You have told me that hobbies rank among life's great pleasures and that we enjoy many hobbies in our lives. Hmmn! That sounds reasonable to me, then I have to ask myself the question. "Do I have any hobbies?" Well, let me think. What is a hobby? I suppose that it is something which we enjoy very much outside of our daily work lives. Ah, now then, what so I enjoy doing very much outside of my daily work life? Let me see.
I certainly like to travel. Do you think that would be one of my hobbies? Perhaps so. It's an expensive hobby of course. You know that I have traveled to 45 countries, and China is my forty-fifth country, don't you? Since my parents took me in high school to travel throughout the US and parts of Canada, I suppose that was the start of my hobby of traveling. After I graduated from the university that summer I traveled in Europe for two months. The next summer, I was again in Europe and also the Soviet Union. Often, I tie my travel into my professional opportunities. I am doing that now by teaching in China. I have been lucky to travel a lot in China. So, maybe you are right. Perhaps travel is one of my special hobbies.
Ok, so travel is one of my hobbies! What else? Do I have any other hobbies? Hmmn! Let me think, I really like to be with young people and in China my best friends are some of my students. What do you think? Is that a hobby? I enjoy entertaining them at my Friday evening with elementary, teenage, and kindergarden students. Sometimes, I have traveled with some of my Chinese men students. So, I think maybe that my relationships with young people and my travel with them are a bit like a hobby too. Ah, now, I have two hobbies that I can identify! 
Anything else? Hmmn! I like to read, send emails, and watch TV. I enjoy knowing more about the world and communication between different cultures! Do they consist of hobbies? Some of these things relate to my professional experiences. Yeah, yeah, perhaps so! Maybe these are several of the things that I like doing, some connected with professional opportunities, and others which simply give me pleasure.
Well, then, do you think that my hobbies are good ones? You know, both Aristotle and Thomas Jefferson have said that one of our biggest goals in life is to try to be happy. I am basically a happy person most of the time. Maybe it's true. I do enjoy many hobbies in my life; and then these hobbies lead me toward a happier life. Good! Good! So, I do have hobbies and they help make me happy. How about you? Do your hobbies make you happy? I certainly hope so!