Are there any activities or hobbies you’ve outgrown or lost interest in over time?

There are a few. ‘Let us count the ways.’

1. Going to the cinemas. Movies have always been a big part of my life. As a teener, I saw a bevy of films at the local cinema. Most of them were big budget blockbusters like the Bourne series and Harry Potter. Upon our return to Sydney, the tradition continued. I beheld the work of the finest directors: Steven Spielberg, David Fincher, Robert Zemeckis, Martin Scorsese, Bong Joon-ho, and Steven Soderbergh. My closest pals were firm nuts like me. My last incursion was Bad Boys for Life. Prior to this, I had taken in Parasite, which would win Best Picture. Two months before COVID, the cinema was packed. The latter had gotten rave reviews.

The theatres are an experience. The price of admission keeps going up, and so do the snacks. You head to the theatre, hoping to nix the booking fees. However, upon turning up, there’s no one to serve you. Customer support, whether online or in person, is a joke. Movies are subjective. What’s amazing for critics might not be for you, and vice-versa. I saw both Age of Ultron and Arrival, which were media darlings. I didn’t get the hoopla as the pair were train wrecks. Not to mention that we live in sequel-ville. Despicable Me 4? I’m getting sequelitis.

Streaming services will likely kill the cinemas. For the price of a single admission, you’ll get a catalogue of international productions. From miniseries to indie films, dramas to comedies, action to reality TV, you’ll get a lot more for your buck. Before Netflix (NF) became a thing, there were literally a few souls crouching in the theatres. Avengers and Boxing Day were the lone exceptions. Now, with the cost of living crisis, I doubt you would count eight loyal critters in there. Higher groceries mean wiser shoppers. In case you missed it, spending eighteen bucks on one film is unwise.

Furthermore, these services offer one thing that the cinema couldn’t: convenience. Instead of fighting for parking, you can watch it on TV, on your device, and even on the go. Once, my friend and I were to see Venom in Gold Class. It was the school holidays and we were unable to secure parking. With NF, that’d never happen. DVDs did not topple the cinemas, but the latter is not as cruisy as NF. You could stream your series virtually anytime and anywhere. You’re not tied up with a 2:30 pm Saturday session. No need for vouchers, which often can’t be redeemed on weekend evenings. Too easy!

Don’t think that this platforms offer viewers diminished material. Squid Game and Queen’s Gambit have both swept up the Globes. At the Oscars, Coda, from Apple TV, won a historic Best Picture.

2. Playing sports. Back in the day, every Saturday, I shot hoops at the park. It was a nice change of pace from uni. We’d often play two on two or in threes. Afterwards, I’d attend the evening Mass with family. At uni, I also played ball. For two hours on Thursdays at the gym, I’d go up against stiff competition. We played in the half court and were all students. On these courts, I met new people and discussed hoops. I also tried tennis and football.

Having pay TV certainly helped. Tuning into my fave sporting events was a breeze. I saw Ray Allen hit the dagger three. Kyrie burying the Dubs in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals. The Socceroos emerging victorious at the Asian Cup. I still follow basketball and read hoops books. I’ve gone through a lot of Michael Jordan sketches. Ditto Kobe Bryant and other superstars. Haven’t dribbled in ages. Gotta get rid of the cobwebs.

3. Reading dailies and magazines. I used to devour those periodicals. In school, I read the Inquirer and other papers each weekday. I also scanned Time magazine and National Geographic. I bought copies of Tower magazine and FHM (insert devil smile). The former was always well-written and presented. To this day, I still dream of chancing upon a copy of Tower while browsing the news agent.

In Oz, I binged on SLAM, Handle, and Hoop. Many moons ago, I had a subscription to Reader’s Digest Australia. At uni, I subscribed to this paper. Got my copy before attending class. Some of these mags have folded. I got letter of the month for Handle before it waved goodbye. SLAM and Hoop are still in print.

Gradually, the trend was to move online. Yes, these mags continued to offer printed copies. We still have dailies. They are both greatly diminished. Yet more and more of us are going online for our news fix. It’s just handier and more up to the minute.

4. Watching anime. In school, anime was in. Aside from Slam Dunk, Ghost Fighter was also popular. Pokémon was another top pick. Doraemon got a few laughs. Samurai X was surprisingly deep. The girls love Fushiigi Yugi. All of these series were dubbed in Filipino. If it were broadcast in English, I would still comprehend all of the dialogue. It would only be an issue for everyone if it were in Japanese with no subtitles. Post-school, I withdrew from anime. I only watched Slam Dunk in English and that was it. Even as I tuned it, I felt that I’ve outgrown this fare. The show was too corny.

These days, I doubt that even the little ones are glued to their TV sets. Sesame Street and The Wiggles are synonymous with the days of yore. This new generation consume media differently. They have iPads and ultramodern gaming consoles. They listen to music. They read ebooks instead of picture books. They spend a lot more time in front of screens than say playing sport. Anime are kids’ shows. Ditto comic books. I don’t get the fascination with being a kid at heart.

Buzzer-beater

When I started writing this, I had only two lost habits in mind. I was surprised that there were a quartet of interests that I’ve discarded. Some of them betray the status quo. Movies and productions have worsened. They’ve become ‘artistically challenged’, expensive, not to mention stingy. RIP Handle mag. Vale! The old dailies. So long, anime!

Hobbies are ephemeral. As a child, you’ll have vastly different interests as opposed to when you’re enjoying your twenties. Hobbies come and go and are emblematic of a point in your life. Learning lasts a lifetime. As we gain years, we become wiser. Keep the interests that matter. Most importantly, treasure the souls that count.