Hobbies Make Life Sweet

 Smile, the gratitude I feel whenever I write.

Hobbies make life awesomely sweet, and I have a handful that come at different times as life unfolds. 😀 Today, I'm grateful for the hobbies I've cultivated over time: basketball, football, swimming, dancing, hiking, mind research, news, trying new foods, and adventure. 😄

I started learning and playing basketball back in my senior school days with my friend Florence and our schoolmates. My favorite team is the Lakers. The late Kobe Bryant was an incredible player who founded the Black Mamba Academy to help young players develop their talents. Watching Lakers games, especially with Shaquille O'Neal, and their matchups with the legendary Michael Jordan, was always fun. We often played basketball to celebrate birthdays back then. I'm grateful for the ability to enjoy basketball, as it helps build my stamina.

Basketball was invented in 1891 in Springfield, Massachusetts, by Canadian physical education instructor James Naismith as a safer alternative to football. Naismith, a 31-year-old graduate student, created the indoor sport to keep athletes active during the winter.

Football also brings me joy. 😊 Don't ask which club I support—I’m not saying! 😉 The fun part is the banter among fans. The beauty of football lies in its ability to unite people regardless of religion, politics, social status, or color. Also, I do sports analysis on the radio. Modern football (soccer) as we know it was codified in 1863 when the Football Association in England was formed, leading to standardized rules. However, various forms of football have been played for centuries, with ancient versions dating back to at least the second and third centuries BC in China. I’m grateful for the ability to play and watch football.

I have loved swimming since childhood, despite a rough experience that made me stay away for a while. Now, I enjoy playing with water and volleyball in the pool. I remember going out to swim with my friends at Yankari in Bauchi state, at the spring called Wikki Spring. As a lady who covers her body fully, folks around looked surprised. Guess what? I came prepared and still fully covered—lol! What were you expecting? Hahaha.

Wikki Warm Spring is a natural spring with crystal clear water. The spring is awesome, and the feel it gives is indescribable, with a constant temperature of 31 degrees centigrade. It is 1.9 meters deep, 13 meters wide, and 200 meters long. The water gushes out from a string of chambers under a sandstone cliff. The actual source of the spring is still to be determined. I'm grateful for the ability to swim. Archaeological evidence suggests that modern swimming has been practiced since 2500 BCE in Egypt and later in Assyrian, Roman, and Greek civilizations.

I'm grateful for mind research. It’s fascinating and captivating, revealing how amazing the Almighty is and what we can achieve with our minds, though much remains untapped. As a certified Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) practitioner, which deals with the mind and brain language, what do you expect? 😉 Descartes was the first to identify the mind with consciousness and self-awareness, distinguishing it from the brain, which he saw as the seat of intelligence.

Dancing alleviates stress and brings joy and happiness. I use dancing as a form of exercise sometimes, and sometimes to change my mood. Early humans might have danced to attract mates as far back as 1.5 million years ago. A recent study suggests that babies are born to dance, with the ability to bop to the beat as young as five months old. Dancing when you feel sad can significantly boost your mood.

I love trying new foods—it makes me very happy. We can even be friends based on our love for food!

Which hobbies are you grateful for?