Amateur (Ham) Radio

Some of my friends have asked me "Why ham radio?  You can pick up a phone or get on the Internet and call all around the world, why mess with radio?  It seems a bit archaic."  Well, let me just be honest with you.  I don't really know why I am attracted to the hobby, but the radio bug has just bitten me.  The idea of using one system to bounce radio waves off the ionosphere all around the world and making contact with some other poor guy that's spent his paycheck on a nice radio system complete with a fine-tuned antenna, it's just a rather neat experience.  My friends that were curious are hunters, and I asked them, "You bow hunt every now and then, right?  Why do that, when you can just pick up a rifle?  Bow hunting seems a bit archaic compared to regular hunting with a gun."  (You see what I did there) And then, they sort of get it...but not fully.  

The truth is, I really love the hobby for a few reasons.  I really enjoy the folks in my local community who are like-minded in my county amateur radio club (Fauquier Amateur Radio Association), and I also enjoy listening to some old timers solve the world's problems from their ham shack on some farmland in Ohio, or Missouri, or some other part of the nation.  And then, I really enjoy making contact with hams in other countries, who are just trying to get as many contacts as possible for their local contests, or for bragging rights, or whatever reason.  Notice that the word "enjoy" is present in the previous sentences, and I think that's really the gist of it, as I begin a mid-life crisis of some sorts. I have never really had time to pursue a hobby since I have always worked at least two jobs up until recent years, and I am at an age where my knees are starting to hurt (thanks, USMC) so my new hobby probably won't involve running or jogging. It's just fun being around a group of people and developing friendships, making contacts, and learning new skills that can be used during events and emergencies. 

Some other reasons I enjoy the hobby (and being in FARA):

• Friendships with people who are way smarter than I am. I try to learn something new every time I am around them.

• Breakfast at the Bistro once a month, which is the cafeteria at the Fauquier Hospital. After thinking about this further, I think it's a brilliant idea to have breakfast there, since most of us in the club are 45+, and if anyone has a cardiac arrest from eating too much bacon, we are already at the hospital. (See, these dudes are super smart)

• It gives me the chance to be a part of something fun, and you actually gain knowledge from doing it. It's not like I'm sitting here playing video games and waste a ton of time (although, I do love that Red Dead Redemption and Fallout)

• It lets me relive some of the great times and ideas that I once had. What I mean is, when I was young, I had all of these great ideas of what I might do with my life. I was REALLY into sci-fi and loved everything about Star Trek and Star Wars, and I wanted to be in the NASA program so very badly because of space exploration and the potential to venture out beyond our realm. This was when NASA was pretty much the sole organization that would allow me to be a part of something to do with space. Unfortunately, no part of that dream ever happened due to matters beyond my control, and some bad decisions that I also made in life. I did not have proper encouragement either, and no amount of "pushing" from the adults in my life. And not to blame them, as they were doing the best they knew how, but the environment that I grew up in was not an optimal educational environment. Ham radio allows me to reignite a very small part of that former dream, and includes some technical aspect of what would be included in the space program. 

• Do you remember that movie "Contact" from the 90s where Jodie Foster constantly listened for signs of alien contact in deep space? DXing is not as cool as that, but I like to think I'm the equivalent of a Radio Astronomer whenever I make contact with some dude in Belgium (I know...not really, but again, it's just fun, roll with it)

• Finally, it gives me a chance to do something good in this world, however trivial, and continue a much-treasured legacy that has been passed down by men who are way more honorable than I will ever be. They deserve to live on through our hobby. May God continue to bless them and their families.