Good thread
Everyone is different (thank god), In my mispent youth riding around on trains we used to have a saying for Joe Public , A 'Normal' , it wasn't a effectionate term, it meant exactly what it said on the tin a normal boring bloke who (usually) followed what everyone else did because he had no interests, His job was his life and he usually followed whatever was 'fashionable' at the time as he was incapable / too scared to think for himself, back then you you could call me a anorak or anything - call me a 'normal' and I'd be offended
As the railways became bland I returned to my other interest which was Aircraft , Couldn't afford to jump on all the aircraft to have a flight in them all (would be a tad difficult in a Single seat Typhoon) so it was back to 'spotting'.
Why ?
I like records and like to look back on what I've recorded as it helps bring back memorys of a good (or bad) day out so looking through what I've logged is a nice way of looking back through time (throw in the fact I can't remember what I did yesterday let alone last year and, we'll you get the picture
)
Photographs help record a trip or event but pre digital I would imagine I'd take 5 graphs per trip so hardly a record of the day, ironically it hit me a while ago that whilst I was photographing the aircraft I wasn't actually enjoying watching them.
Its the same for videoing, (banging my own drum
) I've got some fantastic photage of various bits worldwide, but I saw it all through a small viewfinder...., still enjoyed it and like the logbook now provides a visual memory of a good(bad) day out.
I know lots of people who travel purely for the reg or serial (and travel far......) I've been there and done it and propably still do (was at Prestwick for a Indian AF C130J recently, admittedly it tied in with a day on the beer in Glasgow but would probably have still made the journey).
I also know lots of people that take little interest in a aircraft once its been 'logged / bagged / scored', I've always had a interest in what the things do and inparticular have always loved watching certain aircraft (don't 'need' any UK built Typhoons but will NEVER tire of watching Typhoons bang out, equally was 'uptodate' with Buccaneers but it didn't stop umpteen trips out just to watch them and as for BAC 1-11's or 707's.
).
I've often found on my travels that the most boring people are the ones who have no interests or hobbies , they are also usually the ones that take the mick out of what
you enjoy doing and dream up stereotypes......they somehow think every football fan dresses smartly , or every fisherman talks commonsense , or that every set of blokes going for a few beers doesn't have a complete 'plank' with them or that all golfers.....well you get the drift, our hobby does offer firepower for the 'normals' to ridicule, but trust me (as someone who attends a lot of football / rugby matches) you see as many 'socially challenged' people at those events as what you do at any Airport or Airfield.
With all my many interests I find I have a fantastic social life (in fact life in general is enhanced by my interests - lets not forget its
my interests and each to their own), I've got pals all over the world (many funnily enough made through my various hobbies) and having a fairly 'hectic' job means my hobby is a destress, time for me to enjoy.
Will it matter if I see every C17 , Probably not.
Am I aiming to do that - most definatly
Am I called a 'anorak' - possibly, but remember I'd rather be called a anorak than a 'normal'
