15 Happy Things
I've been tagged by thestateofardadreaming to list fifteen things that make me happy, so here goes!
(Also, tagging other people, which i'm actually going to do this time: brokenbowstring sharquish5a frodo-elric the-disposessed mina-harkers i-n-m-h
THE MIGHTY LIST
1) Music and all related things. I can't play an instrument or read music anymore, but listening to music is just about as essential as getting enough food or water. Singing is also wonderful, but usually only if I'm alone or with very good friends and no one else can hear.
2)Boooooooks. Books and reading. Any kind really, but I tend to gravitate towards fantasy because it just feels so much more alive and colorful than all the other genres and, in my opinion at least, the stories usually seem more meaningful. If a fantasy book is well-written, the story and characters will stick with me for pretty much ever (see The Hobbit and the Chronicles of Narnia, some of the first books I can ever remember my mom reading to me when I was little.)
3) Painting. I love all the colors and all the things you can do with them, and playing around with light and shadow.
4) In the same vein, writing. What you can do with words is really comparable to what you can do with paints, but one thing you can't do with paint is metaphors and, and sometimes I find it easier to create striking light/dark contrasts in writing than painting.
5) any kind of art, really. I'm in a studio class for which I had to do a paper-cutting assignment this week, black construction paper on white bristol board, and it was a lot of fun. I worked on it for like five hours and barely noticed.
6) Stars. And the moon. I'm pretty sure it doesn't matter where you're going because as long as you're walking right towards the moon it'll feel like your going on an adventure. I was walking from the library back to my dorm and it felt like I was going on an adventure.
7) Speaking of walking, walking. Or just going places really. It doesn't really matter where, I just like going (and depending on where it was, possibly leaving very soon and going back.)
8) Going to church. Ties in with above in that I just like going places, but also the fact that this is a place I actually like to go to. It's quiet, it's peaceful, there's beautiful stained glass and statues and decorations, there's music (though the quality of the music varies greatly from place to place. The church in my college town has great music because of the music school attached to my college, but I've been to churches where you just kind of have to wince when the singing starts.) Aside from that, again, it's just very peaceful and feels very safe and home-like.
9) Frieeeeeends. I'm not really sure these needs elaboration, since friends are just a happy thing in general. But when I say friends I mean basically: you are my family and I love you and would probably take a bullet for you.
10) Holidays. Speaking of family, I love my extended family and my aunts and uncles and cousins and cousins kids (who I'm actually a little closer to in age. Many of my cousins are old enough to be my aunts or uncles) and having them visit around Christmas time is always great. I love traveling with them, too, and the conversations we have are always great. Unfortunately for the most part they live far away, so I only get to see them on holidays.
11) Lakes/rivers/the ocean/ any body of water, really. Next to the above stated church, these are some of the most peaceful places on earth. I have actually gone to the lake and just stood there for an hour or two and stared out at the water and not been bored or impatient at all.
12) Seeing other people's art. Especially if it involves color and a lot of light/shadow contrast.
13) Daydreaming. Just lots and lots of daydreaming.
14) Misty mornings, especially if I get to go out and walk in them. Everything is so quiet and still.
15) Kind of ties back to the first one, but listening to people sing. Especially if they have very strong voices.
And that's fifteen! To the people I tag, you don't have to do this if you don't want to, but if you do I'm gonna read everything.