THE CHALLENGED AUG 11 PROMPT | HOBBIES

My Hobby was Having Hobbies

Pick one: photography, sailing, writing, wood carving, stained glass artist

Photo by Dominik Scythe on Unsplash

The Prompt. August 11: Iban Van der Zeyp asks: What are you currently working on? Can be a DIY or hobby project, reorganizing a room, a work of art… Share a photo and write about it. Peter Mammitzsch also asks, “Have you created something with your own hands? Something you’re really proud of? What is it? If possible, show a photo!” Are you a Do-It-Yourselfer? Are hand and/or power tools your friends? Share your experience making or fixing things. (Rodrigo S-C)

I’ve had a lot of hobbies and interests over the last sixty years.

Stretching from the world of photography to the creativity of building and designing stained glass pieces. From building an 8 ft wooden rowboat to running a BBQ catering business to writing a book, all while owning a 30 ft sailboat, I’ve been busy.

Somewhere amongst all my hobbies, I built a complete set of patio furniture, which included a garden bench, two Adirondack chairs with a table. And of course, I found time for a few rounds of golf a month or a fishing trip on the coast.

When I look back and put a timeline to my life, I’m amazed at how much I did and still managed to raise a family while working 40 to 50 hours in a job that required 60% travel.

One hobby I had that was engaging and fun was wood carving.

I learned how to take a block of wood and turn it into a 3-dimensional carving. My investment was a few dollars for a set of wood chisels, a heavy-duty glove, a box of Band-Aids, and a Leisure Learning Class at the local community college.

We met twice a week. The instructor was a Master Wood Carver who had been involved in the hobby for over twenty years. He showed us a few of his projects. They were big, intricate, and impressive. He also showed us the scars on his hands, some of which were a result of stitches.

He was an amazing instructor, worked with us on our projects, always had a few tips for us to try, and was very patient. It was a fun class.

Here’s a picture of the only surviving piece I have:

Photo by author

This was carved out of a 4x4 piece of cedar. Other projects I carved included an Indian chief, an owl, an eagle, and a wizard carved from a piece of driftwood.

I learned how to carve to the highest point first, how to hold the wood with my gloved hand, and realized that no matter how hard you try to avoid it, you’ll cut a few fingers.

I eventually let the hobby fade from my life.

I’ve always stayed busy. My wife and I enjoyed many years working on different projects. The few times we’d get frustrated with each other, I’d slip out the next day to go fishing or play a round of golf.

Most of our work, whether it was a stained-glass piece or a nice framed photograph, was custom-created and given as gifts.

Thanks to Iban Van der Zeyp, Peter and Rodrigo for contributing to an interesting prompt.

© 2026 All rights reserved, LJ Bentch

If you’re interested in writing a story or an essay to a daily prompt, please check out the Challenge publication. Here’s the link to the August prompts:

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