I'll take a try at explaining what this hobby means to me if I may.
I kind of fell into this hobby accidentally after stumbling over a forum post while searching the internet for info on another hobby. Anyhow, to make the story short, I read that post then all the others then began searching for and reading other forums and became totally enthralled with the hobby.
Why did it catch my interest? Well, the answer to that is the answer to what this hobby means to me. Simply put, here was a hobby that allowed me to let my imagination run free, to daydream about what I might find next. It offered a chance to get in touch with that little kid in me, the one that hopes for a surprize, any surprize. The one that wants to have an adventure no matter how small. Until this hobby I found that mostly in fly fishing but could not get out as often as I wished as the good streams are hours of driving away. Yet this hobby I can do in the nearest park if I wish, in a spare half hour! And, instead of dreaming of large trout I could anticipate all sorts of surprizes, old coins, toys, rings, whatever! It doesn't matter what I find really, its the fun of being out and the thrill of each target dug. The kid in me just loves the hope!
I've met many people through this hobby and made some very fine friends. I've shared good times with them and learned much. I've shared what i learned when i could with others who came into the hobby.
To sum it up, what does this hobby mean to me..it means good times with good friends, stress relief, the occasional delightful find and most of all, it means that at 50 years age I can still get out be a big kid and have fun.
HH all.
