This is an interesting sort of topic that is sort of a self reflecting kind of thing for me.
The other day I was on a little outing with some friends of mine who I hadn’t seen in some time who I met when I was still in college. There was a lot of catching up to do! Of course much of our conversation had to do with our jobs and career paths, our relationships, travels and whatnot, but eventually our conversation led to the topic of our interest outside of work. Everyone had their hobbies and interest, gaming, dance, photography, hang gliding for one of them! But when it came to me, with much confidence I told them that my hobby was yoyoing. During the time that they had known me, I wasn’t yoyoing much. I had been pretty into it prior to those years, but during my college years I basically stopped, so none of my friends of that time knew I had anything to do with it. Needless to say, telling my friends of my yoyoing was a bit of a surprise to them.
Many questions arose, and I got to show off a trick with the yuuksta I was carrying with me at the time. But one question made me think before answering a bit. And while some can confidently blurt out an answer to this question, I took a moment to really think about what this question was asking.
“Why do you do this?”.
Really when I think about it, I could have gotten into many different hobbies and activities before. Quite a few of my friends got really into tennis. I never could get into it. Some others joined a running club, and while I run, clubs aren’t much my thing. So why did I choose yoyoing? Nonetheless why did I stay with it?
Growing up, I didn’t have much that really screamed “unique” in terms of what your average kid/teen would be doing. Took up violin for a few years, was on a volleyball team, ran track, really nothing I did was that interesting to most, nothing that really separated me from the others or made me stand out. I remember when I randomly came across yoyoing and got my first yoyo. There was something more than just it being a hobby to me. It was something that suddenly made me more than just your “normal girl” from Cali. I suddenly had something that made me feel very different and unique, someone who stood out from the crowd. Even with my limited skills, I felt like a whole new person for doing a “split the atom” while waiting for a bus on my kickside. Even as I found the yoyo community of many others like me, there was still something very unique and “individual” about yoyoing that only increased my love for it further.
I thought about the question asked, why do I do this? Simply, in a very crazy way, it gives me something to live for. And maybe that sounds insane to say, but for me it is true! Sometimes I find my job can be very dull and mechanical, and the daily routine can make me feel very plain, but then I put that yoyo on my finger, and suddenly I am broken free of that standard norm and become something else. It gives me an identity, an identity that at least to me makes me something more.
Some of my friends thought yoyoing was cool! While I could tell one of the others thought it was a bit silly and tried to hold in laughing, but you know, that’s honestly ok, because yoyoing is something for ME. Sure sometimes I like to show others tricks or inspire some to give it a try, but what yoyoing has done for me personally is worth more than a couple “that’s silly” laughs or not being taken seriously. Because it is what I do!
As weird and quirky as telling people that I am a yoyoer is, I feel I can say it with pride, as truly it is something that made me who I am, and as much as I’d like to just introduce myself: “Hi I’m Jessica! A customer service rep at a software company”, I much rather say: “Hi I’m Jessica! I like yoyos!”
Never getting a video of me so thats all youre gonna get XD
I’m attached to this game like women to their wedding rings:notes: