Simple Pleasures

I'm a man of simple pleasures: easily amused, easily satisfied. I believe there are a lot of people out there who take the simple things for granted, who no longer notice the little things that elevate the run-of-the-mill day into something joyful. Things like

• the realization, upon popping awake far too early, that there is still sleep to be slept
• the first taste of (heavily adulterated) coffee in the morning
• a long, leisurely hot shower
• a trip through a newspaper, magazine or blogroll, whereby I learn things and feel connected to the world
• the comforting feeling of jogging pants on days when I'm not leaving the house. Whoever said jeans were comfortable never donned joggers
• that first step outside, in most kinds of weather. Cold can feel crisp and clean; warmth like a gentle caress; even rain can feel refreshing.
• a friendly smile and word of greeting from a colleague
• the knowledge that, whatever comes up in the course of my workday, I'm competent enough to deal with it
• Quitting time!
• The bus ride home, so long as I have a book to immerse myself in
• The bike ride home, weather permitting, which has too many benefits to list
• A car trip anywhere. When you don't drive, your appreciation of a car can't be understated
• The greeting from the Tux and the Peach when they haven't seen me all day. It can be a little trying with the Tux, but they're both so damn happy to see me it's impossible not to smile
• The taste of just about anything my wife cooks. Her meatloaf is particularly enjoyable
• The prospect of a hockey game ahead on TV, one which the Leafs might, just might, win
• The shot of adrenaline I get when the Leafs actually do win
• The sensation of slipping under freshly laundered sheets and sliding into slumber

My wife told me yesterday she thought there weren't enough "big joys" in my life. Or in hers, for that matter. I disagree: she herself is a big joy, for one thing. For another, our pets spread joy everywhere they go. For a third,, there are an awful lot of little joys that add up. I try to pack as many of those into each day as possible. And so, while I'm rarely smiling so hard my jaw's cracking, I'm almost always content. Even when I'm not, the mere prospect of any one of those little joys approaching is usually enough to take the edge off my discontent.

It's the little things that make a life...