3:26 pm - Sun 8/12/07
The Simple Things

As an offshoot of �enjoying the simple things� in life�a trait I�m consciously cultivating-- I�ve come to really appreciate things I have that make an actual difference in my life. Simple, inexpensive items that make life just a little easier or more enjoyable, as opposed to all the crap I collect that does nothing except clutter up my apartment.

One of the first times I remember thinking �This was a good purchase� was after I bought one of those things you hang a bunch of bananas from.

By the way, does that thing have an actual name? Cause �one of those things you hang a bunch of bananas from� seems pretty unwieldy (A �banana hook�, perhaps?).

For some reason, it took me quite awhile to realize I needed one. But I like bananas, so it serves a purpose, and serves its purpose well (Though I have to get a new one, cause the one I have is plastic, and the little hook at the end broke off a while back. Now I�m looking for a sturdier wooden one, with a metal hook. One so sturdy I�ll be able to bequeath it to someone in my will).

Another thing it took me a long time to buy that�s made life more convenient and enjoyable is...well, once again, I don�t know what to call them; they have brand names like �Traxx� or �Tuffies�, or other macho names along those lines, but they�re basically just plastic strips, reminding me of �Hot Wheels� tracks, that go inside your bike tires--between the tire and the inner tube�and give you extra protection against flats.

Like condoms, they aren� t 100% effective�if you run over something big enough and sharp enough, you�re going to get a flat�but the big difference to me is in the time it takes to go from buying a new tire/inner tube to developing a slow leak; where it was weeks, sometimes days, now it�s months of riding before that happens (When you ride a bike in L.A., it can seem like the whole world is covered in little bits of broken glass). For about $8, that�s convenience and savings (In tires and inner tubes) that I can get behind.

Another thing I like is Tilex shower cleaner.

As anyone who�s seen the inside of an apartment I�ve lived in knows, I am a major-league slob (Seriously, however messy you think you are, I probably have you beat). So finding a cleaning product that requires little or no effort from me to do its job is a very big deal (Now if I can only find a spray that washes the dishes, makes the bed, and cleans and organizes the rest of the house, I�ll be all set).

I realize that, even with a lot of competition, this may just be the most boring journal entry I�ve ever written. But it means something to me�I sometimes need a reminder to appreciate things that work, that make life easier, that provide genuine value (Or things that have �Quality�, as Robert Pirsig might say�That�s a big concept in Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance).

Being who I am, prone to depression and frustration and a host of other unpleasant, generally unhelpful feelings, it�s important for me to actively look for things that feel good, things that work for me, that don�t frustrate or upset me, right down to the day-to-day level I�ve just described.

It�s a start toward realizing that life is not always �a slog through the mud�, which is the way I�ve been feeling a lot of the time lately.

Sometimes life is a banana in your cereal that tastes really good.

Sometimes life is a long, hot shower, or a a quiet bike ride after work.

And sometimes, that�s enough.

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