What a great question

Published on by Grace

Today Rory asked “What are you truly passionate about?”  My answer is too long to put in a comment on his blog, so I’ll answer it on mine.

My shrink once said about me that I was the most curious person he had ever met. By ‘curious’ he did not mean odd, tho I suppose I am that.

I. I am passionate about finding answers to any question that crosses my mind; about finding the answer to anything that I don’t know. Or just finding out more about something, anything that catches my fancy or imagination. Someone poses a question in passing, just idle conversation and if I don’t know the answer then I HAVE to find it. Even if the subject, in particular, is of no interest to me.

For example. Last night I was reading and there was a line – “…but murder? That is a bridge too far”.  I thought to myself “What exactly does that mean? Where does that phrase come from?” So I, of course, opened another tab and Googled.

So I guess I am passionate about research?

II. Poetry. That should be no surprise to anyone who knows me. I think in poetic form. I react mentally with couplets and quatrains. Sometimes I write them down and complete an entire poem, most often they just sit in my notebook. I call them “WIP” – works-in-progress. And quite frankly most stay that way.

I’ve been writing in the poetic form since I could hold a pencil – it’s as natural to me as breathing. It is my favorite thing to read.

III. Words themselves. I love words! As a kid I used to read the dictionary the way other people would read a novel. I love how they sound, how they look, what they mean, by definition or connotation; their etymology. Words are solid objects to me – I can touch them, hold them, taste them, roll them around on my tongue! I love words!

IV. Music – There is no form of music that I don’t have at least some appreciation for, yes, even rap or what they call hip-hop. I hear music in everything. Music is everywhere including the ticky-tacky sound of my mechanical keyboard as I write this. Music constantly plays in my head and everything reminds me of a song.

Last night was not a good night for sleeping. My brain was just racing from subject to subject. Somewhere the phrase ‘tick-tock’ presented itself. That led to my singing “My Grandfather’s Clock”.  I remember learning this song in school and last night I thought “What a strange song to teach little kids.”  “But it stopped short, never to go again when the old man died” – Seriously?

I only ever learned the first 3 verses, the link is to a Johnny Cash version I found this morning, and that was the first time I heard the other verses, so of course I had to Google the lyrics so I could read them – I need to read to absorb information. And that of course is just a prime example of Passion #1.

V. Laughter and wonderment. Those sound odd, I know. And maybe they aren’t passions so much as an integral part of who I am. I will always go for the laugh. I spontaneously do silly things which make me laugh (Lawsy, yes I am one of those people who laugh at my own jokes) and, if there is anyone else around, usually makes them laugh. Sometimes I am funny on purpose but most times silly just overtakes me.

And wonderment – I love the view outside my windows – I can be sitting, thinking, and glance out the window and then – wonderment! Wow, isn’t the sky pretty. Wow, the birds are doing the crazy. There is so much wonderment even in my small, insular life.

It’s been really cold here and I haven’t been able to keep the windows open – this morning, I cracked the window and all that crisp cold air blew over me and I thought – WOW, doesn’t that feel good.

Every day has a WOW. Every day has laughter. I can’t live without them. I am passionate about them.

And you? Will you answer Rory’s question?

18 thoughts on “What a great question”

  2. I love reading these insights into your mind; what a treasure to this world you are. I do believe you should write your memoir! I would pay to read it. You have so much to give this world with your words.

    What am I passionate about? Seeing joy and beauty everywhere and trying to capture it for others to enjoy. Photography, yes but also fleeting moments in ordinary life. Making memories with and for my children seems to fit the bill. (Where does that phrase come from?)

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    1. I’ll go to my grave believing you are one of the premier outdoor photographers – you see it and you show us what we can’t or don’t see. So fabulous! As for the fleeting moments of life and the quotidian – Yes! We so agree there (remember I wrote that essay for you?)

      As for ‘fit the bill’ 2 sources for the origin – 1) theater world – the listing of acts would be the play bill and adding an act would involve adding someone who ‘fit the bill’. 2) the world of commerce: a shipment that matched up exactly to the bill of lading would have “fit the bill” . Definition for fit the bill: be suitable for a particular purpose.

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  3. I agree with Lisa about a memori and I would pay to read it too!

    I love that you share your passions with others so we can enjoy them too like poetry and your words and the rabbit holes they take you down sometimes. (Have you ever said where that saying comes from?) I’m not sure what I’m passionate about these days. I’d probably say animals, especially cats, reading, and laughter. I need to expand my horizons!

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    1. Down the rabbit hole? It’s from the book Alice in Wonderland – where she fell down a rabbit hole into Wonderland…LOL I’d also say you are passionate about the Oregon Coast –

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  4. A truly fabulous and insightful answer Grace – thank you very much – had my list been a list of more than five, l am with you all the way on your listed items not in my own list 🙂

    Are laughter and wonderment passions? Yes l believe they are – so many people seemingly have forgotten how to enjoy what they have as well as the ability to laugh. Only today whilst at the reserve someone said to me “You seem to laugh at everything you can find humour in everything you do?” I answered, yeah l do, life’s just too short not to try and find the special in everything and also people need to laugh more it keeps them healthier 🙂

    Great list Grace.

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    1. I am IN LOVE with the ordinary, every day and all the little things we do and say without thought that might, just might, make someone else’s day better. I’ve written about it so many, many times. And on my very worst days, and there heave been many, I never fail to laugh at something, even if it’s my own pathetic little self.

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  6. I mistakenly thought a bridge too far meant beyond the pale. Or, the straw that broke the camel’s back–though that’s closer, I guess. But as far as passion–a psychic once told me that my cosmic purpose had to do with communication. That sounds about right, but I told her I worked for the phone company, and she just frowned and said “You didn’t go far enough.” I’m afraid that probably also applies to my blog.
    I’m afraid I don’t get along well with reading poetry. I always feel like I just missed it, by just this much.

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    1. Ah, so you looked it up? And yes, my first thought was ‘the straw that broke the camel’s back’ as well. I don;t think ‘cosmic purpose’ equals a passion. People have a problem, I believe, with poetry because their first introduction might have been something with archaic language. BUT as children we are exposed to nursery rhymes which are poetry. Certainly songs are poetry. Often people get caught up in the rhythm and miss the content or they are just being exposed to bad writing…or they think poetry is all hoity-toity and therefore they can’t understand it. Or – they just might not like the format…LOL

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      1. Sometimes I’ll read something that is plain prose and it will sound so good in my head that it’s like poetry, I imagine. When the words flow a certain way, and you have to stop and read it all again and wonder, how did they do that?? And on the super-rare occasions when I write something that comes out like that, I still don’t know how, but it’s a real high. So I probably actually do “get” poetry.
        I heard on “Way With Words” (NPR) that some old favorite phrases will tend to stick around in the language if they resonate on more than one level. I think a bridge too far is like that. Even if you think of it in different ways, it always kind of means the same thing. Maybe it’s like out on a limb, just a little. They all have a different flavor, but they’re all ice cream. 🙂

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        1. I could natter on about poetry for, like, forever. I usually read a bit before attempting a night’s sleep, I read your comment last night and my response, composed in my mind, kept me up…I even got out of bed o check on a particular poem. I need to not read interesting comments at sleep time.

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  7. Like you, if something I am not familiar with is mentioned, I have to know. I open a new tab to google it, and I have forgotten what it was I was going to search for. Look forward to your old age, Grace! (Yes, I am cackling as I post this.)

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    1. You’ve only got 11 years on me David. And…I already do that. Something crosses my mind to look up and by the time I get to my desk it has completely fled my mind…considering I live in an 1100 sq. ft. apartment, that’s what -3 minutes, tops, from thinking to forgetting?

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