Hello New Braunfels,
Passion is something intangible. Sometimes you choose your passion from a list, but unlike how it’s portrayed in young adult novels and movies, life’s purpose and a person’s pursuits aren’t dictated by a shadowy group of elders and determined by a talking hat or ominous council.
Many times, passion comes from a momentary spark that sticks with a person’s imagination. It’s something they find dominating the free moments of their day, filling the voids between responsibilities.
An interest someone can shake, but a passion overwhelms. You find yourself spending money on equipment, ordering new books online and sometimes rambling endlessly to your friends about your recent discovery.
Sometimes you aren’t even particularly good at your passion, if it is a hobby. It can take years of practice and learning to become competent at what you suddenly care so much about.
And in this issue of New Braunfels Monthly, we are looking at a few residents who have taken their passions to new heights, even in the face of obstacles and changing landscapes.
In fact, these stories are often on the pages of this magazine. Passion is the fire of life, and sometimes it just takes a person reading about someone else’s burning desire to grow and learn to light that same fire inside themselves.
Kori Free has been chasing two passions over the years, through her efforts to care for animals and advance her skill at playing guitar. Her personal story of ties to the band Heart are enough to get anyone who is shy about reaching out to their heroes off their behind and putting a handwritten letter in the mail. Even in the face of COVID, Free stayed determined in her missions and adapted to the year that caught every person flat on their feet.
Connor Dillon, on the other hand, has been making an effort to bring unique fighting techniques to the New Braunfels area for years, and now is leading a new group that teaches hand-to-hand combat and sword fighting. It’s not a skill you see every day, and it’s nice to see people in the community embracing new (and old) passions.
People don’t come to New Braunfels because they want to watch life pass them by. They visit or move here because they recognize the character of the city and its residents, and the unique passions they bring to the table.
Hopefully these stories share with readers the unique stories behind people’s passions and bring to light even more of this wonderful city’s character.