Why do we do this?

[Sailorman]

I just thought this might be interesting. Why metal detecting? What drew you to it, what keeps you at it, what makes it fun?

My wife and I came to the hobby as a team and hunt as a team. After more then ten years of severe health issues and being unable to walk, speak or even swallow solid food and knocking on deaths door several times my wife was given the unbelievable gift of a nearly normal life again. We had spent much of our life before all this living out doors and living aboard a boat and cruising. We wanted to get her outdoors again and had both thought MD'ing was interesting but had been dealing with life and death issues so never looked into it much. So we got our first machine about a year and a half ago. I find 'em, she digs 'em. She loves the arrangement and we can have a ball just digging clad and junk jewelry, not that we complain about better stuff mind you.

She's able to do her beloved art again and often uses found stuff to make some art with and even sells some. Living on a boat we can't keep a lot but we do keep the best.

For us it's been just the enjoyment of being together, out doors and active. We love old stuff and we love just finding pretty much anything short of pull tabs, can slaw, bottle caps and rusty iron. Even Hotwheels are an exiting find! I guess MD'ing is a bit of a celebration for us. I remember the first time in a decade that she was able to walk on the beach. I was swinging a detector, she was dragging a scoop and having more fun than a two year old in a toy store!

We did join a club for a bit but that actually turned out to be a mistake. Getting caught up in the liars table, er, I mean finds table and the mix of egos actually diminished our enjoyment and since dropping it we're having more fun again whether by ourselves or with a good hunting buddy or two we've met. We are doing this for fun, not to compete for bragging rights!

I'm not saying we never have frustrating days, especially in summer heat, but just being able to do something fun like this together is the point. I know for some it's a race to see who can dig the most rings, bullets, silver, gold, etc but we've just sort of reevaluated it all and walked away from all that to get back to why we started detecting in the first place! Fun together!

So what's some other stories out there?

 

[tdk6060]

Hello i have been in MD for 2 weeks now still get my feet wet.
I'm having fun doing it .had a hartatack last may 2011 .
i have a BH V L F have fun .
happy MD

 

[jabbo]

Sailorman, I love your story - the part about the improvement and recovery your wife made. It's true, fun stuff has power and can help us heal. I'm retired and having fun trying to find a silver bust coin. Sometimes it seems like it's right around the corner and so I keep looking forward to finding it, and even more important, looking forward to having the physical strength to dig all those holes in the future. This hobby helps us focus on having fun and deserves more credit for our good health than we give it.

 

[dirt doctor]

Thanks for printing your story Sailorman . I wish you and your wife the very best , you certainly have your priorities right . For me detecting is a pleasant time out from all the crazyness in life . My wife doesn't care to swing a detector but she is happy to see the joy it brings me and thinks that of all the hobbies I have had this one is the best (so do I ) . Each trip out is an adventure and sometimes you bring home a nice item to remember it by . After retiring from many years of construction the only tools I want to use now are detecting related .

H H ,
George

3 edits , man I'm getting sloppy .

 

[fowlercharles]

Hi Sailorman, and a big double "Wow" for you and your wife's story!! Man, I really enjoyed it, and am incouraged very very much by you and your wife's inthusiasm and unique understanding about the true meaning of our hobby. I hope many more folks can read your story and be encouraged by it!. Through all y'alls trials and troubles you have been Blessed with a simple hobby that enabled you to fight the fight together as she recouped .It's a True Love story if ever was, and you should write a book!! Good on Y'all Sailorman !!! God Bless and HH, Charlie

 

[Dude]

Glad to hear MD'ing has helped your wife. Your lucky you and your wife can do it together. I tried taking my wife; and well lets just say, her pin pointing and recovery technique left something to be desired. She just got frustrated, and I figured for the sake of MD'ing everywhere it would be better to leave her home, which was OK with her.

For me MD'ing is very relaxing and clears my mind it has that almost Zen quality to it. And then theres the money and occasional rings, that's just icing on the cake.

The only hobby that pays

 

[Smudge]

Sailorman,

First, I'm veyr glad to hear the wife is doing so much better now!

Second, I'm very sorry to hear baout your negative experience with a metal detecting club.

I do this for a few reasons:

its decent exercise.

no other hobby except maybe going to garage or estate sales, has this kind of potential for monetary reward.

but mostly, in the middle of my hectic life, I can slip on some headphones, turn on my detector, and just ignore the world for few hours. Best prescription for sanity I can think of.

 

[bootyhoundpa]

you are very fortunate sailorman to have a wife who not only is understanding and supportive of your hobby but also partisipates with you.... my wife does not share your wifes understanding ...... metaldetecting is great therapy ,great exercise,and helps the pocketbook every once in a while...i do it for two main reasons.... like smudge said,the wolrd outside goes away when the headphones go on....also its kinda like opening a box of cracker jacks from the bottom first every time i dig a target..you just never know what your gonna find.....i wish you both good health and good finds.....although i believe youv each found the best find you will ever find -each other....;

 

[DirtAngler]

Sailorman, metal detecting can be fun and enjoyable, and your story is PRICELESS. I do it also because with my physical challenges, it is one of few things I can do as a stress reliever and hobby. My wife too, will sometimes go along and dig for me and those times are some of my best just for that reason. I too see a lot of fake finds, in my opinion. and don't understand the ego trip people must have to feel they must fake finding valuable and/or rare targets. As a matter of fact, a situation like that could have contributed to a tragedy in our area. Good luck to you and your wife.

 

[matthias]

Hey Sailorman. Great post. Very inspiring. Thank you! For me metal detecting is a way to get away from 'now' and go back in history by finding old coins and relics. Its a chance to be outside in nature with my dog. Good luck to you and your wife and everyone. HH. Matt

 

[mudpuppy]

Yep, great post! Thanks for sharing a little of your interesting and inspiring life with us!
Mud

 

[Dirtdigger33]

Thank you for sharing your story Sailorman. In a time when there is turmoil in the world and unrest it is good to hear a story of happiness and time enjoyed together with the ones we love. It helps to bring back into focus what really matters in life, the time we spend together with family and friends. I wish you and your wife the best and hope you have many more enjoyable hours of chasing that next target and next outing. I think it is hard for those who have not caught the addiction of this great hobby to understand why someone would want to swing a detector and dig in the dirt all day to dig sometimes a bunch of junk and corroded old coins, with an occasional treasure here and there. so to sum up why I detect in just a few words. Exercise, curiosity, I love digging up a piece of history, therapeutic value and because it is the most exciting hobby I have found. My 1st experience with metal detecting came when I was in grade school I saw a guy detecting at a ball field in my neighborhood. He was polite and approachable and answered my questions of interest with genuiness. Years later I am enjoying a hobby that intrigued me as a boy and I think in some part it was because of this mans kindness. When I am approached by a kid or group of kids with curiosity and amazement written on their faces as I dig a penny or some other coin from the ground or show them how to dig or use my detector. I think in some way I have passed the excitement and joy of the hobby onto someone else and in some small way repaid the kindness of a nice man from a happy childhood memory. I have not been given the opportunity to find and return something that means a lot to someone else like a ring or some other jewelry, but I hope to have that experience soon. HH everyone.