Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Dogs and Babies

A friend said this morning that one wonderful thing about dogs was that you always knew what would delight them.

True. We don't have a dog, but those I've known don’t seem to tire of going out in the morning to run, or out to fetch in the afternoon. Each time is fresh.

Babies are like that too. They don’t get jaded nearly as easily as us old and sinful sorts. It takes time to develop an attitude of ingratitude.

For an adult, this moment connects with the memories of other moments, so we're not "in the moment" in exactly the same way as a baby. But if we can enjoy the gift of another beautiful sunset, remembering other gifts before, and not pick flaws, we have one more bright stone in the mosaic. If not: "the view from the Sears Tower was better" makes this moment worth less. (*)

Our more typical approach is to go looking for something new, to try to get the old sense of wonder and refreshment. Adventure and curiosity are good, but they don't take the place of enjoying what you have.

It is almost always fun to be around someone who really enjoys what they’re doing and seeing. Unless, perhaps, what they're doing is watching you chase your hat down the sidewalk. Even then, sometimes the giggles from the sidelines help.


... we try to imitate the joy of gratitude with the pleasure of novelty ...

(*) On the other hand, a sunset is better watched together than alone, and "I wish she could see this" is a good kind of "I wish this were better."

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