As readers may already be aware, I just relocated. The customer service rep claimed the 20-foot U-Haul fits most three- or four-bedroom homes. The family survey indicated I didn’t have that much stuff – it should fit.

After loading one mattress and my beloved Two Harbors print, the fam became concerned. Then baffled. I overheard several comments:

“Why does she need this?” 

“Does she really want to take this with her?”

“What does she even use this for?”

I kept packing, but answered in my head:

• The rickety bike is cool – blown out tire or not – and yes I want to take it with.
• I keep all my used-up hole-ridden running shoes because I did races in them, which makes each pair a treasured keepsake.
• The dresser I rescued from the curb for the 2015 Clean-Up Week Project holds clothes I’ve never liked yet can’t part with. Load it, stat.

It all makes sense, right?

That day I could relate to how Dad must feel when I force unsolicited ‘help’ to thin out his stuff. The clutter-management huddles generally don’t go well, and I finally got a taste of why.

We’re attached to stuff.

There’s always a reason, or two or three, to keep something.

Maybe it’s hereditary.

The 20-footer was too small. Dad and I went back to the rental yard for an extra trailer, which we later filled, along with the back of the truck that pulled that U-Haul, and later, three additional cars.

Sitting down to dinner that night, my younger brother addressed the issue.

“You have a lot of stuff,” he said, avoiding eye contact.

“Yeah…?” I said, embarrassed I’d made my family go through this with me. Prior to that day, I felt I leaned toward the minimalist side of the hoarder scale. Turns out I organize my junk well.

Very well.

I gently started putting my brother in his place. “You know, just because I’m not married doesn’t mean I have any less than what a couple would have. I still need all the stuff it takes to oper…”

“I think you have too many hobbies.” He cut me off.

The room fell silent. I thought about this for a second and gave a minimalist answer.

“Huh.”

But what my brother pointed out stirred the pot. I thought about it while lying in bed that night in my mom’s fairly bare spare bedroom.

I don’t have any more hobbies than anyone else…. I don’t think…. Or do I?

How many hobbies DO people have?

What is a ‘normal’ number of hobbies?

What classifies as a hobby anyway? Hikes with the dog? Running to stay in shape? Attending church? Knitting? Drinking? Reading?

Would keeping cross country skis I never use because I hate cross country skiing be classified as a hobby or does that fall in the “collecting junk” category?

What about hobbies like softball that I haven’t done since high school but keep the equipment “just in case” – is that still a hobby, or would we call that a retired pastime with a 15 percent chance of future resurrection?

Events of the day surfaced, each hobby paired with a vision of someone finding space for my stuff like a giant, day-long game of Tetris: Mom getting tangled in fishing line, my brother-in-law heaving my golf clubs on top of the layers of stuff in the truck, Dad asking why I have four tennis racquets, my brother playing a lick of blues before slipping the guitar he gave me into the case, my sister-in-law asking if there was an actual sewing machine in the sewing machine box (yes), my sister carrying out yoga blocks, a hula hoop, TRX straps and weights in silence. Of course, there was enough photography props, lighting and backdrops for EVERYONE to carry a few loads.

While they were fitting it in the trucks, I carefully packed the more precious items like my new skiing equipment and my grandfather’s Ukelele where it would go unscathed.

It took a crew to work the kayak in at the right angle so we could also squeeze in the rustic wood I make art with, my gardening equipment and both bikes (a road bike for triathlons and the previously mentioned “cruiser” – used to take the dog for a high-speed chase or to run to the store for baking or cooking ingredients – more hobbies!). We broke a few of my wine glasses, which hasn’t slowed me down at all, but “wine drinking” should probably be categorized as a hobby when you have bottles, multiple racks, grape, vine and leafy decorations and boxes of corks collected for crafting wine art. Which is, believe it or not, another hobby I enjoy.

Alright, so I have a few things I like to do. Hobbies on hobbies. But now I want to know – where do other people draw the line? How do you tame your interests and select a few to focus on if you desire to dabble in it all? I’d be lying if I said this was it, because honestly, I can’t stop. I just keep adding. My most recent thoughts are “how am I going to pick between paddleboarding and kayaking?” and “Gosh, I haven’t ridden (or owned!) a mountain bike since I was about 10. What’s stopping me from picking that back up?” “I think I’d enjoy archery. And owning a gun.” And “If I put my mind and body to it, I bet I could change my career to rock climbing.”

There are even things I DON’T enjoy, but repeatedly try to “get the hang of” – Cross Country Skiing, camping and most things with power tools included.

And while this is all fun and games – literally – it leaves me a bit overwhelmed, wanting to do it all, but lost on where to start. I’m constantly in a position where I can’t dedicate too much time to one hobby – for it means I’m missing out on another I might be having more fun with. Golf is the perfect time-intensive example of this. Spending hours on a course playing a mediocre to bad round isn’t always fun, so I’m less likely to work at it, or make it a regular event. However, I do – for whatever reason – enjoy it on occasion. Very limited occasion – like when I feel up for a few beers and substantial embarrassment.

So now I open it up to my readers to weigh in. How many hobbies do you have? How many is too many, and how do you draw the line? Because even though having too many may limit the experiences with each respective hobby, I’ve gotta agree with Vincent Prince when he said “A man who limits his interests, limits his life.” Maybe you just need to be really, really good at multitasking.

Also – in the event you’re still wondering about the tennis racquets, I have four in case I want to play doubles with three others who haven’t played. If you’re interested, we could get a match going. We’ll bike there. And kayak afterward. I’ll bring my fishing stuff.

Shootin the Wit is a sporadic blog about everyday life that should never, ever be taken too seriously.