Spin-off from the OT. “Would you say your hobbies make life bearable”?

I wonder what people do in major metro areas like in China. They don't hunt, fish, hike, play golf, off road race, drive cars, boat, go to sporting events, etc etc.

Basically any of the things that we live for....what do they do? As far as I can tell they spend a lot of time on the internet.

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wonder what people do in major metro areas like in China. They don't hunt, fish, hike, play golf, off road race, drive cars, boat, go to sporting events, etc etc.

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It’s funny you say that. I spent 2yrs working in China and actually was there when i joined TD out of boredom after just reading post for years.
It was one of the saddest things I saw, as I saw people who didn’t believe in my god or any god and have no real structure of fun to look forward too. My screen saver is pics of all my hunts and my kids kills and trips to the beach and lsu games and fishing trips and such. All the nationals would stare in awe at my kids with pics of guns and dead deer or pics of us snow skiing and make statements like “ all yall do is enjoy life” or “ it looks like y’all just have fun year around”
I would tell them and explain that i worked to live and that’s what made me go across the world was to have more fun and more memories.
They lived a miserable life and it was evident in our conversations how lucky we are to have what we have.
Ohh and yes they stayed on their phones playing role playing games I mean hours and hours, and ping pong they were some BA ping pongers.

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I wonder what people do in major metro areas like in China. They don't hunt, fish, hike, play golf, off road race, drive cars, boat, go to sporting events, etc etc.

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When I was at LSU I had a wildlife professor that said that’s what’s wrong with US inner city folks. Said humans evolved hunting and gathering and now that they don’t get the chance to do that it brings out a violent side of them and they commit crimes and kill one another. This was in the early 90’s before LSU went woke.

I couldn’t imagine being couped up in a high rise apartment in a big city with no chance to get outdoors and enjoy wildlife and nature.

ETA: and when I say “enjoy”, I mean get to go out and catch and kill a good bit of my family’s food.

I would also say they make me bearable to other people

On the water or in a blind are some of the only ways that I can truly relax. It would be a real struggle without them. I still enjoy a few other hobbies (travel, hiking, etc), but not at the same level as those two.

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I wonder what people do in major metro areas like in China. They don't hunt, fish,

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I've gotten to meet a lot of people in unique places around the world, through working. So many of them are blown away by the idea of hunting and often even fishing when we get into those discussions.

My Hobbies are a very important part of my life; in fact, I wouldn’t probably survive what I do, without them. Everyone needs a release from what we call humanity. It’s like taking meds for depression, without taking meds, and when it’s quiet, on the lake, or in the woods, that’s when my soul is in Church..

My life would be "bearable" of I didn't have them but hobbies definitely give me something to look forward to and an escape I enjoy.

only thing keeping me in Mobile is my oldest daughter . 2 more years and i’m gone. I would leave yesterday for Montana. North or South Dakota, Wyoming, Idaho or Nebraska.

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So what would you throw yourself into if hunting and fishing went away??

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Anything can bring joy. Sitting around talking to family in the living room, watching a show, sitting outside watching the kids play. Even at work, joking with co-workers, I fortunately work with lots of funny people who are a lot like me. When home alone with not much to do like today, reading ya'lls posts, working on my truck, watching the birds brings a good time. Go simple, anyone can go simple, makes life more enjoyable. You don't have to enjoy life by jumping out of a plane or hiking a mountain, if that's the only way to enjoy it, something is wrong.

Yes. My hobbies are so integral to my mental health if I don't do them regularly I start going dark. I need to Sail, Hunt, Fish, Hunt arrowheads, metal detect, mushroom hunt, watch football, and drink too much pretty regularly.

Sailing and Hunting both hit the same nerves. You get in the boat and start getting it all trimmed out and eventually you're just listening to the water and buddies and you'll sigh, and all that stress you've been accumulating comes off. I'll make it another week or two if I can get to that moment. Same thing with hunting and fishing.