Why Can't I Pick A Hobby...

...That Does Not Piss Someone Off?

That's right. This rant is going to be about hobbies I have tried, and hobbies I am still into that upsets at least one group of people on this diversified planet of ours.

I'll get the big hobby out of the way first. Ever since I was physically capable of doing so, I have been into shooting firearms.



Firearms

Every Saturday morning, my father and I had the same ritual of going to the range with trunk full of guns and ammo. This occurred since I was about five years old. The Boy Scouts of America got me into organized shooting events. My high school, and college both had a shooting club, and shooting team. I have participated in Winter Rifle League, and IDPA competitions. This was all in the North Eastern United States. Needless to say, there are groups out there who are too numerous to name that think I am a criminal of some sort. A deviant.

When I am not shooting guns, I am collecting them. I collect everything from historical antiques, to modern military type arms. There are groups out there that call my personal gun collection a personal arsenal, waiting to be used for some evil purpose. A former President of the United States went as far as stating that instead of collecting and shooting military type arms, I should just read a good book. So I did...



Bible reading

Yes, this is alittle more than a hobby, but it is something I do alot of, and I enjoy it. This is the spirit of a hobby. Again, there are groups out there that think I am a criminal of some sort. A deviant.

Lead Models



I got into miniature wargaming shortly after my active tour of duty in the military. You use realistic game pieces made of lead, and play them on a miniature terrain model which can take up a large room. Harmless, right? WRONG! The lead models that I worked hard at detailing became a danger to the environment according to the State Of New York. The Department of Health, not the legislature, banned lead models overnight. Yes, there are other materials to make these things, but I could never get the detail I was once used to. Again, there are people who think my enjoyment of these models is criminal. Deviant.

Role Playing Games



No, not Warcraft. I am talking about dice based games like Dungeons and Dragons, where imagination was required to play. I got involved with games like this in college, and this gaming continued through my stint in the military. Harmless, right? Wrong again. There are groups out there who claim this is practicing the occult, and I am criminal for playing such games. A deviant.

SCUBA Diving



I got into SCUBA Diving back in the late 1980's. There are lots of waterways in Upstate New York that deserve an underwater view. I also dove in the Caribbean, and the Red Sea. Beautiful views. Due to the actions of some sport divers that took place before I was even born, there were indeed groups who had a problem with this hobby, stating that I was destroying the environment. I was criminal for enjoying it. A deviant.

Boot Collecting



Everyone here who knows me is aware that I like collecting and polishing boots. To some people who do not know me, this means I am gay. A deviant. Tells this to my wife.


Conclusion

I have two things to conclude about my hobbies, and those groups of people who have a problem with them.

1. To paraphrase George Bush Senior, "There will always be someone, staying awake in the wee hours of the night, worried that someone out there is having fun."

2. People like that are criminal for using up my oxygen. Deviant.

Here is some music, dedicated to them, to loosen up the mood: