Hobby

A hobby is a man's favorite occupation other than his main business. A man may find time after his usual daily work. He may spend that time in doing something which gives him special pleasure and adds to his knowledge. It is called his hobby. He may like to spend this time in gardening, collecting stamps, drawing pictures, playing some games, rearing birds, catching fish, taking photographs, etc. These are all hobbies.

A hobby gives pleasure as well as instruction. It does not allow a man to be idle. A man who has a hobby does not spend his spare time in idleness. He occupies himself in some useful work. His knowledge increases. If he likes gardening, he will have to know something about flowers and plant life. Working in the garden will be a sort of physical exercise and thus it will improve his health. A flower garden with blooming flowers is a very fine thing. It gives joy to the man who owns it as well as to others who see it. The hobby occupies his mind so much that no evil thought can find room there. Sometimes it is also a profitable thing.

I am very fond of collecting postage stamps.I have also other sources of getting stamps. Some of my friends exchange stamps with me. I have got a book to preserve the stamps. After my lessons are done, if I can make time, I arrange the stamps that I get and stick them in an album in their proper places. I have now a very good collection of stamps. There are some very rare stamps among them. At present their value is very great. I purchase stamps at times from dealers in old stamps. I have got stamps of many countries of the world.

This hobby has increased my knowledge of history and geography very much. Now I know the names of countries which were formerly unknown to me. In the stamps of many countries there are pictures of special things of interest of these places. So I can know what special things are found there. From an Australian stamp, we can know that the kangaroo is a peculiar animal of the country. From an Egyptian stamp, we can know that the famous pyramids are situated in Egypt.

We can also know the names of many kings and famous persons. Since the independence of India, many new postage stamps have been issued by our Government on many occasions. We can learn many things from those stamps Conclusion—The collector of stamps is called a philatelist. We have heard that many famous persons of the world, including some kings of England, had this hobby of collecting postage stamps. Every man should have a hobby of this own.