Wonder / Let Go / Make

Prompt 4 – Wonder. How did you cultivate a sense of wonder in your life this year?

I am in constant awe of this city. Even right now, surrounded by what feels like BILLIONS of really stupid tourists, an upward glance every now and then fills me with an amazing calm and sense of awe. My climb out of the 33rd St subway station on the way to Mass each week puts me in full view of the Empire State Building, and my makeshift "office" at work (which is to say, the room where we store our promotional products and I therefore spend a LOT of my time) has a panoramic view of East Midtown, from the GE building to the Chrysler Building.

It's hard to NOT feel appreciation and wonder in this city, especially as a newcomer. One thing I do to maintain it when it's gloomy and crowded, though, is cultivate my iTunes playlists very carefully. The right soundtrack can fix ANY mood. I discovered Jason Reeves this year and have found him in particular to be the perfect mood music for ANY mood. His music is sometimes melancholy, sometimes quietly inspirational, sometimes lovestruck - which are the precise emotions that I feel in regard to the City.

Prompt 5 – Let Go. What (or whom) did you let go of this year? Why?

This year, for the first time EVER, I performed a major purge of my Facebook friends-list. It was incredibly overdue, and was actually inspired by a former friend who proved to be unforgivably flaky. I don't have time for people who stand me up or aren't there for me or can't be trusted, so I ditched even the vaguest pretense of fraternity (which is, of course, the presence of said "friend" on my Facebook profile) and said goodbye. So far, only one of the people I "dumped" has tried to friend me back, and it's someone I have actually never even met in person. This makes me even more confident that I did exactly the right thing for me.

Prompt 6 – Make. What was the last thing you made? What materials did you use? Is there something you want to make, but you need to clear some time for it?

Wow. I'm realizing now how uncreative my life has been to date. I invent and innovate and Excel and Word things all day long at work, so when I get home, the only thing I ever actually create is food. And even then, lately I have not been pushing myself - I've just made recipes that I know and/or come out of a box. I suppose I tried a new recipe this weekend, but it was just for chocolate-hazelnut cookies that I made for the building staff at work.

I keep telling myself that I need to take up a hobby. I just have no idea what those hobbies should be.