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March 30, 2004
He who controls the Spice, controls the universe!
The Mayans have a word, Huuyub, meaning 'to draw breath with a puckered mouth after eating chilies'. I learned this from a professor, Dr. Henry Ibarguen, who is from Mexico. I'll admit, I love chilies. I love drawing a breath with a puckered mouth after exposing myself to some capsaicin. I've even been known to make my own muscle pain reliever from ground chilies and unscented lotion. (CAUTION: If you do this wear rubber gloves when applying to the sore muscle.)
As I was lying in bed, talking on the phone to my dear friend, Shera, I brought up the fact that I felt life was missing something. Spice. Currently, I seem to have misplaced the salt and pepper shaker of my life. Shera made a comment that disturbed me to some extent and has made me rethink many things in the short 12 hours since I last spoke to her.
I asked her if felt that life was missing some spice. She replied that life, for the most part, is always going to be boring. She just ignores it and enjoys the moments that aren't. Primarily when she's traveling.
I was shocked. Sure, I tried to explain; life is going to have its boring moments. But that is all they should be, moments. I know for a certain that I do not want my life to be a serious of enjoyable intervals separated by boring days, months or years. I want my life to be spicy, with an occasional sip of milk to calm down the spice. I want to go through life drawing breath through puckered lips from the spice of what I'm experiencing.
Needless to say, the conversation dwindled from there. I've known Shera since fourth grade. I never knew her view on the spice of life until last night and it befuddles me a bit...actually, no, it downright makes me angry to think that she thinks of life like that.
Anger does a few things to me. After the initial upset, I become stubborn. I am determined to make sure that my life is now full of spice. I'm going to shake things up.
1. I will take a class in a subject that interests me. For example, I keep saying I need to take a class from Sur La Table.... I will sign up for one.
2. I will of course continue to add spice to life through reading, travel and being active (physically, mentally and spiritually.)
3. I will seek to expand my circle of friends to those who don't believe that life is meant to be boring with a few exciting moments.
And I will start right now.
Posted by Sarah at March 30, 2004 08:23 AM
Comments
i'm rarely bored. because there is always something to read or learn or discover. when i am bored, i think it's usually a symptom of something else, like i'm frustrated or overwhelmed and trying to avoid something. by being bored.
the exceptions to this rule are the times when you are forced to be somewhere, and cannot control or change the situation. like, in some boring training for work, or a long line at the dmv, or a dr's waiting room. or stuck on a plane.
Posted by: jodi at March 30, 2004 03:40 PM
I agree, but even in boring moments, you can still savor the joy in life. For instance, right now, I am dreading that I have to file everything from our IDT (Interdisciplinary Team) Meeting this morning, but I will get joy out of getting it finished because then that means I will get to go home soon.
I file during the last hour of work.
Posted by: Sarah at March 31, 2004 12:55 PM