Monday, July 13, 2009

Favorites

Among the comments I received for Mellow Yellow Monday, Celeste asked me about the significance of yellow for that day of the week. as I understand it, yellow is simply Drowsey Monkey's favorite color, and she thought it would be fun to see how many wonderful, cheerful things could be found in that color.

But in answering Celeste, I started thinking about "favorites". Have I talked about this before? My memory isn't very good any more. I should probably search my own blog to find out, but I think I'll indulge myself and just sound off about it anyway. As I know I've said before, you can always hit the Delete button if I bore you.

I have always had a problem with the idea of "favorite" anything. How does one choose favorites? And why should we? I have no favorite color - or music, or book, or food, or anything else really. Color in particular would be an impossible thing for me to disect and arrange and separate, one from another. I wonder how many colors there are in the world? Myriad! Each one complimenting or contrasting with all the others, dazzling the eye and the brain with its beauty. This reminds me of a day when I was sitting in my dentist's waiting room, looking out a picture window. For some reason I started counting the shades of green that I saw in the landscape. Of course, I couldn't possibly sort out all of them, and gave up quickly. In one tree alone, there were more than I could count.

There are days when I really need yellow, or red. - Red is so wonderful! There are days when I need soft lavender or pale shades of blue around me. Well - you get the idea. How could I choose a favorite?

The same is true of tastes or scents, or sounds. Music! How can I choose a favorite song, or type of music? I need them all! We all need them all, depending on our mood. I can choose my LEAST favorite. There are certain sounds or tastes or odors that I really cannot abide. But a favorite? No. Which color of a rainbow do I like best? Which bird song? Which of my children is my favorite? What ridiculous questions. Please don't send me any more emails in which I am supposed to list my favorites. I just don't play favorites.

9 comments:

Sylvia K said...

Couldn't agree with you more, Bobbie! I don't have favorites either, like you I need them all when it comes to all the beautiful and lovely things in my life, in my world. And as for the things that aren't favorites -- well, somehow when you primarily focus on all the beautiful things, the other stuff doesn't really matter that much! I don't play favorites either!

Deborah Godin said...

Picking favorites is always tough, and sometimes pointless. If I ever list any, it's always like, "My five favorite songs as of this particularly moment!"

Daryl said...

I agree, how limited to have just one favorite of any thing ... much more fun to be open to newness and experimenting ...

Ramblings of a Villas Girl said...

I'm probably going to be the only one to disagree. I have many-many favorites. I have favorite authors that I love to read. Favorite TV shows. Favorite music. Favorite colors. My favorite color is green. Green is soothing to me. I have a shade of green in every room. Green is a sign of life.
I guess my favorite depends on my mood. There is always one favorite to improve it. Well sometimes anyway.

Kay said...

Which is why I suppose they're ALL my favorites.

Celeste Maia said...

Right now I am listening to a favorite music, Pablo Casals playing the Bach Suites. His cello makes me soar, makes me sad, makes me happy. But later on I listen to another favorite, Damien Rice or Gilberto Gil, or so many others. And yes, I love red, it lifts my spirits, but there are so many other favorite colors. But pick a favorite? Absolutely, for that mood I am experiencing at the moment.

G. Harrison said...

Good explanation and reasonings re favourites, bobbie.

I don't want to be locked in to favourites, so often say re something, "It's in my top five or ten, but things change."

Keep well,

Gord H.

dianasfaria.com said...

I have to say I agree with you Bobbie, though I should also admit to having many favorites. For instance you will often read or hear me say, this is one of my favorite flowers, though in reality, I love them all.

Crayons said...

I agree with you on the question of favorites. It's such an empty question.

Your response reminds me of a 19th-Century French novel called (in English) "Against the Grain." The main character lives for color, taste, music, sensation. He creates a sort of organ that can play scents and colors and sounds to his very whim, which changes from day to day. Do not read this book, though. It is long and boring.

PS: Thanks for playing the role of conscience vis a vis USA's presence in the Middle East. You and my dear, dear mother would have gotten along famously.