Hobbies matter. They will literally save our lives. The statistics on loneliness are shocking. The US Surgeon general released a report in 2023 about the importance of social interaction to curb the loneliness and isolation epidemic. The report says that even before COVID, approximately half of U.S. adults reported experiencing measurable levels of loneliness. Dr. Vivek Murthy (Mr. Surgeon General) is even going so far as to develop an entire national campaign to encourage social interaction to save humanity. AND, hobbies help us better understand each other. The little things that construct meaning and purpose for us don’t just provide health benefits, they remind us that we are all part of a larger whole. When we learn more about other people’s unique interests we better appreciate the world around us and we can embrace and celebrate our differences. We find belonging in a sea of loneliness. Niche to Meet You is devoted to the misfits. We are all a little miss-fit, but the statistics are undeniable: We need to find ways to connect with others. Some hobbies stay just a hobby–a thing you do on the weekends. Some hobbies turn into lifestyles–paid work fuels the hobby and it begins to be treated more like a profession and then some hobbies for some people become their real, full-time work and career. In this series, we’ll hear from people in all of those buckets. In the first episodes, you’ll meet a twenty-year-old who has spent his entire life playing a sci-fi tabletop war game soon to be produced as an Amazon film franchise, and you’ll even meet the creator of those war games and learn how they were developed in the 1970’s out of the shadow of World War II. We’ll also meet Rubik’s cube enthusiasts and competitors, dog sledding champions, a whole room full of Santas and Mrs. Clauses, D&D Dungeon Masters, chess gossip followers…the list goes on. We’ll hear their stories told in their own voices, and we’ll explore how belonging can be crucial for a society seemingly doomed to a future of seclusion and self-imposed isolation. This podcast will help you learn about the hobbies where misfits are finding home. It’s Niche to meet you.