that I'm passionate about what I do.
I worked as a cop and did disaster response as a hobby for 20 years. After I had to retire from police work, I now do disaster work as a job.

But as another person said, I am passionate about learning new things.
 
Astronomy. I have a 10" Dob mounted reflector that I take out from time to time. Shooting during daylight hours.
 
Anyway, the point of the television psychologist's opinion was that if you want good, all around mental health and well being, you have to have at least one thing that you are passionately interested in. Otherwise you are simply existing from day to day, not going up, and in the long run, probably slipping downward, on your way to becoming a full fledged couch potato.

John
 
John - I agree with that opinion. While we might not all consider it a passion, I believe we need to participate on those activities that give us pleasure or satisfaction - I know when I need a flying fix, or shooting session, or start itching for hunting trips.
 
#1. FLYING
#2. Flying
#3. flying
#4. going flying
#5. Taking others flying
#6. Flying search and rescue.
#7. Thinking about flying
#8. Switching conversations around to talk about flying.
I was going to tell you what I am very passionate about, but he said " other
than that"!
 
1) The personal project (photo story) I'm working on.
2) travel
3) photography
4) Food/wine
5) flying
6) gardening/home projects

Flying has fallen a few notches, partly because it's much less convenient than it used to be. Travel is associated with #1 and #3, and is in danger of falling due to the TSA.
 
Flying, dogs, flying dogs to safety, my lady, Kali, exercising, making music, my family, teaching. That's all I have time for...
 
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My daughter.
My wife.
Knowledge.
Food, drink, and other victuals.
Cycling.
 
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