I Like People Who Like Things

I like people who like things. I had a friend who once confided in me that she was fond of mushrooms (not the hallucinogenic sort); she liked looking at mushrooms and thinking about them. Some were inspired by superstars; she found her inspiration in fungi.

I had another friend who loved tropical fish. Once after not seeing him for two years, we went out to catch up on each other's lives. On the way to our destination, we passed a tropical fish store. He had to stop. We went inside and looked at all the fish and he told me how he had spent the previous year working on his tropical fish collection and how difficult they were to maintain. Later when we got back in the car, he turned to me and said sheepishly, "Do you think that it is nerdy to love tropical fish so much?" I said something reasonable like, "No, it's not that weird." What I wanted to say was, "Are you kidding? You're obsession with tropical fish is what makes you adorable."

I have another friend who loves talking about the brain. One of my first memories of her is a night she made me stay up late so she could explain the sleep cycle to me. I'll never forget learning about REM as I nodded off to sleep. (Even then, the irony was not lost on me.)

We all have our passions, peculiarities, loves. I love poetry and books about science. Others go for food or fonts. Everything we love is a lesson for the people around us. The artists teach us to see. The musicians to hear.

I like people who like things.