Just got off the phone with a friend

I’d dump em both!

I was thinking this as I read your original post. Assuming it was coming from a good place, it is kind of nice that a friend is willing to speak up on it. His view may be wrong, but I think a lot of people wouldn’t say anything. If he thinks he is giving sage advice and isn’t harping or being mean-spirited about it, you can let him know you appreciate his concern but love what you love … then go back to yo-yoing in rhythm to his guitar playing. Unless he’s into jazz, in which case you’ll have problems there.

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Just forgive his ignorance, love him anyway, and keep being true to you.

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Sounds like you got ON the phone with a friend, and got OFF the phone with some rude guy.

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I think there is something to this. It could be an opinion offered with completely good intentions.

But at some point I decided that there is no real benefit to me intruding on a friend’s enjoyment as long as they aren’t harming someone (fortunately, that’s never been an issue). I don’t even want to voice an opinion that might intrude on their good time.

As a naturally opinionated person, this is an ongoing effort. But in retrospect I wish I had figured it out earlier.

YMMV

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There is generally something to that. I don’t believe in the “drop your friend/boy or girlfriend/spouse at the first sign of trouble” idea, but there is a distinct difference between unnecessary criticism and checking in with someone when they don’t seem to be doing well or offering good advice.

That said, everyone verbally missteps from time to time. My tongue has betrayed me more times than I care to count, and I’m very glad that my friends and family are willing to forgive it.

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I remember when I was too shy to yoyo around people because my friends picked on me for not having a “cool” hobby :confused:

Chin up king

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Now the dopest yo-yo reviewer around :100:

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Hit edit post, click in the title field, select all, type „Just got off the phone with a former friend“, hit save. Done!

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Yo-yos are the greatest diversion.

Throwing everyday helps me keep my promise to myself to never Kill again.

….You’ve all heard the old saying ‘Whatever floats your boat’.

Life is an adventure. Anyone who personally appreciates ‘their own adventure’ but is unwilling to accept that others my find enjoyment in forms of entertainment they have no interest in, is ‘missing something directly between their ears’.

The time I spend with yo-yos is equally as important as the time they spend on whatever they like to do.

I spend my time doing what I enjoy. I am using ‘my time’ in the process. If somebody challenges the validity of what you enjoy, then they are simply Ignorant.

People don’t have to like or enjoy what somebody else does to have fun. But making an unsolicited opinion/suggestion about time could be better spent, doing…………………something else
Should be considered rude and unimaginative.

I see no logical reason for non yoers to suggest there is an age when yo-yos should not be played.

…I was at a function waaay back when with my Wife. I happen to have a yo-yo hanging from a belt loop holder. Some Clown walked right up to me and said, ‘Hey man…. Is that a yo-yo’? I said yes it is.
He said, ‘Mannnnnnnn, that is so dated. Didn’t natives use to throw those around in the old days’? I said, ‘Yes they did and I am from their Tribe’. He said, ‘You have any grown up hobbies’?

I told him, ‘When I grow up I’ll let you know’.

This is the bottom line> diversity/variety is the best way to keep life alive. A positive outlook is good medicine. If it doesn’t hurt women, children, animals or the environment…… do what makes you happy. I like yo-yos. They are not my life. But they are part of my life. Like it or lump it.

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Never had such conversation.
Adult life? He is meaning grinding for money during the day, and at evenings drinking beer on a couch watching TV, or going to bar? Hell no, better to find a job that will be felt as a hobby to you and play with yoyos.

There is no such thing as an “adult life”, only “life”. Yes, the one can take an advice or two on it from other people, but how to live a life - decision is only up to one.

Do not think about your friend`s advice too hard. If that advice sounds a bit like a nonsence to you - dont take it.

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I suggest you give your friend a gift. Tell him that before having opinions on things he doesn’t know, maybe it’s better to read up and what better gift than a documentary? Then send him this link:

Telling him to pay extra attention from minute 44:27 to minute 45:16

(p.s. Thank you Piotr… I think we all owe you eternal gratitude for this great miracle you have accomplished!)

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I don’t really consider myself a soft hearted guy. I’ve pretty much been hardened over decades from some pretty challenging experiences….

But, I gotta tell ya… when the We are Throwers got to about the 12 minute mark, when Paul Escolar appeared on the screen, my eyes immediately filled up with tears.

Some things just don’t fade away…

Amazing Documentary.

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Adult life = paying bills in circles, with diminishing returns of joy on what things used to enthuse you, while also telling other people to “get off your lawn” for enjoying throwing :sunglasses:.

Your friend probably means well but NEVER listen to guitar players (coming from someone that plays semi-professionally and deals with them constantly lol)!

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One day I over heard couple of now (from years) ex friends talking about me in the kitchen/living room (we used to live in a house all together), one of them said “he has the art and the skills to become incredibly good at very useless stuff in a short amount of time, if he was that good in serious stuff in life how he is good at yoyo probably now was a millionaire”, I remember this thing really hit me deep and I still remember the exact words.

I still yoyo but this people are not my friends anymore, I am sure I did the right choice.

Just to say, yoyo not only is fun, a great game for the mind and the mood and a whole world of brands, products, legends and similar but never make me feel alone, I did not knew anyone when I came to live in London, I was alone, I found on Facebook the UK community and in a second I had friends, pretty sure that wherever I will go over the world I will find someone to play with and have fun and friendship.
Other than that, even if I am alone, just throw and put a movie and you are busy without even think about what happen around.

To me people can say whatever they want, I do not really care anymore, it just have a different taste if it comes from what you consider close friends.

But as someone said I see many “adults” hobbies are drink (or worst), waste time binging tv series, shopping, go to 300 restaurants in a week, scrolling socials media for hours with no purpose and I do not know how this can be more beneficial for them but if they are happy than no problems, I prefer to stick with what makes me happy.

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WOW - what you said ex-friends were saying about you, is EXACTLY how I feel people view me.

As someone that’s self-employed and has control of my routine and schedule, it’s hard to see most of my friends being able to manage their time productively if they were on their own with no boss, etc. They don’t have hobbies. They work, then sometimes workout with me, video games, etc. I have the option to do all of that stuff but I’d still rather rely on screens less and less. Bring back the 90’s lol.

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Don’t feel bad for making this post! You took his comment to heart and it hurt your feelings. He might not understand why you yo-yo so just explain to him that it helps.

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That sums it all up!

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Absolutely right! True of anything that really draws you in. Yoyos, guitar, mandolin - all things that to me are as much therapy as anything else. You can’ really throw, or practice any instrument, if your mind is busy elsewhere slogging through every current issue in your life.

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I think this is a key point that some people miss about hobbies: even if the specific activity/topic seems obscure and pointless to some people, they are a motivation to challenge/improve ourselves and think about and interact with the world around us. I think that those things are fundamental to living a good life.

If I was luckier, I would have landed on a hobby that made me a millionaire (I guess). That’s the only way I would become a millionaire because I refuse to devote myself to things that I don’t enjoy.

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