“Be passionate,” people say. Live your passions. Make your passions your job and you will never work a day. All common things you hear, and perhaps all have some ring of truth to them.
Sometimes our passions are simply our interests, our hobbies, and that is all they have to be. When I develop a passion for something I go all in, rabbit holes seem to appear left right and centre. My latest passion has become cigars. I am still somewhat surprised as to how this even happened. As a reformed cigarette smoker I became quite anti-tobacco, and I still abhor the smell of cigarettes. But approximately one year ago something happened, something changed. I discovered some YouTube channels discussing the world of premium cigars and I was smitten. So, down into that hole I went but, unknowingly, entered a warren.
When I get interested in something I watch videos, and films, and read books. I absorb any information that is out there. Of course, nowadays that means a lot of resources are available. What struck me most was how such a world could exist without my knowledge. We have all heard wine nerds discussing tasting notes but people do this with cigars too!
It is a world containing all types. Of course, there are the rich with their immense collections of Cuban rarities. But there are also the more down-to-earth types, like me. Those who have a limited budget but enjoy the exploration of different cultures and the history of a product that has been so important to so many countries and the families who have lived in them.
Once you gain a little bit of knowledge then worlds open up to you. I have enjoyed the exploration of different leaves, various manufacturers, as well as their differing techniques. I feel like I have learnt so much, yet it has only been a year.
In some ways, it is a little scary that there is so much more to learn, but the journey is the fun part and with this one, there is no hope of reaching a destination. You see, this world of cigars keeps expanding and I see no reason for it not to continue to do so.
neilhayeswrites 