I love…
* laughing at silly jokes or movies. I laughed huge guffaws through ‘Superhero Movie’ recently.
* my kids laughing uncontrollably too, it’s wonderful.
* being with friends around our big wooden table eating dinner and/or having interesting conversation over a fantastic meal or coffees.
* having a coffee at a cafe with someone I can share anything with.
* taking pictures when in the mood.
* discussions about art, photography, history.
* the psychology of a situation. For example, if 2 groups of people are arguing over an issue, thinking through why it is happening. It’s often an issue far deeper than just the surface problem.
* happiness and childlikeness in people; these are deeply refreshing qualities, as is a mature older Christian whose words are other-focussed, warm and kind; all are a wonderful tonic for the soul.
* the smell of jasmine. Cecily and I remember walking along the path at Cremorne Point in spring and seeing a wall of jasmine (we smelt it before we saw it). Jemima’s second name is jasmine for that memory.
* black Artline felt tip pens, 0.4mm nib. I can’t write properly without using them.
* having heaps of time to read a good book which makes me grow as a Christian and teaches me something new.
* music that takes me to a better place for a few minutes – then does it a second time when I play it again.
I hate…
* …it when people talk in a conversation as if my words are not important or valued in any way, and/or my words are just obstacles to them getting out their words. This is not a conversation, it’s a thinly disguised monologue and I unfortunately just happen to be near the person speaking.
* (overlapping with the previous ‘hate’) …it when I am treated like an 8 year old in a conversation (ie patronised) when in fact I am an intelligent 35 year old man.
* …it when I go to say hello to someone and the first thing they do is tell me to do something. How rude and unrelational! Do you see a pattern forming here?
* delays.
* people talking/being interrupted when I am watching a movie.
* losing.
* unnecessary or overextended intensity in a discussion.
* ignorance.
*…it when, out of fear of losing control or being proven wrong, people dehumanise the enemy in a conversation (eg ‘those charismatic happy clappers’, ‘home schooling freaks’, ‘today’s music…’). It’s basically ungodly and uninformed and too easy to do as a way of dismissing the threat of possibly having our views reformed and changed for the better.
* talking about how to fix something, build something, talk about being brawny etc – I find that pretty boring.
Doubtless there are more of both, but that’s enough. Inspired here by Jess Lowe at http://andallthatjessisteriffic.blogspot.com/
