Recently, online, a fun little tag was going around. It said to share five topics you could talk about for 30 minutes. I had fun thinking about what topics I could discuss for (at least) 30 minutes. I quickly realized that I could come up with way more than 5 topics. I thought it would be fun to expand that on here and share a dozen topics that I could easily talk about for 30 minutes...or longer, if we're being honest. Some of these are just completely fun, others are definitely things I feel very passionate about, and there are a few on this list that I would never ever discuss in depth on the internet...because, well, people.
So, here we go, in honor of my entering a new decade of life this month, here are a dozen topics I'm passionate about...
(This could also easily be titled "A Dozen Things I've Learned in [Almost] 30 Years".)
1. My very firm belief that reading *light* fiction books must take priority over heavy and/or serious fiction or nonfiction books, including intellectual reads, self-help books, etc. I do not believe we need to constantly be trying to better ourselves or be so serious. Life has enough of that! Reading should be for fun! And we absolutely must get rid of the guilt for reading light books just for fun...which is the main reason why I began my book club. There's something to be said for happy endings. (Also, my beliefs in reading with moral integrity could go here...but I already shared a full post about that.)
2. My belief that minimalism, neutral color schemes, and color-less living are a huge factor in the mental health industry's agenda to get as many people as possible on their pills, etc. (among other things!). I firmly believe those things greatly attribute to depression and the like, and there are way more hidden agendas behind this seemingly unserious topic. But that's how all propaganda and agendas begin...with something seemingly small, ordinary, everyday. And then...BOOM! We're brainwashed robots. (I have had some fun conversations with a few others who share this thinking...and it makes me realize that no, I'm not the only one to look deeper into seemingly ordinary, simple, "meaningless" things.)
3. I could easily discuss any episode of : Call the Midwife, Blue Bloods, Rizzoli and Isles, Shetland...or any of my favorite movies, such as 1994 Little Women, Letters to Juliet, Julie and Julia, Under the Tuscan Sun, The Sound of Music, Miss Potter, I'll stop there. I could easily ramble on and on about all the beautiful things in these movies, the inspiring ideals, the characters that remind you that you're not the only one, the power of a positive message, and so on. Or how the first three seasons of Gilmore Girls are way better than the last four. College Rory is arrogant, pretentious, selfish, you name it. The first three seasons is where it's at.
4. Homeschooling and all the millions of benefits that it brings. That, and how sending your children to public or private school is co-parenting with the government, church, and other institutions, and parents need to start taking responsibility for their children, including their education and the formation of their worldview, moral integrity, character, etc. I am well aware that there are many wonderful, dedicated teachers out there, but I do believe that they are doing the parents' job. No matter how wonderful and dedicated they are. (This coincides with number 6.)
(And yes, I realize that much of what I write and share, including this, is very idealistic and means people should be held to high standards and such, but I believe that we do the world, and especially the future generations, a great disservice when we neglect these high standards and ideals. No, the world isn't perfect, but that also shouldn't give us an excuse to just let those things fly. I believe we should strive and work towards living out such ideals and high standards. And really quickly, I will add...if you wouldn't leave your car in the hands of a stranger for eight hours a day, why would you dare do so with your child? It's high time people reassess their values and priorities.)
5. I could go on and on about my love for rainy and snowy weather, chilly and cold temps, and all things autumn and winter. The holidays, scents, flavors, clothing, colors, vibes, all of it.
6. How I firmly believe in the absolute importance of a home and family centered life, regardless of age, marital status, season of life, etc.
7. I have very different beliefs on what success is than the general ideas of society. What most consider important, I do not. What most value, I do not. What is considered "success" by most, I consider the exact opposite. Most of the time, I feel like a true black sheep because of my beliefs on even the most ordinary, everyday things. I value what most people would consider nonsense, meaningless, small, and ordinary, and what most people consider fundamental and essential, I see little to no importance in. That makes life very, very hard at times. Sometimes, you just feel completely invisible and forgotten.
8. I could go on and on about the fact that not every unmarried (younger or older) person is interested in the social life considered "normal" by society. We are not all interested in going to bars, using dating apps, casual relationships...both romantic ones and friendships, or having a big or loud social life. Some of us are different. And I wish I could tell those of us that we are just fine being how we are. We aren't messed up or the only ones the way we are. I'd like to remind us of that.
9. I could ramble on for ages about the absolute joys found in living a simple, rooted life. This coincides with number six. But I get really passionate about living a life rooted in home and nature and of seeing, truly seeing and noticing and experiencing, the magic of everyday life. Not to mention the gentle healing and sweetness it brings. It nearly gets me emotional when I think of how beautiful a simple, rooted life is. I think of all the people who are chasing such big, grand things that have absolutely little to no meaning in the grand scheme of things. But to cherish and love your simple life, I think that's one of the most undervalued gifts people don't even realize they have. And too often, they don't want it. They don't know the beauty of everyday life, the magic found in daily tasks, the wonder of making a house a home and a haven, the excitement of small things that brings endless joy to your days and of knowing that there is endless value in what you are doing. Tolkien said it best...It is no bad thing to celebrate a simple life.
10. I am very much a believer that what you listen to affects you immensely. Lots of today's music is just plain depressing, if not completely disturbing and vulgar. I've noticed that stores where I live have been playing music from the 90s through the 2010s. It's so nice hearing fun and happy tunes and lyrics that you just want to sing along to. I think people are sick and tired of all the darkness and depression that the news and media only want to share, and they're just plain fed up with it. I could go on for a long time about the effects of listening to happy music versus depressing, vulgar lyrics. Nothing beats a happy song that makes you dance, and you feel so much better afterwards.
11. I cannot stress the importance of homecooked meals, and not just for the health benefits. There is so much richness that comes from preparing a meal at home and everyone pitching in together and enjoying it together with your dearest ones. I can never understand people who cater in or go out to a restaurant on birthdays or holidays or other special occasions. To me, there's nothing special or meaningful about that. (This coincides with what I shared in number 7.) My whole life we've had homemade birthday cakes and dinners and holidays and it's something I very much believe in. I wish others could see the beautiful and meaningful importance of such simple things.
12. And finally, for this post at least, I could talk for hours about living a makeup free life. I've written an entire post about this. I'd love to tell people about the inauthenticity and toxicity of mental and emotional and physical levels, and just plain ridiculousness of wearing makeup as well as changing or altering your natural appearance in any way. The older I get, the most I feel strongly about this. Especially in a culture where getting Botox, fillers, plastic surgery, using anti-aging products and the like is becoming more and more common. If that doesn't disturb you, you really need to check your brain at the door. It's doing much more damage than we can possibly imagine, both for us as women, for men, for young girls and young boys growing up. No one is unaffected by this.
There are truly so many other things I could easily talk about for 30 minutes...or more. There are so many things I feel strongly about and am very passionate about. Really, I am passionate about all the things I believe. Some of which are because I have learned them the hard way and I know what's on the other side of what I believe now. As I shared in another post, "life's a dance, you learn as you go." These topics that I shared today are just part of what I've learned in that dance...
so far.