there is nothing better than loving something and having someone to share in that delight. for me, it’s books. there are times that i read parts aloud to jj because i simply love what is happening in whatever i might be reading. he tolerates my commentary, but doesn’t really offer input.
i have found 6 wonderful ladies who indulge my love of all things paper and print. tonight we (geekily) admitted to the love of the smell of a new book. mmm… the ink, the paper… it’s like the sweet scent of a peach pie coming out of the oven to me.
but the point is not the weird fettish. the point is that i am not alone. as we laughed over our repainting of a particular character as the heroine fell in love with him, it lifted my spirits to simply share in something that i love. to talk about how the book affected me, to share my thoughts on the significance of fiction work in the world of non-fiction history – it was wonderful to be heard and for it to matter. to join in a conversation about something that is deeper than ourselves.
for some men, it’s football. for my dad, it’s cornhole. for others it’s sewing or gardening or scrapbooking. but to have a person (or 6!) that you can turn to and say “what an amazing stitch!” or “how did you get your tomatoes so robust?!” and that person actually care about the next portion of the conversation, it is a true gift.
i hope for every person to find at least one person that you can share a common love of something. to enjoy conversation, complete with listening and contribution of opinion, centered around something outside of daily grind. what a great delight.