I Like the Little Things

"I like the little things. The way a glass feels in your hand, a good glass - thick, with a heavy base. I love the sound an ice cube makes when you drop it from just the right height. Too high, and it will chip when you drop it. Chip the ice and it will melt too fast in the Scotch."
-John Spencer as Leo McGarry, The West Wing


As do I, Leo. I like the little things too. We all do. The little things are what make days enjoyable. They can also make our days feel like hell, but let's focus on the positives.


It's the little things in life that give us the most pleasure, the most satisfaction. Yesterday I was riding the train home and I was able to get my favorite seat in an Amtrak car: 3rd car (the one in front of the snack car)on the right side, middle of the car, seat where there is no window. Why no window? The plastic piece they have there instead is perfect for napping, something I do A LOT. The gap between the headrest and the wall is shorter than if it were a window. Which means your head is not at a more awkward angle, which means its more comfortable. Hence, why I sleep on trains.


Being able to sit in this particular seat is a big deal to me, but in the grand scheme of things, its not that big of a deal. But yesterday, for about five minutes, I was able to sit in my perfect seat and relax and think about how great I had it for those few moments. Its moments like this one that I can't let go to waste, and I soak it in as much as possible. "Don't sweat the small stuff" or "Don't cry over spilled milk" are certainly words to live by for the not-so-good little things in our life. Be pissed for 30 seconds and move on. Why dwell on the bad when you can savor the good?


So what are some of my little things? I like being able to walk around my apartment on Sunday morning in my robe and slippers and watch some TV before getting my day started. I like when I go to a bar and my Guinness is poured correctly, and poured in a Guinness glass. I like being able to sit around and laugh with my brothers. I like a good bottle of red wine. I like watching the sunset from the top deck of a cruise ship. I like getting to a DC Metro station and only having to wait 2 or 3 minutes for the next train to come. I like drinking a beer on the beach. I like when strangers pass by me and pleasantly say "Hi" or "Hello." I like finishing a good book. I like the one mile approach to my exit on a highway.


All of those are the little things in life that give me that short moment of pleasure or relaxation. Certainly an incomplete list, but those were the ones I was able to think of off the top of my head. It's these things and others that get me through my day, and my week. For all of us, it's the little things that get us through are lives. Let's not let these little things and little moments pass us by.