In Twenty Years, Tell Them This is How it Started

It all started after I made a random remark about model trains in my last entry on Monday. That tiny remark sparked an itch in my brain, an itch I knew I would want to scratch somewhere down the line. As it turned out, down the line was later the same day.

As I was looking for a place to write in the library (I wanted a clean, well-lit spot), I spotted a copy of a magazine called Model Railroader. I should have kept on walking, but instead, I stopped and had the following internal dialogue:

Me: Ooh! Can I take a quick peek at the magazine?
Myself: No. You need to be writing. You don't have time for distractions.
Me: It'll only be a second, I promise.
Myself: No it won't. You're going to get carried away.
Me: Nuh-uh. Please?
Myself: No!
Me: Okay, fine. (pretends to walk off and then snatches the magazine anyway)
Myself: Grrr!

Well, myself was right about me getting carried away. A quick peek grew into reading a few articles and staring at a few photos. That led to surfing the web, reading a few more articles and staring at a few more photos. That snowballed into checking out two detailed books on the topic for further reading and staring (or what I like to call research).

By the time I got home, I was out of control. I stood in the living room and tried to envision all the furniture stacked in one corner and a model train running over bridges and through tunnels, between towering factories and rolling hills, all on a massive table in the middle of the room. Fortunately, there exists an impenetrable barrier preventing my wild imaginings from becoming reality and its called common sense.

As a hobby, model railroading seems like it could be fun. Until Monday, I never actually considered it seriously, most likely because I thought it was uncool, but now I can sort of see its appeal. The key is to start small and not go overboard; be passionate, but not obsessive.

What does that mean? Well, I guess that means doing more research, reading more, visiting hobby stores, seeing actual layouts and learning about what the hobby actually involves. Am I really going to enjoy dealing with wiring or soldering? Can I really see myself spending hours assembling miniature buildings or constructing roads out of foam board? Is it something I'll be committed to for years to come or something I'll grow bored of in a few weeks?

Those are some of the questions I have to answer before I dive in. All I know is that it makes me laugh to think that all this silliness started because of two words I wrote in a journal entry.