how to deal with nonflashaholics?

i have family members always pestering me why I need to own more than a couple flashlights, believing my hobby is useless and stupid. I dont get why they wont leave me alone to my own business. How do you guys receive flak from family/friends/nonflashaholic about your hobby?

They just dont understand and they always laugh or talk cr*p but its funny when a situation uprises when a flashlight is needed they always come crying for one

That's how it usually happens, until the next power outage..

Turn off the house circuit breaker.

Don't lend them one. Just see how quickly they will buy one themselves

My wife always laughed at me... Then the other night while frying prawn crackers, the cooktop died and tripped the main breaker, plunging us into darkness while she was left holding a pot full of boiling oil and a toddler at her feet. Needless to say, I had a light in my pocket, pointed it at the ceiling, then grabbed another light to go outside and throw the switch.

She still laughs at me, but accepts it can be useful from time to time.

trbofrek said:

... always pestering me why I need to own more than a couple flashlights ... How do you guys receive flak from family/friends/nonflashaholic about your hobby?

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I don't say a word, until a time arises when a flashlight's needed. Invariably the only one with such a light is me. I find that nothing more needs to be said, as that really says it all, right there. At such times, they know full well their hounding has been petty and hateful, and they know I know it. Being family puts a bit of a kink in things, as relations can get frayed (in their heads) about their feelings of hurt, etc. That'll remain their problem ... not mine.

That being said, I find grousing about the hobbies and interests of others to be silly and pointless, particularly when risking smooth relations with family. And so, if any upsetting is to be done, it'll be the spiteful and petty ones to be doing it. They'll know they're doing it. And, I suppose, in time others will see them doing it as well. That's sufficient for keeping things at least moderately in check, at least in my experience.

Most people I know just shake their head when I'm carrying a flashlight on me on a long summers day.

I don't care, I'm pretty sure they all got some kind of hobby or fascination I shake my head about. Soccer or stamp collecting, to name a few.

In the end we (hopefully) realize we all shake our heads about something other people do, and just carry on with our business.

It's funny though, the people that most notoriously shake their heads about my flashlights are almost always the first to ask me if I can borrow them a flashlight if they need one...

It's pretty difficult to have an intelligent conversation with somebody about flashlights when they think a 6D Maglite is as bright as the sun. I actually just bought a 2D & a 6D Maglite just to prove how uninformed some people are. Now when the tiny light in my pocket is brighter than the 6D Maglite baseball bat. Maybe, just maybe, they will understand.

Last night my parents and relatives came by my house to visit to see our newborn baby and when my dad and aunt saw my study room where 90% of my lights were kept. They passed comments on how having so many lights is a waste of money and I should instead be saving that money for my kids education & future. I just ignored their comments and shut the study room door and walked away. There was no point explaining myself, why should I? I don't owe them any explanations or justifications for what I do with my own hard earned money. In future if they ever ask to borrow a flashlight for whatever reason, my answer will be no.

trbofrek said:

i have family members always pestering me why I need to own more than a couple flashlights, believing my hobby is useless and stupid. I dont get why they wont leave me alone to my own business. How do you guys receive flak from family/friends/nonflashaholic about your hobby?

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Eccentricities are what make people worth knowing.

As for why, good question. In my case it was quite accidental: I needed a flashlight, googled "flashlight reviews", found CPF, and discovered all these incredible devices I had no idea existed. I had to get a few because they're awesome, plain and simple.

My family used to tease me about it, until they realized how useful that addiction can be. Now they know where to look, to find a flashlight (you'd be lucky to find one before, that wasn't a phone)

I think I've used every flashlight I own for everything from working on my cars, motorcycle, walking my dog, playing airsoft (Moddoo triple is quite effective as field lighting!).

With my friends, once they saw the Triple I had, I earned a new nickname: Brights. And they plan on getting a T-shirt made for my birthday with this picture on it:
http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hpho...0134549351942_730046941_7712508_2740786_n.jpg

I think it describes many members on CPF quite well!! Who else would carry 1500+ lumen flashlights in their pocket/on their belt?!

It's a hobby.
I can not fool myself or anybody else that's not the reason I have all my lights.
Of course it's good to EDC a light.
Of course I need more than one. (home, car, work, jeanspocket, jacketpocket, floody, thrower, AA, cr123, backup etc.)
But there is a limit for how many lights you can have and still say that it's because you need them.
Some lights we buy just for fun or because we think it's a little better than some other light we already have (and that actually still is sufficient).

So I just admit it.
This is a hobby.
I spend some money on it, if I didn't like flashlights I would spend that money on something else instead.

I bought some new sunglasses yesterday. The ones I wanted were out of stock and only the display set was available. Before paying for them I whipped out my S-mini and gave the lenses a good once over for scratches. The sales-dude (yes, dude, not person but dude) gasped at the light output (was on high when turned on) and mentioned he'd like to have one. I wrote down the name of the light and instructions for finding one (also told him the S-mini is out of stock). "Cool thanks man!, Say how did you find this stuff?" Oh no, I have to tell him it's a hobby. I did so and he looked at me like I had three heads. Ah well, at least he knows where to get a good light now. *sigh*

Maybe I'm lucky—my family endured my collecting of different kinds of vacuum tubes, LEDs, and light bulbs in my youth. Some at school gave me a hard time, but I just ignored them; I was really more of a loner.

I'm here for my love of all things powered by batteries, as well as the batteries themselves. Long ago my Sony Walkman tape player was powered by those free red Radio Shack batteries (anyone remember the cards? One battery per month from... four stores in the Portland area, heh heh.) I rigged a 2D battery holder with a power cord and string loops to fit my belt next to the player. Those big carbon-zincs lasted twelve hours instead of two for the AAs if I remember right. At one point I discovered NiCd AAs, and my life was made.

My gateway here was a Google search to find the best intelligent charger which led to me buying the Maha C9000, which led me to Eneloops for my Finepix camera and other things, which led to reading Silverfox's (and others') brilliant posts, which led me to wonder why Energizer makes the best primary batteries, but still produces the same old "ghetto" rechargeables. I smell a conspiracy here... even GP moved on to LSD cells.

Now I'm fighting a serious urge to order a Surefire E2DL and Fenix TK45. I already patrol my hotel at night with a lithium-powered (supposedly "5 Watt") Eagle Light and an Arc-AAA UV.

*walks away and grumbles something about having to pay for rent and cat food*

Every now and then I catch a look from one of my kids. I have way more lights than I can ever use. I do use a a few of them on a daily basis. I collect lights. Same as someone who collects stamps, dolls, military miniatures, or even coins. Part of it is the hunt for the that collectable item, then finding it. There are whole businesses that cater to the collector. (If it is ORGANIZED, it is not HOARDING.)

If I am asked about it - I simply say ' It is something I enjoy doing ' I am not taking food money, rent money or any other living expense money for the hobby.

flashflood said:

Eccentricities are what make people worth knowing.

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Well said! "Ordinary" people are boring... I mean, what the heck do you talk about with an ordinary person besides sports and the weather??

The best times are had with the type of person who builds pumpkin catapults, or who has a vast hoard of cool old comic books, or is an enthusiast for medieval weapons and war, etc etc.

Diversity is a good thing, it means different skill sets and knowledge which can combine in powerful ways. More people should recognize that fact instead of ridiculing anyone who is different from the "norm".

JMHO!

Mad-Bassist said:

I already patrol my hotel at night with a lithium-powered (supposedly "5 Watt") Eagle Light

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Yikes, security duty and a flashlight rated in watts definitely do not go together, hurry up with that Surefire..

StarHalo said:

Yikes, security duty and a flashlight rated in watts definitely do not go together, hurry up with that Surefire..

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LOL! Thanks! Yeah, I tend to learn things the hard way. At least my Victorinox Swiss Champ XLT qualifies as an "intimidating chunk of metal," even if it mostly comes out to open boxes and guests' wine bottles.

will said:

(If it is ORGANIZED, it is not HOARDING.)

If I am asked about it - I simply say ' It is something I enjoy doing ' I am not taking food money, rent money or any other living expense money for the hobby.

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I get accused of being a hoarder all the time, organized or not.