A suitemate of mine from college won't be returning in the Spring. He's a Marine and is going off to war. Politics has never hit so close to home. Wow.
I went winter hiking for the first time today and climbed a few thousand vertical feet. That was quite fun; the view was beautiful.
It got me thinking about experiences. In particular, I think I've been trying to enjoy experiences that are non-trivial to enjoy. This is true from food to experiences. For example, hiking at less than 10 degrees Fahrenheit today expanded my sense of what is enjoyable; I think this is essentially because it was non-trivial. The same goes for things like martinis mentioned in my previous post. While I really can't say I like martinis, after having a few (not in the same evening, mind you) I am starting to understand what people like about them. And with food, if some population thinks some food is worthwhile, I really want to know why. After going from hating to loving mushrooms (among other things), nothing is sacred. I have started to come around on broccoli; beef with broccoli is quite good, for example.
This leeds me to consider the difference between saying “I don't like x” and saying “I cannot appreciate x.” My tentative stance is that the later is a sign of closedmindedness, as long as x is not dangerous and is appreciated by some group of people. I'm curious what others think about this.
Word of the day: shank (with reference to shoes): The part of the sole beneath the instep connecting the broader front part with the heal. Apparently these used to be made of metal which made for terribal insulation in old hiking boots.