The Problem of Leisure

I have a question rolling around in my head. Even if we're "poor" most of us, in America have something that we spend money pursuing, even though it serves little practical purpose. For some, it's a sport, for others it's collecting something, and for me, it's guitar-related stuff. I know, from my own hobby, that it really isn't about "thwarted dreams". I could play guitar in a band, if I wanted to, probably within the day. I always know musicians, and I know how to get gigs, and I even know how to make it marginally successful. But, I really don't want that. I'm sure it's the same for, hmmm, as an example, my brother-in-law who, later in life discovered Motorcycles. I'm sure he could either develop a couple of exhibition bikes to show around, or could take up racing, or otherwise turn it into a business. I have a friend who loves rugby. He's a big burly type, who is unafraid of pain, and has the discipline that I'm sure he could turn semi-pro ( professional rugby in this country doesn't really happen- but, now that I think about it, he might be good enough that he could emigrate to say, Greece, and play professional- but I'm too ignorant of the leagues to know how realistic that is) but he doesn't. I'm fairly confident that there are those with thwarted dreams, but I think for most of us, it's just a hobby. So, with that being the case, a question arises: How much is too much? I don't really have an answer, but I'm trying to work that out. 

Let me clarify: I cannot justify buying a vintage left handed Jazzmaster guitar, and a full sized Orange Amp, because I'll never use it professionally- that equipment belongs to, and should be owned by a professional musician, and it would be an obscene extravagance for me to spend 10 to 20 thousand dollars on a hobby, when I have people who need me. But, with the extreme out of the picture, how about this- would an 800 dollar guitar, and a thousand dollar amp be too much? How about five hundred, each? Where's the line? Likewise with time: I know that playing 6 hours a day is ridiculous, and would leave little time for other needs, but is it too much to spend say, 2 hours a day? At what point does the time investment become absurd?

Again, I haven't fully answered this for myself, and I think the answer is necessarily a bit "fluid". For example, now that I have no children living in my house, yes, it's ok to spend a little more time playing esoteric scales on the guitars I already own, and yes, it's ok to buy an extra guitar or three, because I have the space and money, but if that conflicts with my wife and her writing hobby, that would cease to be ok. So, I'm not looking for a hard and fast answer. I'm looking for an outlook, or a philosophy. 

This is a blog about spending money, or not spending money, so I figure this is as good a place as any to work this issue out. Granted,  very, very few people are reading this, but I'm open to input.

There will be more about this. Hey, maybe it'll become my own little sub- hobby: a "how to" on having a hobby....