I've been getting the New York Times newsletter emailed to me for the last few years. It's really quite sneaky, because they tease stories in the newsletter, but you have to be a subscriber to the NYT to read more.
Due to a combination of frustration over not being able to read said articles and an offer I couldn't refuse – a yearlong subscription rate of $1 per week – I now have full access to NYT.
One of the articles that piqued my interest provided a list of the likes and dislikes of Susan Sontag. I thought perhaps they put a limit on the number of each – but no, there were 24 likes and 19 dislikes.
I began thinking how assembling this list might be an interesting exercise, a type of self-awareness. I found it interesting that Sontag's likes outnumbered her dislikes, implying she was happier more often than not. I don't know if this is true or not, but it gave me pause, and I began putting my own list together, with the caveat that I'd stick to 20 per category. Also, rather than ponder and revise, I chose the items that sprung immediately to mind, so I'm sure there are some things I've missed.
Please note, Mr. Ginley, that I am including "things," not "people," so don't get your knickers in a twist because you're not mentioned here.
Here, in no particular order, are my 20 likes and dislikes:
Likes:
- Long walks in the park
- Cats
- Flowers
- Chocolate
- Writing
- Books
- Lavender
- Music
- Romantic comedies
- Hot baths
- Puzzles
- Coffee
- Vintage clothing
- Old photographs
- Crystals
- Mosaics
- Birds
- Antiques
- Early morning quiet time
- Exploring other cultures
Dislikes:
- Wholesale hatred
- Extremes in weather
- Groundhogs
- Stingy tipping
- Organized religion
- Arthritis
- Superhero movies
- Video games
- Shoveling snow
- Gristle
- Rum (we have a history)
- Bugs (not the Bunny, he's cool)
- Poison ivy
- Yardwork
- Fox "News"
- Age bias (old or young)
- Noisy sporting events
- Tight clothing
- Household chores
- Super spicy foods
As I compiled my lists, the thing I found most interesting about myself is that many of the dislikes were behavior-related, while all of the likes were just things that make me happy. Also, it took me longer to come up with dislikes than likes. Is that a good or a bad thing?
I invite you to create your own lists. You needn't share them, but I think you'll find the exercise worthwhile in any case.
In the meantime, I'm going to take the Colbert Questionert, a quiz Stephen Colbert asks his celebrity guests to take so they will be "known."
Is that a good or a bad thing? I leave it to you.
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