Who taught you your hobby?

[purplepoppy]

I was down the docks recently and saw a small child clutching a fishing rod under the guidance of his dad. It's a sight I've seen many times, a father passing on his skills while bonding with his son. Most girls will of course baked with mother in a similar way.

So for your main hobbies, who introduced you to them and showed you the ropes. Or were you entirely self taught?

[WhiteSteve]

It used to be (American) football, and that I learned between my dad (teaching me to throw and catch, and selflessly allowing me to tackle him full force waist-deep in the ocean to build my leg strength…til I broke one of his ribs when I was about 14 lmao. To this day, when I see a dude who can’t properly throw a football, I immediately wonder where his dad was for him on that one😂), and then various coaches as I grew up and played on organized teams. I’ve aged out of football, that’s definitely a young man’s game, but I managed to play until my early 30s in a semipro league, and I consider that a huge life-win, as most guys are done at the end of high school at 17, 18 years old, or MAYBE 22, if they’re good enough to play at the collegiate level.

My three big hobbies now are working out, ice hockey, and bass fishing.

Working out was self-taught, mostly, just picking up pointers from others along the way, and some degree of literature on the subject.

I got into fishing maybe ten years ago. We started going to a friend’s family’s rental property on one of the best fishing lakes in our region, and a couple friends have or have access to fishing boats. I initially would just go for the ride and enjoy the scenery while everyone else fished. One year, I purchased a weekend fishing license in the state we go to for the trips, and I borrowed a pole from one of my buddies. Eventually, with some guidance from them, I started catching some fish, and I got the bug from there. The last few years, I’ve started fishing several times a week in the warm seasons, just on my own, so I’m getting pretty good at it. Still not as good as my friends are, but I’m getting there. Starting to think a lot of that is because I don’t captain the boat though. Like I’m at the back, one friend is up front, one’s in the middle, so a fish has a high likelihood of going after the first guy who tries to get it. I’m sitting in back casting at spots where there’s already been an attempt made. But it’s not my boat or my rental place, so I don’t complain about it. But I took the boat out on my own one day and absolutely smashed it fishing, so maybe there’s something to the idea of the increased competition hurting people due to their positioning in the boat.

Ice hockey is the newest hobby, and I am FULLY poured into it. The learning curve is TOUGH too, because it requires you to learn ice skating AND the stick-and-puck skills, it’s kind of 2-in-1. I taught myself to skate on rollerblades when I was like 10, so that was helpful in transitioning to ice skating. It’s not completely the same but trains your muscles to make a lot of similar movements. Coming up with some street hockey experience, I thought the transition would be easy, and I guess maybe it has been, relative to other novices, I’ve never had the whole “baby giraffe” thing, struggling to stay upright, so that’s good. The stick skills and associated hand-eye coordination are tougher to develop. I live in a major ice hockey hotbed area, so I’m surrounded by really good players who have been playing since like 6 years old, and obviously I’m well behind starting at 42. I take an instructional class every week, then I play pick-up hockey another 4 or 5 times a week, so I get a lot of practice. Some stuff is hard to master though, like “flexing” your stick. Turns out these newfangled composite hockey sticks have “kick points” where they bend a little, adding to the shot velocity when it recoils. Some are stiffer, some are more “whippy”, as they come with a flex rating, so like a “75” means it takes 75 lbs of pressure to bend it. If you put 100 lbs on it, it may fracture or break, so a lot of it is about your own body weight. I’m having trouble activating the flex, I think, so my shot power isn’t as strong as I want it, I completely rely on my own muscular strength to generate velocity. The point of this whole diatribe (sorry, I’m rambling lmfao) is that, related to your question, I rely heavily on YouTube channels that focus on hockey skills/training. This British dude was the first one, he was good for the whole idea of even pursuing this endeavor, and how to select equipment for yourself.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/zctJQPChRGs

Then this Canadian dude has a really good channel, he’s easy to understand, and is just kind of likeable…

https://youtube.com/shorts/cgPVL3u0fe4?feature=share

iTrain Hockey is another good channel, but seems a little advanced for my level at the moment, my goal is to get to that kind of level. But there’s still some good stuff to be learned even where I’m at now. But mostly, I’m just super-amused by his extremely heavy Canadian accent. When tells the kids “GOH” at the beginning of the drill, gets me every time😂

https://www.youtube.com/embed/6pr3ZyMmGDI

[Lliam]

Shortly after the Beatles became popular, I decided that I wanted to play guitar. My parents gave me one in 1965 when I was eleven.

My dad was lead machinist at a large aerospace manufacturer and knew an engineer there who offered to give me lessons.

I was surprised when the man walked into our house. He was a tall, elegant black man. This was at the height of the civil rights struggle with riots all over.

Come to find out, Mr. Freeman wasn't just a guitarist, he was a master flamenco guitarist and had been to Spain several times to study the craft. He was more sophisticated than my parents even though he had grown up during segregation.

He taught me chords. I practiced and practiced.

Mr. Freeman became a hero to me for what he had accomplished in his life. And he didn't have any chips on his shoulder. He was just a good human being. After meeting him, any thoughts of racism were impossible.

Due to his work, Mr. Freeman only came a few times, but what he taught me on the guitar was very useful.

From then on, I learned on my own. I played in some kid bands and even participated in a talent show at a local park where I played guitar and sang two Beatles songs.

I got my first electric guitar when I was 13.

By 9th grade, I began trying to learn the guitar leads to some popular songs. The first one was Light My Fire by the Doors.

I carried my acoustic guitar everywhere.

In high school, I discovered rock - Hendrix, Cream, Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, and stuff like that. I got really good at playing leads and being fearless.

So, aside from initial lessons to learn the basic chords, I taught myself. Of course, I also learned things from guitar playing friends and by watching professional musicians.

[dustybiker]

This could be another mytake. 😎

[Msputiton]

My pops got me started.

But lots of coaches and trainers along the way

[Ms_Facesitter]

My father. Showed me pacman, it only went downhill from there :p

[MrOracle]

While both parents taught me things - my dad taught me to use tools and very basic repair/maintenance of my bikes, skateboards, and (his) cars, my mother taught me household tasks (cooking, cleaning, laundry), and I learned to be a musician in school, I taught myself most of my own job skills and hobbies.

When I get interested in something, I read about that subject, and more recently, I'll often watch YouTube videos to supplement that knowledge and to help learn a new skill, but of course that didn't exist when I was growing up - at best, I had the public library.

I taught myself computers, audio/video skills, DJing, videography, networking, surfing, photography, cars, guns, outdoorsmanship, and most other things I do. And I've in turn taught my parents some of these things.

It would have been great to be able to learn more directly from other people as a kid, but I was pretty advanced for my age, and adults were either too busy (which is fair and understandable) or just didn't take me seriously enough, so I did things on my own because I didn't want to have to rely on other people and their schedules.

Even today, with my current job, my biggest frustrations are having to rely on other people/businesses to get my job done. Dealing with ISPs (Internet Service Providers) to get Internet working, or a gear company for some tech support, or as happened this week, waiting an hour (on the clock) for a third-party IT department to get me access to a computer that I needed to work on for my customer, waiting on people who don't share my (or my customers') priorities is the least fun part of my job.

[Chazmatazz269]

I developed my love for the great outdoors and most creatures, great and small, due to my childhood home. Since my parents chose that home for many of the same reasons i loved it, it’s fair to say i learned that from them.
I learned to love movies with my favorite cousin and his dad, my mother’s only brother.
I learned to love video games from my childhood best friend.

[AviatorTom]

My main hobby is coin collecting, and my father taught me that. When I was about 5yo, I would help him go through his change to find coins that he didn't yet have in his collection.

[Twalli]

I was taught how to read fast (not speed reading) by a classmate in first grade. Then I started reading long books for myself by 3rd or 4th grade, and by about 9th grade I was at a college senior's reading level. I am, so far, the only person I know who lost the standing offer most parents give of taking their kids to the bookstore to buy any books they want.
I once read the entire Alex Rider series in 5 days while taking a full college courseload.

[jorfan3]

I developed the hobby of charcuterie and wine pairing with my partner; but I started mixing food together for fun at a very young ate. I was in elementary school. I basically do the same thing now, just in a more sophisticated way lol.

[SnowedIn]

Building models was my brother.

Lego was myself.

Reading was sort of my dad.

Writing was Mr Foster in 9th grade.

[exitseven]

My dad taught me how to catch fish. Sometimes we used a rod and reel and sometimes we used a spear.

[jamesgoldman]

Mostly self-taught via research as well as trial and much error

My late antique dealer taught me a lot during our extensive conversations

[bean2k21]

My dad taught me how to tie knots and punish people.

[NathanDavis]

most of them, I explored them on my own... even had to hide for it lmao (knives and axe throwing)

[torn_downosprey]

Youtube, or myself. Trial and error mostly. Im talking about model kit building, running, body building, and hunting. All of those were self-taught with some advice from others.

[Z1pTD]

It's just me myself and I

Solo ride until I die

Cuz I got me for life

[Rangers]

I'm incapable of feeling joy and have no time nor energy anyways

[dustybiker]

Self or class. 50/50.

[ShadezMcgee]

No one. I taught myself

[Agape93]

Mix of self taught and best friend showing me how.

[Pete671]

I learnt by grasping another boy's rod,

[Angelo75]

Myself.

Computer nerd.

[Luopio27]

I learned to masturbate on my own.

[Charliefretz329]

Mostly self taught with help from friends and dad

[jimmy2]

That's cool I do word working