We contemplate hobbies

Occasionally the Hero and I discuss what we would like to do when we retire someday, which, for anyone interested, is a time that is still far, far away for us, like DECADES -- assuming scientists can, very soon, greatly extend the average lifespan and move retirement to age 137.


The Hero expresses some concern that I do not have many hobbies, at least not that he has perceived, and wonders if I will have enough to occupy me in retirement.


"Well, I like to bake," I remind him. 


"Baking's a great hobby," he says enthusiastically. "You should keep doing that."


I imagine it would be nice to work in a nursery someday, coaxing cute little plants to bloom happily. This would satisfy my need to nurture things, and the Hero would be relieved to have me taking care of plants that will eventually go home with other people, and not us.


But if I would have to pass some sort of green thumb exam to work at a nursery, I would be doomed. "We're sorry," the nursery people would say. "We think you might be better suited someplace...where you can't kill things."


Which also means that I might not be successful at Hercules beetle rearing. According to a University of Kentucky website, Hercules beetle rearing is a "very popular hobby" and "difficult, but also very rewarding." 


If I did decide on such a hobby, I know the Hero would be encouraging, but would probably also want to set some boundaries. "Not in the house," would be his view regarding any beetle-rearing activities I might want to engage in. Unfortunately for me, one of the main purposes of such a hobby would be to keep the beetles alive. Members of the Hercules Beetle-Rearing Society, if there is one, would be very much concerned about beetles falling into MY hands.


As for the Hero, whatever he does when he retires will most likely involve the acquisition of yet more computers, because the present seven or eight we have are not adequate for him to pursue his interests. Others have mottoes such as "No child without a book!" or "No corner without a Starbucks!" The Hero's motto is "No room without a computer!"


He has also expressed interest in obtaining a second residence somewhere someday. Although he enjoys being by the water, he is partial to yurts, those round tent-like structures found in parts of Central Asia and similar locales, such as Colorado.


One time we ate at Bahama Breeze, part of which was, while not in Asia or Colorado, somewhat yurt-like. He looked around.


"Wouldn't you like to live in a place like this?" he said.


"If someone brought me a menu of good food I could order from every day, sure," I said. 


I think eventually the impracticality of a yurt would force us toward more conventional housing. But it might be just right for beetle rearing.