Is this just part of growing up?

[Fat-G]

Figured I could you guys at BR about this, since a lot of you have already been through the "growing up" stage.

It feels like all of the things I used to be completely engulfed in aren't even in my interest anymore. I used to think about fishing, baseball, blah blah blah all day everyday. I would come home and browse this forum for hours on end. Haven't been fishing in the better part of four months, and don't really feel the desire to (which happens every once in a while). I don't want to play baseball this Spring for my high school team, but that has more to do with the fact that the head coach has his head three feet up his ***. I've played baseball since I was six, and I'm pretty d**n good. I could probably play in college, but I don't have the desire to work that hard for something I don't enjoy. It just isn't fun anymore. Last Summer I played for a team with some of my friends, and just destroyed the ball. Five dingers in eight games, but there wasn't any passion. And I'm not trying to sound cool or brag, I just find it weird. Fishing will come around again, as it always does.

I have found interest in other things, like handguns, hunting, trucks (I got my license), and just cars in general. I'm the kind of person that wants to know all about whatever it is I think is cool. For instance, randomly I thought it would be cool to have a handgun. Two weeks later I could talk about the recoil guide springs that a Sig uses. I guess it means I'm eager to learn about stuff, so perhaps it's not as odd as I had originally thought.

I just think it's weird that I could just completely abandon a hobby for a period of time.

Has anyone experienced this?

[.dsaavedra.]

sounds pretty normal to me

[bilgerat]

It's completly normal. It's called expanding your horizens. There's a lot worse things you could be involved with. You're fine.

[Root beer]

sounds pretty normal to me

X2.

I also played baseball growing up and walked off the team in high school, it just wasn't the same. I haven't fish much at all this year when after I left the baseball team I did nothing but fish. This year I've been on the mountain biking and backpacking phase with no sign of losing interest.

[RussBert]

My entire life to date has been a continuously changing whirlwind of hobbies and activities. If being like me then is normal, I feel sorry for you!   

[Red]

I don't know much, but I know that I regret not playing baseball and football in my last two years of high school.  Baseball was my thing growing up too, I loved it!  I wish I had finished my high school career as 1st baseman.  I have recently found a renewed love for it being involved with my nephews little league team, I plan to coach them this coming season.

[Micro]

The problem is that it starts getting expensive.  And finding a woman that will tolerate it gets harder. 

[Fishing Rhino]

At sixteen, you are still discovering who you are.  You need to broaden your horizons and try new things.

Many of the things that grab your attention will be passing fads.  Others can last a lifetime.  Enjoy as many of the things life has to offer as possible.

Good luck on life's journey.

[K_Mac]

Knowing what jig to use on a rocky point, or what spring to use with +P+ ammo in a Sig is cool. Having passion about what you're doing at the time is what keeps life interesting. I've gone through a bunch of things that have caught my interest over the years. Life is a journey brother. Enjoy the trip.

[Glenn]

Absolutely normal.  However some teens your age will stifle it as they get older.  Bad move. 

Never lose that thirst for knowledge.  NEVER!  Your abilities, skills, and opportunities really open up when fuel the fire.

[Sam]

So your interests changed.

No problem.

We all go through it.

With me it was basketball in high school. After I got burned out of that I have never been back to the sport excepting watching the NCAA March Madness games.

There is no problem having other interests. In fact, it is healthy.  You do not want to focus on just one thing and burn yourself out so having other interests is very healthy.

I have been into macaws, cockatiles, swimming, hunting, fishing, working out, weight lifting, aerobics, softball, running and walking.

As for your high school baseball, please reconsider your thoughts. Baseball is a game that demands mental and physical strength. You may think the coach is an idiot but watch what he does and try to think why he does what he does. He has been playing baseball much longer than you.

So do something new this winter so you will be refreshed and ready to go fishing in the spring and summer with a new attitude. 

[Fat-G]

Thanks guys. When I say I learn EVERYTHING about whatever it is, I mean everything haha. It's cool to be able to talk about thirty different things and really get into it.

That relieves a lot of worries!

[Fat-G]

My coach is a good guy, he's just wrapped around his ego. Just the way he acts is so obnoxious. There's 6 kids that aren't even trying out, because of him. I'm just burned out. Maybe I'll play lacrosse, who knows.

I'm also doing a class in scholl called Fit for Life. Our teacher is a Marine. Nuff said. It's a strength and conditioning class, and I have really seen a ton of improvement. My paretner is a wrestler who is completely ripped in every way shape and form, so that pushes me even more. I've really got into lifting, so there's another interest! 

[Long Mike]

As Timothy Leary once said, "Turn on, tune in, and drop out."     Just kidding kid.  You'll work through it.  It's part of becoming an adult.

[Glenn]

I prefer Tom Lehrer....

[flippin and pitchin]

You are on the right track.  My dad told me that the most important things are relationships.  He said do what builds a relationship and not dissolve it.  He said to do those things you can be proud of, now and later and not to embarrass yourself in your actions. Being an adult will come soon enough and with it a higher level of responsibility.  ENJOY your your youth and the freedom it brings to experience so many different things.  One last tip..If you choose to race motocross, always wear a kidney belt.   

[OHIO]

I would say it's completely normal. I used to be heavily involved with partying and cars.

I have lost interest in those things, but that's part of maturing and growing up.

It's your life and you should do whatever makes you happy. If playing baseball doesn't make you happy, don't do it.

[KYntucky Warmouth]

It's normal to loose interst in something that you take on full speed ahead.  Sometimes you just get so engulfed in something that you just get tired of it.  It's good to get into different things and expand you knowledge base and hobbies.  It seems that nowadays there are certain things that teens get into that are just no good, just stay away from those and stay with the positive recreations . 

My brother played basketball from 3rd grade to his sophmore year in college and gave it up last year.  He had a coach in a highschool that coached there for one or two years and made ALOT of people mad.  Several kids quit, some even left to go to the private school just to play, alot of parents were constantly on him to play there kids and would cave to their threats, pressure, or politics.  My brother wanted to quit but my parents wouldn't let him, he wasn't getting enough playing time for his ego and it got worse after he broke the school record of like 50 some points in a game.  After all the fuss from parents and players, kids quoting and changing schools, he took them to the sweet 16 state tournament, somewhere that hadn't been in a long time and I don't think have been since.  It takes someone to push you and make tough descisions that you might not like to get you ahead.

[Grey Wolf]

You are just trying to find your niche in life , normal. You have to be true to yourself and everything usually falls in line for you.

[piscicidal]

Fat-G,

I'm twice your age and I still go through those phases.  Eight years ago I was obsessed with golf, then I went to a saltwater water fishing phase, the past two years I'm all about bass fishing.  Don't worry about it.

[tholmes]

As others have said, it's all part of finding out who you are. Try lots of different things. In my case, I went through a lot of different interests when I was young, but as I got older, the ones that I was really passionate about kept coming back around.

Tom

[farmpond1]

I had a friend in high school who began jumping from one obsession to another on a regular basis. You could almost set your calendar by it-if not your watch. And I had a roommate in college who adored Rush and Supertramp (this is clearly dating me) and one day he decided he didn't like who he was anymore and he gave away all his beloved albums. I was like "huh?" But clearly he felt there needed to be a change of some sort. To borrow lines from the Counting Crows song, Round Here, "...Says she's thinkin' of jumpin'. She says she's tired of life. She must be tired of something." Well, perhaps this is more extreme than your situtation (hope so) but maybe you can relate.

Maybe you just need a break or an easing up on baseball. These days the pressures to succeed can be ginormous and can suck the life out of anything. Your... "identity crisis" could involve substance abuse, violence, and so forth so you sound like you are handling it more maturely than that. Good for you. I don't have any answers but as the saying "these things shall pass" is generally true, hopefully you'll find your stride.

[SoFlaBassAddict]

It's completely normal.  Do yourself a favor though, enjoy what you're doing at the time.  If something else comes along that you enjoy more, have at it.  It's just part of life.  Adults still do the same thing.  Just make sure you never regret not doing something.