I read a lot on my commute, but sometimes just to rest my eyes I enjoy listening to podcasts. After much trial and error, I have decided I can’t listen to audio books- you just need one bad reading voice to ruin a perfectly good book. Also, the books I do enjoy reading don’t have audio versions. I’ve tried listening to podcasts that enrich the mind, but they’re best heard on a Saturday afternoon with the sunlight flooding through my sash windows.
As I commute with only one earphone in (how can you be aware of the world around you with all the cars and cyclists and pedestrians if you have both earphones jammed into your head with the volume up to 11?) I have found that fun, intelligent nonsense is the best form of entertainment. And there is no better intelligent nonsense than Adam and Joe.
My ancient ipod nano seems to agree as well, because out of 535 items available, it consistently brings up one Adam and Joe podcast for every 7.3 songs. This is on shuffle!
The podcast I listened to the other day was an old one from the archives (their BBC 6music show on 1/12/2007 if you’re interested) during which Adam mentioned a scene in the film, Manhattan, where Woody Allen’s character lists things that make life worth living. Now, because Woody Allen’s character was reminiscing to his Dictaphone things that made life worthwhile, the list was quite poignant and sentimental. Joe’s list of things “you really like and love in life that make you happy” was slightly yet distinctly different:
IMAX 3D
Fruit smoothies
Long Sunday breakfasts
Driving over the river Thames at night
Fresh bed clothes
Falling asleep on the sofa with the telly on
Finishing a project and getting paid
Getting recognized by somebody who likes you
Swimming in shallow, warm, seawater
Tickling a purring cat’s tummy
A haircut that’s grown to the perfect length
A new item of clothing that makes you look like some kind of a model
Walking along the Southbank
The village of Dulverton in Somerset
Seeing films in foreign countries
Going on big rollercoasters
Getting packages delivered from Amazon
Spooning
Badminton
Spending the whole day in pajamas
Things going wrong on live TV
Temporary deafness after a live gig
Coming home from holiday
Baths.
Isn’t that brilliantly sincere? What would your list be? Do you think the things that make us happy change as we get older?
Photo credit: K Leoungk
You might also like:
- Health and Wellbeing | “Are you happy? It’s the only way to be, kid.”
- Six ways to de-stress your life
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