What did you like about it?

~E~

This question always throws me. I'll mention I had a super time at a play I saw last night, or that I really enjoyed being pregnant, and then someone drops that question. It's a very innocent and obvious question. It should be easy to answer if I'm raving about something, right?

I think that for most of my (married) life no one really cared what I thought about the things I enjoyed, so I developed a habit of just enjoying things 'inside myself'. I didn't bother to learn the narrative for my experiences. I simply enjoyed them. In the last few years my life has changed a lot and there are those who would like to hear why they should go to the Ren Faire I've been babbling on about.

I must be more conscious of my experiences. Are you good at explaining why you love the things you love? How do you do it?

Comments

Laurie said…
It's usually hard for me at first but once I start thinking about it, I'm often able to articulate it although who's to say if what I'm saying is the "real" reason or just an explanation that I've invented in my head?

It's hard for me to explain why I liked a book or movie that I read or saw a long time ago. I usually can't remember the reason and I don't know if it's just memory to blame or if it's because back then I didn't bother to create narratives either.
August 4, 2007 at 10:55 AM
Reverend AC said…
I think it's hard at first, but you can get better. Often I'll delve deep down, you realize that I really liked all the pretty colors, or the chords of the theme music really resonated with me. It doesn't have to be something deep. Often, it isn't deep at all, just a thing or two that really worked for you. It can also be a good practice to notice what you enjoy as you enjoy it. That can, if done well, make things that much better because you realize it at the time how kick-ass they are. If you can tell me how to do this reliable more than 5% of the time, you'll be my #1 hero!

And then sometimes it's because you say "Boy-howdy, I love the original Transformers Movie" and they ask "Why do you like it?" to which one can only reply "Because it is the absolute greatest thing ever to come to earth since oxygen!" and with that much emotion, one no longer needs reasons.
August 7, 2007 at 7:14 PM
Charmingly Feisty said…
Usually for the first three seconds that someone asks, I'll be fumbling about for something, anything to say, and then the moment is gone. Ten minutes later I might think of something worthwhile to say but by then it's too late.

I admit I rather like the feeling of knowing I really loved a book (or whatever), but having only that feeling of it... not the memory of WHY. If you know what I mean.
August 9, 2007 at 9:58 PM
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