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A Picture<br />
ofHappıness<br />
Leah Mitchener<br />
If you want to know the real me, a stroll around my<br />
home is a good way to find out. On my shelves you will<br />
find books about Europe, architectural history, humor,<br />
stories about good winning over evil, trinkets from my<br />
travels, and mementos from friends scattered amongst<br />
them. There are baskets and chests full of cozy blankets,<br />
and two fuzzy cats that sit on the couch waiting to be<br />
scratched under their chins. But the things you will<br />
find the most of are a plethora of old cameras and<br />
photographs that cover the living room walls and fill<br />
countless boxes and albums in almost every closet and<br />
bookcase. These are my treasures. Photography has been<br />
a major component of my entire life. From the chunky<br />
blue Fisher Price camera I wore around my neck as a<br />
tiny child to the DSLR that travels with me and captures<br />
life’s important and beautiful moments; photography<br />
has and always will be my most fulfilling hobby.<br />
It’s important for people to have a hobby to call<br />
their own: something that takes their mind off of<br />
their daily stresses and brings them joy in some way or<br />
another. January just so happens to be National Hobby<br />
Month, so I wanted to take this opportunity to talk to<br />
people about what they love to do to enrich their lives<br />
on a personal level.<br />
Like my love for photography, some people’s<br />
passions start very young. The students at Drama Kids<br />
International have invested a lot of time and devotion<br />
into their interests in the theatrical arts. Participants<br />
Camille Toles (9), Sarah Carney (11), and Ellie Smith<br />
(12), have all enjoyed taking part in dramatic<br />
productions since the age of five. Camille especially<br />
loves exploring what it’s like to step into a character’s<br />
shoes and imagining being that person. Sarah shares<br />
those sentiments saying, “When you act out a character,<br />
it feels almost real, like you’re becoming something<br />
different than yourself.” Ellie has realized that she has<br />
not only received personal and social satisfaction from<br />
acting, but confidence as well! “It’s nice to know I’m<br />
better at conversations because of skills I’ve developed<br />
[while at Drama Kids],” she said.<br />
Social hobbies are a great way for people to meet<br />
like-minded friends that they might not have otherwise<br />
Hometown madison • 39
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