My room is a prison and my passion is a curse.

[watereyes]

Hi

When I was told I just needed to find something I would be passionate about to be happy, I seriously thought it was true. I started working on vintage tech, my dream being to have a vintage-everything room. Vintage consoles, TVs, VCRs, radios, phones, computers, and those f*cking CRT monitors. Hell I even mainly listen to music older than the 80s. What I didnt expect is that it would cut me off from the world. I'm 19, noone my age is into that shit. I'm completely alone in this. I dont have a single friend, because there's absolutely noone who has that interest. Most people think this stuff belongs to the trash, while I think its part of history and deserves to be preserved.

I'm so fucking lonely with my tubes. I can't believe I worked hours and hours on it, and paid hundreds of euros, all for what? Having my room cluttered with CRTs and using a PS/2 mouse and keyboard? Absolutely zero friends. Fucking sh$t. These tubes belong to the trash and so do I.

 

[Anxieyote]

That's something I wish I had realized sooner too. Having a unique interest doesn't make people appreciate you any more or less.

You have this vision in your head that you'll meet someone like-minded who is also into the same niche interest, and sparks will fly and you'll finally have a connection that feels authentic, but it doesn't play out like that at all.

Sometimes it's the opposite situation too, where you do meet someone who is just as passionate as you about a niche thing, but they possess other qualities that make you dislike them just as much as any other human.

Ironically, the best thing you can do is blend in. Not be too passionate about any particular hobby, and just keep your interests surface level; but varied.

I too, have committed way too much time collecting Apple products to impress people, but nobody actually gives a shit. In fact, I was told by my last boyfriend that he considered not dating me at all because I came off as pretentious and annoying for talking about Apple stuff so much, and it was a huge turn-off.

 

[chocolatebar]

Maybe you're projecting your frustration on your hobby... behaving like everyone else and doing what everyone else does may bring more people around us, but even in a crowd, we can feel lonely if we're detached and no one has a strong relationship with us.

by the way, is a PS/2 mouse and keyboard already considered vintage? They're quite popular where I live and I'm writing to you from one.

 

[watereyes]

Maybe you're projecting your frustration on your hobby... behaving like everyone else and doing what everyone else does may bring more people around us, but even in a crowd, we can feel lonely if we're detached and no one has a strong relationship with us.

by the way, is a PS/2 mouse and keyboard already considered vintage? They're quite popular where I live and I'm writing to you from one.

Well I assume it is, my keyboard is so old it doesnt have the windows or € key. And I have a ball mouse.

 

[chocolatebar]

And I have a ball mouse

Now you're talking! It would be even better if it used a RS232 connector instead and a DIN5 keyboard to pair would be awesome

 

[FuneralCry]

I'm sorry you are going through this. I understand that it can be painful to feel isolated. It seems like other people are the problem though. People are very disappointing. It sounds interesting what you are passionate about. I wish you the best.

 

[shy]

Old tech is a pretty cool hobby imo, especially crts. I would love to have one, watching old movies and shows on a tube would be a great hit of nostalgia.

Having the same hobbies as your friends is nice and all, but being friends doesn't have the prerequisite of sharing the same hobby, does it? I mean you could still get along with people your age, even if they don't share or even care about your hobby. I don't have much to show for in the friends department, so I might just be talking out of my ass though.

 

[http-410]

Have you ever thought about repairing such devices for other people? There are repair cafes in larger cities, for example. I have no idea whether people with retro devices come there, but you could ask or find out if there are specific retro tech communities (online or offline). Maybe this will give you the opportunity to meet other people with an affinity for retro tech. If you like retro stuff, you might also be interested in LGR - however, I don't know if he has a community. On reddit there are also subreddits dedicated to retro stuff.

You are definitely not alone. From time to time I put on an old Win 95 VM until I get too nostalgic and sad so I delete everything again and sometimes I think about building an old PC to play old games, but in the end I don't have the energy.

If you enjoy your hobby and feel alone, don't give up your hobby and try to find people who are also interested in it instead. Anyway, that's what I would do.

 

[idiot_dad]

I think it's a cool hobby, I love old technology. Those CRT TVs are great, it's impossible to have a true retro gaming experience on a modern TV. At night I fall asleep to old retro game let's play videos. From what I understand there is a market for rehabbed technology, people want to experience these games in an authentic way and are willing to pay for it.

 

[BitterlyAlive_]

This is sad. I think it's a very cool hobby and I love your reasoning behind it.