In the last several months people have been flooding the internet flaunting all they've accomplished while trapped in quarantine. Everyone seems to have either acquired a new hobby or become proficient in the one they had. And its always fascinating to find out how people fall into their time fillers. Heck, maybe we should all start something new and take notes, a ton of the people started with a small hobby to just steady their nerves and turned it into a million dollar business. Someone bring me some knitting needles.
Redditor u/lesothoqueen was fascinated by the ways everyone was inspired to fulfill their empty hours by asking aloud.... What got you interested in your hobby?Caliente...
salma hayek dancing GIFGiphyI started r/SalsaSnobs , which began from a trip to Mexico. I realized that most salsa in the USA is inferior. I was going to have to learn how to make my own.
Pretty much all the time the food is better at the source, the thing is making salsa isn't much of a regular or traditional thing in most western/English speaking nations. If you go to where it originated, its always better.
All the Buzzzz.....
I was teaching my daughter how to make jam from fresh fruits and was dismayed at how much sugar I was using. Did a little research and found out I can cut my sweetener in half by using honey.
Did a little more research into honey and realized keeping bees complimented by "mini homestead" and suddenly... I am a beekeeper!
Through the Music....
I was a weirdo through elementary and middle school and got treated like crap by all my classmates. Found punk rock in 7th grade and realized there were a bunch of other weirdos out there who found a home, so I started a band and discovered I didn't need anyone else's approval for who I was. That was 20 years ago and now I play in bands and write songs and don't suffer these insecurities of not being cool enough anymore.
Yeehaw!
cat horse GIFGiphyMy bad knee. I love going fast and feeling the wind in my hair, however i could never run safely. So I started riding horses. Been doing it for over half my life now.
staying masculine....
My wife recently got into quilting. After watching her work, there's something extremely satisfying about making precise straight cuts and fitting pieces together to create something larger.
That said, I am far too macho to start quilting so instead I picked up leather craft. That way I can satisfy my need for creating something while also not jeopardizing my fragile masculinity.
A Whole New World.....
I started world building (writing a world and a story around it) after two small events.
First, I had this really cool dream where I was playing as this grey, horned character who held two enchanted swords fighting against people who looked like this man. Just a sea of grey horned soldiers fighting a war and attacking me.
Second I began to think about what my "ideal," Hell would be. I recalled the stories of Hell being a disorderly place and having seven princes that each ruled over a sin. Put two and two together and I'm thinking about people who are forced into kingdoms with unending wars for supreme power over all.
The Midnight Sky....
I went to the dark sky reserve in Idaho and was flabbergasted at the number of stars, the infinite depth, and the visibility for the Milky Way (I'm a city girl). When I got home, I started searching for pictures and was exposed to night sky photography. I couldn't believe how people were able to capture the majesty, and I knew I had to take those pictures myself. I just went back to Idaho this summer to take my first Milky Way photos!
the scroll....
computer GIFGiphyScrolling through reddit, and posting random comments on random posts, so strangers can read them and go "well that was strange" and then move on with their day.
All the Colors....
I had a party at my house and some artists showed up with some supplies. During the party they sat outside and would occasionally corral guests into painting a few lines. At the end of the party I had an interesting bit of art, which I still have to this day. I thought that it would be relaxing to paint. Turns out I was right. Eight years later and I've developed an adult hobby that will hopefully improve with time... plus, I REALLY enjoy it.
Wish I knew who those people were so I could thank them.
Amazing....
shia labeouf flirting GIF by HULUGiphyI liked the art on Magic: The Gathering cards as a kid and just kept collecting them. Then, in high school, I saw some people playing and I was like "I have some of those!" So I got them to teach me. Been playing ever since.
In Chalk
After being taught how to write properly my mother taught me how to draw but it wasn't until the show chalk zone that made me wanna expand my love for drawing and imagination.
Chalkzone was so great. I loved the creativity and imagination that went into it.
The Debate
Listen To Me Shut Up GIF by Creative CourageGiphyResearching and debating flat earthers led me to researching more and more about space, and so now I'm an avid astronomer, and I love learning about stars, nebula and planets.
Obsessed
Youtube videos. I had seen tons of downhill mountain bike videos and my friends were starting to get into mountain biking and wanted me to go, for months I declined and said I would go with them if they tried a downhill park. We went one time and that was it, I was hooked.
Hey Pops....
Me visiting my great grandpa, here would always be in his garage making gun barrels, ammo. He would always show me his guns and how to handle them. Now since he passed I inherited them and shooting is one of my main hobbies.
Hobbies
Chilling Video Games GIF by DC ComicsGiphyDepends on the hobby. I got into blacksmithing because of videogames. I got into videogames cause I grew up in the 80's & 90's.
With the boys....
I was 14 and my older brother had bought a CB 500 with a blown motor. He hadn't done anything with it in a year so my dad told me if I could get it running I could ride it.
Tore the entire thing apart and rebuilt it with some help from dad. Rode it for years. Sold it to buy a CBR 600 RR which I regret now but the places that CBR took me.
I also grew up in the garage with all my brothers and dad. I think we probably spent more time there than in the house.
the keys
8 years old:
Dadida, dadidadida, mashing piano keys... Oh what's that
12 years old
Wait, i can play (insert Favorite song) with this?!? I gotta try that.
14 years old
Hey, wait, i can actually play anything on this!!! Omg!!! I'll Start practicing!
6 years wasted, but i eventually did it.
Now i play anything from moonlight sonata to allstar.
Damn YouTube
For me its building scale models. A Model Building video popped up in my YouTube feed. I watched it, and the guy doing it was incredible. I immediately wanted to try it. Cut to a year later and I have a couple airbrushes and tons of paints and weathering products.
Free hand
I was watching someone draw at school in fourth grade, I wanted to free hand but sucked. So i traced, then started copying it but not tracing, then i decided to free hand. Im not the best but i can do some decent stuff.
I actually want to start drawing to express myself in a way. But my mind refuses it due to trying to achieve "Perfection". It's like avoiding drawing, as it won't be any good either way. Sounds stupid, I know...
BBQ Style
Bbq Barbecue GIF by swerkGiphyI live in Texas but was raised on Memphis style BBQ. I could never find a pulled pork sandwich that was worth eating where I live. Halfway through quarantine lifestyle I finally bought a smoker so I can make BBQ the way I like it. It's been great spending time outside and learning different BBQ styles and techniques.
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Redditor enginearz was eager to hear about historical figures people were surprised to learn were still alive, leading them to ask:
"What famous person from history is still alive?"
Forever Leaving His Name In Science
"Yuri Oganessian."
"He's the only currently living man with an element on the periodic table named after him."- snowflake247
Quite The Story To Tell
"Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha."
"Last human to hold the title of Tsar, as leader of the Kingdom of Bulgaria."
"He was exiled along with his family when the Soviets invaded Bulgaria in 1944."
"In 1990, after the fall of the Soviet Union, Simeon returned from exile to Bulgaria and July 2001, was democratically elected prime minister."
"The private citizen is now 85."- DirectionNew5328
Making Nature Cool For Decades
"Jane Goodall."
"David Attenborough."- random_username_96
You Can Do It Uoftartsci GIF by U of T Faculty of Arts & ScienceGiphyThe Fought For Freedom And Justice
"John Hemingway."
"The last surviving airman of the battle of Britain."
"He is 103 years old."
"Ivan Martynushkin."
"He helped with the liberation of Auschwitz."
"He is 99 years old."
"Benjamin Ferencz."
"He was a prosecutor at the Nuremberg trials."
"He is 102 years old."- Ashtar-the-Squid
"Traute Lafrenz."
"The last living member of the german anti-nazi resistance group 'White Rose".
"Most well-known members were the sibling Sophie and Hans Scholl, who were executed by the Nazis when they were identified."- ChrisTinnef
The One Who Made One Giant Leap For Mankind
"Buzz Aldrin, and I’m not even American."- mukaltin
State Of The Union Salute GIF by MSNBCGiphyOpening Doors For So Many Others
"Ruby Bridges."
"She was one of the first black kids to go to an all-white school."
"There is a famous picture of that first day."- mumwifealcoholic
He Continues To Surprise Us
"Ozzy Osbourne."- CaptinDerpI
Admirably Defying So Many Odds
"Jimmy Carter."
"98 years old."- Back2Bach
Jimmy Carter Drilling GIF by GIPHY NewsGiphyWe've Still Got Two Out Of Four
"Paul and Ringo"- HMKingHenryIX
Inching Close To The Big One Double Oh...
"Kissinger."- LucyVialli
julie andrews snap GIFWho Could Forget About Dick Van Dyke ?!?!?!?!
"Everyone just forgetting about Dick Van Dyke, he's like 97 and still going."
"If you've never heard of him, he played in Marry Poppins, along with a bunch more movies"- Longjumping_Drag2752
And Still Stunning
"Sophia Loren is still kicking."- The_REAL_McWeasel
Continuing To Go Where No Man Has Gone Before
"William Shatner doesn't look it but that dude is in his 90s wtf."- flubberF*ck
William Shatner Fun GIF by Shark WeekGiphyPerhaps what's most admirable, is that even when these astonishing people do eventually pass, they will continue to live on and change the world with the remarkable work they did.
Redditor BungOnMimosas was curious to hear what people considered to be the most overhyped fast food chains around, leading them to ask:
"What do you think are the most overrated fast-food chains? Why?"
"Food As It Should Be"... Or Not...
"I know it's not technically 'fast food', but Panera Bread pisses me off."
"Insanely expensive for extremely average food." - Reddit
"Panera."
"Their quality has decreased so much in the past few years and they’ve added weird sh*t to their menu like pizza and chicken sandwiches."
"Massive identity crisis and crap food."- asm233
Things Ain't What They Used To Be...
"All of them, now that they charge real restaurant prices."- P00pf4rt5
Golden Arches
"As much as I hate to say it, McDonald's is the only place that I can think of that the quality hasn't changed much."
"I mean, that's a pretty low bar, but it is what it is."- gnatman66
happy ronald mcdonald GIF by McDonald's CZ/SKGiphy"The majority of them, especially the really big ones (McDonald's, Wendy's, BK, Pizza Hut, etc)."
"The prices are no longer fast food prices and the quality is not there like it used to be."
"Far better local options that cost roughly the same at the end of the day."- senorita_diablo
Consistency Is Key...
"Dunkin."
"You can go to the same location three separate times, have the food made by the same staff, and receive 3 wildly different results."- AndrewLampart
Not So Popular Anywhere, It seems...
"KFC in France became so bad."- SterBout
fried chicken animation GIF by octavioterolLikely Won't Go National...
"Idk how wide spread they are, but in the Buffalo NY area there is a chain called Mighty Taco."
"They were even voted best tacos a few years ago."
"It is absolutely terrible food."
"I’ve tried to like it and given them 3 chances."
"Each time I couldn’t eat more than a couple bites."
"Absolutely terrible and I’m disgusted even thinking about their sour vomit in a tortilla."- aa-2020
"Eat Fresh"...
"I think I’ve answered this question before but definitely for me, it’s Subway."
"Nothing but a giant hunk of bread."
"I’m editing this to add that part of my anger about Subway is how good it used to be."
"I can remember the days of nearly a whole can of tuna salad delicious sub."
"And a Veggie sub with Swiss cheese and piles of yummy veggies and the sweet Vidalia onion sauce."
"It’s all gone to sh*t."
"I would’ve been perfectly OK with increasing price but the big drop in quality pissed me off."
"Oh woe is me with my first world problems."- Mysterious-Region640
football ok GIF by Subway ColombiaGiphyQuantity Doesn't Guarantee Quality...
"Starbucks is a scam."- cmkeller62
Tasty, But Not Worth It...
"I’m going to say Five Guys."
"Not because the food isn’t good, but because I’m not paying $20 for a burger meal."- 2PacTookMyLunchMoney
"Dairy queen grill and Chill for sure."
"I worked at one for a lil' while and 1 burger combo is $14.56 CAD."- lolidk13
Ice Cream Miracle Treat Day GIF by Children's Miracle Network HospitalsGiphyAnd Not In A Good Way...
Big Kahuna Burger, it kills you."-Darklock2022
No two people have the same taste in food.
Some people know to avoid crappy food, while others eat literally nothing else.