Life is like a Martini
I am not advocating a life of libations. Rather, an experience this past week prompted me to look for similes elsewhere.
I decided I really wanted a good Martini. I had the right Gin, the right vodka, the right compliment (Lillet Blanc), and the right glass. Things were looking mighty fine. I didn’t have the olives I wanted but I had what I thought would fill the need. Boy was I wrong !
So, my conclusion is that you can have all the big things in life and still not be happy because more often than not, it’s the little things that make all the difference.
I took this little epiphany and started looking for other places it holds true. There were far too many examples to list and even if I did try, all the examples would be of my own life.
So, on this weekend, if you are so inclined, take a moment and consider what, where, when, and who are your “olives” … and feel free to associate the Popeye analog here as well !
February 9th, 2008 at 12:34
Okay, if I thought about this long enough I could probably come up with more things, but two of my “olives” are good socks (yes, I meant to spell that word with an “o”) and nice soap.
I’ve become a big fan of Smartwool socks, which are great because I walk a lot. They don’t wear out too quickly, they wick when washed in the rain, and they let my feet breathe.
When I was spending time in Brazil, someone gave me a gift package of nice soap from O Boticário (a Brazilian cosmetics chain) for my birthday. (It wasn’t heavily perfumed, but it had a really nice scent.) In some of the places I stayed, the accommodations were basic and from time to time the shower water was cold, but my birthday soap lifted my spirits so much that I bought more for myself after the gift package ran out.
February 10th, 2008 at 14:23
I just went for “olives” - nice over sized, Spanish stuffed olives. ahhhh
I must add, “the look of contentment on Zen’s face when she crashes after a long walk in the woods” is a nice little gift too.