Areas of Unrest

4 May 2008 - Ten Loves

This meme was making the rounds long enough ago that I don't remember where I first saw it. Here are ten of my loves.

1. Robert. Well, duh. You don't keep somebody in your life for that many years unless you either have to (e.g. relatives) or you want to.

2. Walking. You see things differently on foot than any other way. For example, during yesterday's Volksmarch around Embassy Row, I discovered that there is a garden on Massachusetts Avenue with a statue of Kahlil Gibran. Walking can be like meditation for me.

3. Culture shock. I like the idea that there are ways to live that are just completely alien to my own. It isn't always comfortable being surrounded by them, but it is always enriching.

4. The Boston Red Sox. They've excited me and frustrated me over the years, but there is so much history and so much passion there.

5. Belgian chocolate. Benjamin Franklin said that beer is proof that G-d loves us and wants us to be happy. I feel that way about chocolate. La Maison du Chocolat Artisanal is adequate justification for the existence of Brussels.

6. Indonesian coffee. Never mind Juan Valdez and his burro. Give me some freshly roasted beans from Sulawesi.

7. Berries. The best ever were the wild blackberries we picked in my childhood, but those are long gone, the victims of suburban gardeners who favored better behaved plants. I may have to settle for boughten berries these days, but they are still pleasurable. Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries - all good stuff.

8. My mattress. Sleep is a good thing. Sleeping comfortably is an especially good thing.

9. The ocean. Waves, seabirds, the smell of the salty air. Whether from the shore or on a ship, there is no scenery I find more relaxing.

10. Music. I intended to be more specific, but ten turns out to be a surprisingly small number. I listen to a lot of world beat, fusiony jazz stuff. But I also love show tunes and rock and certain classical music (e.g. the 19th century Russian composers). What thrills me most is hearing something new and just wanting to play it over and over.