Is it a Lifestyle or a Hobby?

[Miss_Piggy]

I'm reminded of the chat last week. We were joking about "the hobby."

"How long have you been in the hobby?"
"Are you going to the hobby conference in Vegas?"
"Honey, let's go to the hobby store!"

[xxoticangel]

Its a hobby because we do it for fun. If one of us decided today that we should not swing anymore we would stop with no negative effect to our relationship. That said it is also a lifestyle. It is always in the background and we are always on the lookout for potential playmates.

[TxCouple98]

We are still new to all of this, but would only consider it a hobby. I have a sister who is into the BDSM lifestyle and friends who are into that too. That type of kinky is typically more than lifestyle than what swinging seems it could be, at least for us For it to be lifestyle we think that your day to day events would have to be focused around swinging. Those in the BDSM lifestyle do tend to get more to that extreme.

[Chicup]

hob•by1 n. pl. hob•bies
An activity or interest pursued outside one's regular occupation and engaged in primarily for pleasure.

I’m starting to wonder if swinging for me at least would be better defined as a hobby then as a “lifestyle”. We currently are not active as my wife is pregnant, (and outside of maybe the first couple of months, swinging while pregnant seems icky to us), and we find we really do miss swinging, not just because of the sex, but because its something to do. When we are looking for new couples, its fun to see who sent mail, who wants to chat, planning to get together and all that. Ok, ok, sometimes its very frustrating, but over all it is fun. While swinging might not be as conventional as model trains, they are some similarities.

I suppose it doesn’t matter if it’s a hobby or not but beyond the ‘OH MY GOD YOU HAVE SEX WITH OTHER PEOPLE, BESIDES YOUR WIFE!’ mentality, its not a whole lot different then people who get together to play cards.

[Vespertine]

I have to agree with you Chicup.

Its a hobby for us. Something fun to do. Something interesting once in awhile.

We like the hunt.

We don't consider it a way of life for us.

[NewTemptations]

life·style also life-style or life style
n.
A way of life or style of living that reflects the attitudes and values of a person or group.


To me and Lee this is more of a lifestyle than just a hobby...but thats just us. There was a poll on this a month or so ago...seems more think of it as just a hobby.
Poll and thread here

Laura

[mrbandsatl]

For us, our lifestyle is our hobby. Or is it the other way around?

Actually, we have talked about this alot in the past and concluded that our values and attitude (lifestyle) is what allows us to enjoy our hobby (sex with other people). For us, being in the lifestyle does not presume a desire for recreational sex. Therefore, lifestyle trumps hobby!

I think that makes sense
Bob (and Sandy)

[Chicup]

Originally Posted by NewTemptations

life·style also life-style or life style
n.
A way of life or style of living that reflects the attitudes and values of a person or group.


To me and Lee this is more of a lifestyle than just a hobby...but thats just us. There was a poll on this a month or so ago...seems more think of it as just a hobby.
Poll and thread here

Laura

Hehe I wasn't following the boards in June, miss a little miss a lot it seems.

And here I thought I had a new topic

[fane]

To us became a lifestyle after we discovered it 3 years ago.
To talk and dream about it was a hobby

[JustAskJulie]

Originally Posted by Chicup

Hehe I wasn't following the boards in June, miss a little miss a lot it seems.

And here I thought I had a new topic

I went ahead and merged these two threads together.

[LIZA]

I consider it a casual hobby

Even tho we have been active off and on over 4 years, its not an every weekend thing, we dont make friends at swing clubs that we develope other friendships with (i.e. no family BBQs, etc) its strictly recreation

I probably go to the movies 5 times as often as we swing, but i wouldn't call that a lifestyle!

[fane]

Hi Liza
We still look at it as a new lifestyle.We do not go to clubs,we have regular friends that we enjoy going to movies theater,eating out,travelling together and swinging together.

[funtoplay]

An interesting poll. I really hadn't thought about it much, and I'm not one to over-analyze things. To be truthful, I think it's a question of "six of one...half a dozen of the other"

[marvelousmarv]

I can't call swinging a hobby. Hell No! I, like everyone else likes to brag to the world what we do as a hobby. I don't tell my business associates that I swing. I don't tell my family members either. Even though I suspect that there in here somewhere. Probably all of the above. The truth be known, who do you tell except those in this lifestyle? No one. None. So it has to be our secret lifestyle. Marv

[dutch51]

A little of both for us. As far as the physical activity part of it, I guess it would fall into the hobby category because we can only do it when circumstances permit (ie when we have a reliable babysitter), but being part of the lifestyle has changed our thinking and our attitudes about a lot of things in the vanilla world. We do look at things differently, and have to agree with a lot of things TNT said. We don't take big vacations or anything, or plan around available clubs, but our outlook has changed. We're part of a world we never considered once upon a time, and we're glad. Even if we stopped swinging completely- the hobby part of it, we would still have the same outlook. And we would still view people the same way, and speak out more about things that aren't right.

A lot of people who know us IRL, wonder about our relationship, and how it can be as good as it is. We always say they could have that too with improved communication and honesty, but if they knew our "secret," they'd freak. So our hobby/lifestyle will remain pretty much between us...