Perhaps, one of the fun things we people here on earth love
indulge in is to follow a hobby. A hobby
helps make living and what accompanies living on this planet bearable.
At one or the gatherings I attended some time ago, I fell
into chatting with some guests while we were having cocktails waiting for
dinnertime. Most often, the talk gravitated to the different hobbies one
pursues and nurtures. One gentleman
loved expensive motor vehicles especially the ones from Europe. He said that he
had to build another garage at the back of his property to accommodate
additional cars had had just bought. Another said that with the rise in crime
nowadays he thought of collecting firearms, an assortment actually of handguns
and shotguns. And admitted investing in
these firearms for they do not come cheap. Among the ladies present the usual
collection that they shared were collecting signature handbags or clothes.
When there was a lull in the conversation, quite a few who
were close to me turned to me and asked point blank “And what is your hobby
Tony…girls? Ha “the laughter was welcome for me since it relieved some tension
because my answer was a dull “I actually have no significant hobby to talk of. You
were during my bachelorhood I collected first edition Jazz records especially
in the genre of Count Basie, Duke Ellington and the other big bands like Stan
Kenton.” And what happened, asked one.
I must confess as I got married and began to raise a family
I had no more extra cash to pursue the buying of these Jazz records and so I
just abandoned the idea.
There followed another lull.
Then another asked me whether I liked to listen to music via YouTube
since it is available to anyone free of charge. And I said I did listen occasionally
but not on a regular basis.
“So, you mean, Tony, you have no hobby, nada zilch, and nil?”
I smiled, took a gulp from my double scotch drink and said,
“I hope you will not make fun of this my answer:
I collect people.”
As if all around me who were earlier in animated
conversation in their exchanges of hobbies and collections to a man suddenly fell silent. “People?”
As I begin my journey to the twilight years which I am happy
to relish despite some health issues, I have come to the realization that
collecting material things like guns, houses, cars, and the like though
ennobling to a point, do not really last very long. Like any material things on earth they either
rot, become obsolete, become a burden on the pocketbook and sometimes the cause
of enmities among friends and relations.
Yes, material things are just that. Material. They were created by God to last only that
long.
Collecting people, through acquaintances, friendship and
business dealings is much more rewarding because people, (humans) do mellow as
the years go by, and their friendships are enriched while they too age like
good wine.
My wife and I can count a number (not too many) of friends
we had met and do cherish over the decades and are still around to give us joy
as we in turn give them joy.
And with the prayer and hope that God will still bless us
with more years, we are sure that these cherished persons will be the reward we
shall have earned while here on earth.
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*****My 85th–A Celebration*****Just made it to another milestone, the big 85. My three living brothers will say that is just a minor hurdle. The eldest living among us siblings is Peping, who is 97! He spots me 12 years. Next on the rung to him is Pipo ,who has a 10-year lead over me. At least Marquitos is within breathing distance at 87. All I can try to do is keep up with these magnificent guys. Wish they would reveal to me their secret for long life.But the here and now is what we should be happy about; and to celebrate the occasion, daughter Grace and son-in-law Howard, have offered to host our celebration at home with their traditional grand feast. This, despite the fact that their reliable assistants, Damien and Natasha, were on holidays. The brave couple had to carry the brunt of chef, kitchen-hand and waiter, all by their lonesome. How they managed it all was quite an amazing feat.
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