"All young ladies accomplished! My dear Charles, what do you mean?"
"Yes, all of them, I think. They all paint tables, cover screens, and net purses. I scarcely know any one who cannot do all this, and I am sure I never heard a young lady spoken of for the first time, without being informed that she was very accomplished."
"You list the common extent of accomplishments," said Darcy -Pride and Prejudice
Thank you, Mr. Bingley, for your insight; yes ladies are patient (how else do you think we keep going on dates with young men who are still figuring it out? Only joking, the ladies are still "figuring it out" too). And Darcy, what do you mean by the "common extent of accomplishments?" I don't know about you, but it's been a while since I painted a table (4 years, at least!), and I have never covered a screen or netted a purse. So what, then, is Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy talking about?
Let me pontificate:
A lady should have interests and hobbies. Now, I don't mean to say that a lady needs to attempt to be superwoman, a mythological creature who knits, paints, has released 2 albums of music she composed and performed, dances, owns her own business, cooks like a gourmet chef, works 20 hours per week, runs marathons every other weekend, plays tennis, serves 50 hours per week, reads 5 books per month, is in the process of writing her 3rd or 4th novel, on top of which she is a full-time student. A lady simply needs to be interesting.
You may be thinking: Easier said than done, dear Lady. But it is easier than you think!
Once I had a conversation with a young man. ...We may or may not have been on a date.
I asked the infamous question: "So, what do you like to do for fun?"
His answer? "Um, I like watching TV, playing on the computer and reading."
Here we go, he's got a start! He listed three things that have potential to be interesting!
1. TV. There are all sorts of interesting things to learn on TV, there's ...the history channel, the news, and The Office, and I'm sure I'm missing something. Oh yeah, ...Little House on the Prairie Dawg (the 'hip' twist on a family favorite).
Haha, okay, okay, there's no such thing. BUT ...there could be.
2. "Playing on the computer." AGAIN, he hit the jackpot! Woo, if you're looking for a new hobby, the internet is, essentially, a massive index of potential-hobby ideas!
3. Reading. oh my goodness, don't even get me started.
But seriously, I bet you didn't know that your local library has a book called Wilderness Survival for Dummies.
The options are endless.
My personal favorites are probably Cricket for Dummies, Easy Crosswords for Seniors for Dummies, and, of course, Boys for Dummies/ Dating a Lady for Dummies
(also, please notice the baby picture 5th from the right, on the bottom. It has nothing to do with hobbies, unless you want to become a mother, father, or babysitter--in which case, you might want to look somewhere other than the library for a check-out-able baby to learn with.)
But what is the point?
Basically, the point is that a lady (or gentleman) with interests and hobbies is much more attractive than one without any. (Please keep in mind that some interests and hobbies are more attractive to some people than others, this can be a factor in a couple's compatibility.) For the most part my friend's hobbies weren't very attractive to me, but I grew up in a family where TV and computer games were basically nonexistent in our realm of "extracurricular" activities. That's not to say that I don't like TV, I do enjoy watching British comedies ...occasionally. (Click here for a sampling, here for a taste--if you'd like.)
But I digress. I do like reading. I suppose what I'm trying to say is that having interests and hobbies shows that a person is interested in learning about the world, he or she is is interested in life.
I mean, as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I believe that God has commanded us to be good stewards over the earth; the things of the earth include learning and knowledge (a.k.a. interests). In the Doctrine and Covenants we are commanded to "seek learning" (D&C 88:118) To me, having hobbies and interests is part of "seeking out of the best books."
As my friend, Nacho, once said: "Go a-whey, read some books!"
So go out and learn something new! If there's something you've wanted to try --fly fishing, basket weaving, curling, skiing, kayaking souffle-baking, tap dancing, yodeling, or finger painting-- go do it! :) You won't be sorry. Besides, you only live once.
Lies. You live every day, you only die once, but still.... take advantage of every day, learning something new will make you a better, more attractive, interesting person.
Love,
Lady L.
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