But then I thought about other things that I enjoy. Oddities that go unnoticed or unappreciated. The conveniences, the technologies, the little treasures that make me happy. The truth is there are many things that we take for granted. Here are my top five "unappreciated" treasures:
GPS and Google -- I am nostalgic about many things, but not driving directions. Global Positioning Systems (GPS), Google, etc., are amazing. I have no sense of direction. I once crossed the Tappan Zee Bridge three times because I couldn't figure which side I should be on to get home. I know, pathetic. When I was growing up, you would call the person or place you were visiting to request directions. I remember painstakingly writing down directions, praying that there would be no more than 3 or 4 turns off the highway, knowing I would wind up lost. My glove compartment had an envelope with every set of directions I had ever written. From a road trip to Syracuse to my friend's house in Monmouth Beach. Times change. This year, I went to Spain and found my way around Barcelona and Sitges using Google maps. How wonderful is it that my kids will never have to squint their eyes and try to read directions placed on the center of their steering wheel, as they drive down a dark road by themselves. I love this stuff.
Smiles -- Smiles are infectious happiness. My wife smiling at me across our desk. My kids smiling at me to see if they can get out of trouble. A friend nodding and smiling at you across the aisle at church. Or, even a stranger smiling and saying good morning as they hold a door open. A brief grin makes anyone feel a little bit better. It makes you know things aren't so bad if you're having a tough day. It challenges you to think about what is worth smiling about in your life. A smile gives you hope and makes you warm.
Smiles -- Smiles are infectious happiness. My wife smiling at me across our desk. My kids smiling at me to see if they can get out of trouble. A friend nodding and smiling at you across the aisle at church. Or, even a stranger smiling and saying good morning as they hold a door open. A brief grin makes anyone feel a little bit better. It makes you know things aren't so bad if you're having a tough day. It challenges you to think about what is worth smiling about in your life. A smile gives you hope and makes you warm.
On-demand anything -- Life is busy and hectic. So many things have to happen at a certain time. Get the kids to school. Make that conference call. Be at that practice. So much is beyond our control. When I am ready to finally collapse on the couch, and I want to watch a show or a movie, I don't want to channel surf. I appreciate being able to call up Scandal and blast through the commercials. When I get on the treadmill on a Saturday morning, I don't want to watch the news, cartoons, etc. I want to catch up on The Blacklist. When I was young you scheduled a lot of your life around the TV you watched. It's nice that one pleasure can now be scheduled around me.
Laughter -- I don't mean the polite chuckle. I mean real laughter. I mean milk out of your nose laughter. I mean the way comedians Bobby Collins and Dom Irrera would leave me and my friend Mark with tears running down our cheeks at a comedy club. I mean laughter like the first time you saw the movie Airplane! or heard Robin Williams go on a riff! That kind of laughter releases endorphins, relieves stress and improves your health.
So, those are just a few of the unappreciated treasures I am thankful for this year... What are yours?
No comments:
Post a Comment