In search of JOY.

A good friend of mine challenged me to ‘uncover’ the things in life that bring me JOY (ALL CAPS emphasis his, not mine) and pursue those. Ok then…

I won’t do what my inner critic is calling for, which is to get tripped up on where and why I lost my joy along the way. The fact is I’ve lost it. What’s left is a daily exercise in responsibility, commitment and discipline and finally waking up to the fact that I have been undergoing intensive training for the Boredom Olympics for over a year. Inspiration has left the building.

Here’s what brings me joy:

1. Photos – my dad’s, my own, old ones, new ones, artistic ones, collages, Flickr, Polaroid’s…and on….and on…
2. Poetry – writing and reading it. The New Yorker poems are the first thing I read in the magazine
3. Dialectic arguments with passionate conversationalists.
4. Coffee
5. Sunday brunch
6. Fall in New York
7. Tex Mex food
8. Singing, which I never do anymore. But you know what? I love to.
9. Dogs – all types, shapes, sizes. They are bundles of love.
10. Spending time with my cousins – Michael, Kathryn, Jack, Jeffrey, and Jake.
11. Reckoner off Radiohead’s In Rainbows album – I never tire of this song. Every time I hear it, I get an overwhelming sense of rebirth, possibility and a clean slate within my grasp.
12. Anais Nin and Henry Miller’s ménage à trios love story
13. Rainer Maria Rilke’s work
14. Early Conor Oberst lyrics
15. Reminiscing on childhood road trips with my Dad and completely butchering Hank Williams’ ‘Hey, Good Looking’ lyrics to “How's about cookin' somethin' up with cheeeeese?”
16. Bob Dylan
17. The second part to Martin Scorsese’s No Direction Home documentary
18. Driving upstate while listening to Kamikaze Hearts’ Weekend in Western New York (more precisely, riding and looking out the window at the pastures and horses and cows and rolling hills while someone else drives me)
19. Running with head phones and a great playlist
20. Spicy buffalo wings with lots of ranch
21. Cherry Limeades and tater tots with cheese from Sonic Drive In.
22. Finding appropriate times to say, 'right so'.
    
23. Christmas lights
24. Flea markets
    

Just the beginning—the list must grow. I’ll be chasing these and adding more. Stay tuned…