It’s an easy way to bond
By Janis McMath, Assistant Editor
After finally getting into football after a lifetime of swearing that I would never get into sports, I realize how important it is to be open-minded to new experiences—especially your friends’ hobbies. Don’t let biases of “I probably won’t be aligned with that” hinder you from potentially connecting with your friends in a whole new way.
Now this is not to say that you will enjoy doing everything your friends do. I, for example, cannot get into roleplaying games. I get impatient having to stay in character and desperately want to change the topic. It just isn’t what I’m good at or enjoy, but I only know that because I had the opportunity to enjoy a murder mystery game with my friends. Even though I now know that roleplaying is not for me, I still enjoyed seeing my friends partake in something they are so naturally talented at and invested in.
People get much more animated when they speak about what they are passionate about and that is a huge reason to put some time into your friend’s interests. If you are just getting to know someone, it can be an easy way to start conversations and show that you are interested in being friends. If you do happen to get into a hobby your friend introduces you to, that can also create a great bond strengthened by more frequent hangouts. I often find that I never feel like I see my friends enough, and sharing a hobby is a great way to get rid of that feeling and keep consistency in seeing each other.
Considering all of the similarities you already have with your friends; you probably are bound to click with more interests than the ones you are already aware of. Try out your friends’ hobbies and be surprised by all the fun times you would’ve otherwise missed out on!
