Why Be Derby?

I was in a high school art show my junior year called "Why Be Normal?" It was all about celebrating the different and the absurd (as high school artists tend to be) and supposed to teach people that "different" was fun and cool. Really, preaching to people about "different" at an art show is a moot point. People tend to expect you to be avant garde - to show them something they couldn't do. And in a high school art show, you're already different. That's why you're there. Or at least - you're trying to be different. So the question I get asked a lot now is - Why be derby? People think at a certain point in your life you're done with experimenting with drastically different things, or are unwilling to risk the time and investment a new hobby takes. They figure that if you ARE trying new things that require commitment and dedication, then something in your current life must be lacking. It's weird to think that after a certain point you should be done. Settled in your life. When you're finally older, wiser, and financially independent, isn't that THE time to try new things?

I've heard a lot of people gravitate towards derby because they are looking for something - companionship, exercise, or simply something to do 3 - 4 times a week to stave off boredom. Or people say it saved them - gave them a whole different world to immerse themselves in when their own world got a little shitty. I can definitely see how derby works in both of those situations. And I know why I gravitated towards it (exercise, sport, camaraderie, flair, superhero identity, etc etc), but I don't feel like I was looking for any sort of replacement in my life. I tacked it on in addition to doing all these things I already love.

Sometimes that makes me feel a bit guilty. It doesn't really make sense, but is it possible to have too many hobbies that take you away from the day-to-day you're supposed to be involved in?