On #2
Almost nothing delights me more than experiencing or instigating whimsy.
What is whimsy? By definition, whimsy is playfully quaint or fanciful behavior or humor. Or, it may be a thing that is fanciful or odd.
Some art styles are described as whimsical, like a cow lounging on a sofa or cats lined up watching Van Gogh’s starry night. I like to keep some whimsical items around me. A few examples would be my San Francisco cable car bell on the wall in my office and the “useless box” on my desk from Fargo season 3 along with my Christmas Vacation Moose mug. At home, I also have a cuckoo clock on the wall in my study. These things make me smile every time.
You might also think of things like a motorcycle with a side car or a VW van. One day I pulled up to a stoplight and realized I was idling next to someone’s version of the Ghostbusters hearse.
Whimsy also arrives in unexpected experiences of outlandish grace and humor whether intentional or accidental. When you accidentally plan a day to celebrate all birthdays for your group and someone goes above and beyond to book a Mariachi band to greet everyone because it happened to fall on Cinco de Mayo…that’s a golden act of whimsy.
Whimsy is good therapy. It reminds us not to take ourselves so seriously, to enjoy the moment and be grateful.
Worth Repeating
Whimsy needs to be fully experienced to be fully known.
-Bob Goff