Find something you’re passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it.
— Julia Child
This post was inspired by two recent conversations in coffee shops. The first took place one Monday morning in Starbucks at Newcastle Airport. I was enjoying a little me time after returning the car I’d rented the previous week. My blogging EDC (everyday carry) kit was set out in front of me on the little table. My Moleskine diary and the Traveler’s Notebook that serves as a memory journal. My new Filofax Clipbook planner, a gift from a friend. My Lihit Lab pen case, my phone on its folding stand, and the larger of my two Bluetooth keyboards. I was working on my end of year blog post, drafting entries for January and February. I’m pretty much in a world of my own when I’m writing but at a certain point I became aware of someone standing just to my right. I looked up to find a young man waiting patiently for me to notice him. We shook hands and introduced ourselves. Moses was fascinated by my setup and asked how it all worked. I was more than happy to talk about it, remembering my excitement the first time I saw someone using such a combination. We talked for a few minutes about the technology and what I was writing. I invited him to sit with me but he had to meet a family member from their flight.
The encounter left me feeling invigorated but I didn’t think to blog about it until another coffee shop conversation a couple of weeks later. As I waited at the counter in my local Costa one of the baristas ventured to ask what I do for a living. She’d seen me writing there many times and thought I was perhaps a university professor. I told her I work in I. T. and that when she saw me writing I was working on my latest blog post. I mentioned my fourteen year transatlantic friendship with Fran and that we wrote a book together about how to support someone living with mental illness. I went on to describe the piece I was working on (To Tink or to Frog? How to Make Mistakes and Live Creatively) and how it relates to many of the mistakes we make in life including those that inevitably occur between friends. Before I took my drink over to my table I thanked Jade for asking and gave her a contact card with our blog and book details. (Note to self: make sure you can put your hand on a card at a moment’s notice, you never know when you might need to!)
I’m grateful to Moses and Jade for giving me the opportunity to talk about my writing — something I’m interested in and passionate about. I’m reminded me of a scene from the TV series After Life written by and starring English actor and comedian Ricky Gervais. I’m not keen on him personally but this scene resonates. His character Tony is sitting on a park bench talking with Anne, played by Penelope Wilton. I don’t know their back story but Tony shares that he’s come to the uncomfortable realisation that life isn’t all about him. “You can’t not care about the things you actually care about,” he says. Anne agrees and replies. “Happiness is amazing. It’s so amazing it doesn’t matter if it’s yours or not.” As the video description says, “That’s one of those lines that stays with you long after the episode ends. [...] Tony’s conversation with Anne on the bench is quiet but powerful — it reminds us that happiness doesn’t need to be permanent, perfect, or even ours. It’s enough to recognise it in others, to notice it when it appears. Simple. Profound. Utterly human.”
I love when people share their zest for life with me. As I’ve described previously in Second-hand Experience I live much of my life vicariously through the activities and experiences of my friends. I’d like to give a shoutout to three people I know through coffee shop conversations. Their interests and expertise are very different but all are passionate about what they do.
Founder of Soul Ceramiks, Chelsea is a ceramic artist based in the John Marley Centre here in Newcastle. I love the enthusiasm she has for her work and the inventivness of her designs. I haven’t attended her pottery workshops but I have friends who loved the experience. For details check out Soul Ceramiks on their website, Facebook, Instagram, and Etsy.
I’ve had some brilliant conversations over the years with Beth. Her new venture is La Toon Fruiterie which sells a wide range of candied fruits for collection or local delivery in and around Newcastle. For details including videos showing how the candied fruits are created check out La Toon Fruiterie on Facebook and Instagram. Tell her Marty sent you!
Given that Jade mistook me for a university professor my third shout out is to a fellow regular at Costa. Nagham El Alani isn’t a professor but she is an architect, design consultant, and lecturer in Interior and Architecture. She’s passionate about her work and has a blog where she shares her interest in embodied learning and innovative learning environments.
I hope my enthusiasm and passion come across as clearly and cleanly as Chelsea’s, Beth’s, and Nagham’s. It means a lot to me when someone is interested or intrigued enough to ask what I do or what I’m working on. Close friends and family know all about my blogging but it’s refreshing to share with someone who doesn’t know why I sit at the same table at Costa every Saturday typing away at my keyboard with my phone and tablet on their little stands. If you see me in a coffee shop or café don’t be shy. Wave a hand in front of my face or stand quietly at my side until I notice you’re there. A word of warning, however. There’s every chance you’ll end up in a future blog post!
Over to You
What are you passionate about? What inspires you and makes you happy? Do you welcome people asking you about it or do you prefer to be left alone to your own devices (pun intended)? I’d love to hear from you so feel free to share your thoughts and ideas in the comments below or via our contact page.
Photo by Kevin Grieve at Unsplash.
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