Prompt of the Day - Ten Things That Make Me Happy

I said earlier this year I wanted to play with other people's writing prompts in order to shake things up on this blog.  I haven't had much time for blogging in 2022 with my theater commitments, so I put off the project a bit.  I'm going to return to doing that.

I found a list online that provided me with thirty days of prompts.  I suppose the idea is to write a post every day for a month.  I may have more time for writing than I did a month ago, but I still don't have time for a daily post.  Besides, I didn't feel every prompt offered was worthy of a post.  I decided I would pick several of the prompts offered in that list I felt I could write about and make my next few posts about them (and I have no idea how long it will take me to go through all of them).  I will be freely mixing them with my own blog post ideas as well.

Today's prompt:  List of 10 Things That Make You Really Happy.

That's an easy one.  There are many things that make me happy.  I may be a rather cynical and sarcastic, but I always find ways to enjoy life.  (I sometimes call myself The World's Most Cynical Optimist.)

1. Good Conversation

This is a no-brainer.  For my entire life people have told me I talk too much.  What can I say (NPI)?  I love to talk.  Hours spent in good conversation are some of the most enjoyable hours I can have.  I want to think.  I want to laugh.  I want to share. When I look back on the good times in my life, I look back on the times I spent in conversation with friends.  I think of things like long hours in the diner with Rich and Mickey.  I think of barbecue afternoons on the patio having political discourse with Bryan and Jenny and Don and Joan and Todd and Ann.  I think of the hours upon hours of girl talk via phone, video chat, and (sadly not as often) in-person with Sian or Abbey.  I think of the days when Mike was still with us and how we could talk for hours, starting with serious confidences that could segue into a hundred silly directions.  

2. Peaceful Mornings

Everyone hates a morning person, but I have never been one to follow the crowd.  I love to energize myself with a tough sweaty workout, clean off with a refreshing shower, and then relax with a cup of coffee (I am not a coffee lover or addict, but I do love the ritual of it) and some brain stimulation such as the news, a good book, or a game of Wordle or Quordle.  I love the sunrise.  I love the peace of an early morning.  As I am an extrovert, it seems strange that I would enjoy this kind of alone time, but this is one time when I enjoy a bit of solitude (but I rarely turn down an opportunity to share my mornings with company and good conversation).

3. Nature

I love a walk in the woods.  I love a hike up a mountain.  I love a sunrise or a sunset over the mountains or over the ocean.  I love spotting wildlife.  Some of my best vacations have been to national parks. I love bodies of water.  I love the way sun filters through trees or sparkles on water. Speaking of water, I love being immersed in it.  I love playing in the ocean on my boogie board.  I love SUPs and kayaks.  I love snorkeling in tropical reefs.   I even use a social media hashtag #naturemakesmehappy.

4. Food

I'm sure nobody is surprised by this.  I know the diet police want to say it's wrong to love food and we should all see food only as fuel.  I will never do that.  Food is as much of a sensory experience as viewing art or nature or listening to music or having a massage.  It is a combination of smell, touch, and taste.  Why shouldn't such a sensual pleasure boost happiness?  I love a greasy cheeseburger at a diner, and I love a multi-course meal at Michelin-starred restaurant.  I don't only love eating food.  I love preparing it.  I love cooking and baking.  Most of all I love sharing that food with others.  I love holidays and family gatherings.  I live to give dinner parties.  Food is an expression of love.

5. Arts and Culture

That's a broad term.  It even comes across as a bit snooty, doesn't it?  I'm trying not to sound highbrow when I saw I simply enjoy the output of human creativity.  I love visual art.  I enjoy browsing the works of the great masters in The Met, and the great museums of Europe.  I enjoy a walk through the Dia Beacon where I can make fun of what passes for "art" in some people's eyes.  I love to listen to music and hear the complexities of interplay between instruments and voices.  I love the different ways creative people put together different forms of media to create something unique (like the Immersive Van Gogh exhibit last summer).  I love the theater.  

6. Books

A book is a pathway to a writer's mind.  It is a dive into the human experience.  There is something so extraordinary about how humans have the ability to stare at a page full of symbols and use our minds to interpret them into a story.  That story may not even be something that happened.  When we read fiction, we are invited to share another person's imagination.  Books are easy entertainment.  They are portable.  They require no extra equipment.  You don't need to plug them in.  You can put it down and pick it up again and return to the story where you left it.  There are no restrictions on time.  I wish people would remember how easily and accessible good entertainment is.  

Do you want to know how much of a book nerd I am?  There have been times when I was enjoying a book so much, I would snatch whatever few moments I could to read.  I have memories of middle school and high school when I would be so eager to read my book, I would rush to every class and sit down at my desk with my book and use that minute or two before the second bell rang to get another page or two in.

7. Theater

I wrote about this in a recent post.  Performing satisfies my need for self-expression and attention.  It is my major creative outlet other than cooking.  I love to act, sing, and dance (triple threat or triple fail?).  I also love the energy and passion shared between cast members.  A theatrical performance requires interplay and cooperation.  We all bring energy to each other.  The director of my most recent show said his idea of Heaven is to be always in rehearsal, right before opening night.  I get that.

8. A Day at the Barn

Why do I love horses so much?  The easy answer is they are animals.  I love things with four legs and fur.  But horses aren't like other pets.  Cats and dogs are easy to love.  Their dependence on their people is obvious. They are easy to cuddle.  They show affection plainly.  Horses are different.  They are more difficult to read and seem more detached. Their personalities are not obvious until you get to know them.  Their size makes them intimidating.  How is small human supposed to take command of something so large without being hurt?

Coming to know a horse takes time and patience and there is a constant learning curve.  The more you befriend a horse the more you see the things you know about your dogs and cats like its favorite foods or where it most likes to be scratched.  Does the horse like attention or would it prefer to be touched as little as possible?  Is the horse trusting or skittish?  

Then there is the whole world of riding.  It's hard to tell a layman the difference between riding Riddle and riding Jenna (or Baby or Irving or any other horse in my past or present).  Some horses love a trail ride, and others see monsters behind every tree and prefer an empty dressage ring.  Some horses love to jump over obstacles, while others prefer their obstacles in the form of barrels or poles.  

The joy of riding is figuring out your horse, what makes him tick, what can you improve to communicate more clearly, how can you make it better?  It's a constant learning experience.

Plus a day at the barn is another way to be close to nature.  I don't need to go apple picking to spend a day in the country, down on the farm.   Being on the farm is a regular part of my life. 

9.  Travel

It's a big world full of possibilities.  Travel allows me to see new and different culture and art.  Travel allows me to experience new and different areas of nature.  Plus travel gives me a chance to be away from routines.  I can relax and allow other people to take care of my boring responsibilities.  I don't have to cook or clean or make my bed.  It's delightful to pamper myself now and then.  I don't need luxury, but I do love being relieved of drudgery for a short while.

10. My Marriage

What could be better than having someone at my side every day, living in the home we made together, knowing he always has my back? For the past twenty years we have shared many of the activities on this list from conversations with friends, to horses, to theater to travel.  I have someone I can cook for.  I have someone I can go to for help when I need it.  I have someone who puts up with all my quirks, but also knows how to be blunt if I am being out of line, and can rein in my worst impulses.  People say marriage is hard, but I never felt that way.  I wake up in the morning happy to see Kevin and I go to sleep at night happy he is still there.  As long as I feel that way everything else takes care of itself.