A woodland in full color is awesome as a forest fire, in magnitude at least, but a single tree is like a dancing tongue of flame to warm the heart.
— Hal Borland
The inside cover of the book says it all: "The Book of Awesome" is a high five for humanity and a big celebration of life's little moments.
I don't know how I found out about the book, but I now subscribe to the email of 1000 Awesome Things (http://1000awesomethings.com/) and am amazed and often surprised about the little things the author finds awesome.
When it is easy to think the world is falling apart, according to the author, Neil Pasricha, there are awesome little things around you that sometimes need pointing out.
Here are a few: Popping bubble wrap (I like to do that). Wearing underwear just out of the dryer. Fixing electronics by smacking them (have you tried that one?). Hitting a bunch of green lights in a row (I haven't done that in a while). Waking up and realizing it's Saturday. Finding money in your pocket.
When Pasricha started his site, he never imagined that writing about "the smell of gasoline, or watching 'The Price Is Right' when you're at home sick would amount to anything."
He was excited when his mom forwarded his message to his dad — the traffic on his site doubled. Then his friends sent it to friends and strangers, and they started sending in suggestions to add like: "When cashiers open up new checkout lanes at the grocery store." That is awesome, isn't it? Or, "the smell of rain on a hot sidewalk."
He describes these as "tiny little moments" that "make an awesome difference in many of our rushed, jam-packed lives."
The book is filled with little things from a page or two to a paragraph or a couple of sentences. The first one is "The other side of the pillow." Pasricha writes that ". . . when you just can't sleep, one of the greatest things invented is simply turning over the pillow . . . and checking out the other side." That should bring a smile to your face.
I really like this one: "Seeing a cop on the side of the road and realizing you're going the speed limit anyway. Stress goes up. Stress level goes down. AWESOME!" Been there, done that, right?
I thought about some awesome things to add to the list. While going to Salisbury recently, we traveled a route we had not in a long time, down N.C. 150 to Interstate 85. It is a slow, scenic route that leads us to a shortcut down Swicegood Road to I-85, saving a few minutes. We traveled that road a lot going to and coming from Livingstone College in the early '70s. The ride was just as exciting as attending the homecoming game. Awesome!
The next best thing to finding money in your pocket is picking up clothes from the cleaners and attached is a bag with a note you left something in your pockets — usually money, cuff links or something you have been looking for. Awesome!
Joshua, a 12-year-old student, approached me at a football game to purchase some candy. For $1, I could get a chocolate bar with almonds or caramel. "The caramel is great," he said with excitement. "When you bite into it, the caramel runs in your mouth." Awesome.
I bought one of each and gave the caramel bar to a 5-year-old. She was surprised and her face lit up. Awesome.
After the game, Sarah and I visited Archie & Reid's in Granite Quarry, "Home of 'da' Dip." We sat outside on a beautiful day eating chicken, collard greens, cabbage, slaw and a small piece of "honey bun" cake. A box of wings traveled home with us in the back seat (the aroma tempted us to stop and finish them off). It was awesome.
I leave you with this one from the book because I experienced it in church today (it is Sunday afternoon as I write this — an awesome day on the patio with a cigar) and later at Panera after church. "High-fiving babies. Because they don't usually leave you hanging." Awesome!
What little moments have you noticed today? Compile your awesome list of things to add.
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