grandchildren, there are even more requirements on your
time. Sports, school activities, dance, piano lessons etc. Maybe
the old saying “life got in the way” isn't all that far off.
Weekends seem to be catch-up time. Time to do all of the
things that we didn't have time to do during the week. Yard
work, family get-togethers and just unwind. So without much
effort, we have used up most of the time we have available. As
human beings, we are social by nature, and relationships are
important. Relationships are not built by proximity, but by time
and interaction with other human beings. Anyone who has
dated or is married understands this.
So how do we achieve the dream layout we want, and balance
the rest of life? Part one of the equation is to understand what
is important in your life. Family, friends, a roof over your head,
and a warm bed to sleep in. The hobby is secondary to those;
after all if you don't have a roof over your head it's hard to
have a layout.
I believe that second part of the equation is that you build your
dream layout in cracks of time, 10 minutes here, 20 minutes
there. Over the last year (October to October) I have managed
to scratchbuild a large structure for a friend's layout, build
the backdrop for mine with some help, and build a couple of
undecorated Tichy kits that I painted and decaled. Doesn't
sound like much when you put it down on paper.
Yet I think I have accomplished a fair amount, considering that
the majority of it was spent in 10-20 minute slices of time. Yes,
there are some instances of two or more hours in a row, but
those are really few and far in-between. The problem, as I see
it, is that most hobbyists grossly under-estimate the amount of
time required for a given project, and take on much larger proj-
ects than we realize (guilty as charged).
Assistant Editor’s thoughts -
MRH-Oct 2013
