Wonder
A collection of gateways to inspire, initiate, stir, and expand a sense of wonder.
••• A Brief Unfolding
I decided to take the bus to a morning dental appointment late last week. Even though I opted for a slightly earlier bus than I needed, just in case, it came on time. I got to the dentist’s office with a few minutes to spare before my appointment, and leisurely finished listening to the latest episode of a podcast I love. I’m not a “going to the dentist is a breeze” person but I know I must do it, so here I am trying to bring about a little calm to the situation by creating some space around it.
I’m not out there having epiphanies in waiting rooms, although, a great place to get some existential thinking done is in the peculiar limbo of a post-general-waiting-room but pre-mammogram second holding area, where I get to wear a well-ventilated, crop-top robe and leave all my personal items in a locker. Just me...sitting there, a thin sheath between me and exposition, alone with my thoughts.
Anyway, when I left the dentist’s office, I couldn’t catch the bus I needed in time to get back home, so I walked a few blocks and thought about trying to find some lunch before a work call. I walked over to and through Rittenhouse Park and remembered it was Tuesday, so the farmer’s market was set up. I thought I’d try to get a sandwich from a cafe just north of the park, so I meandered along the row of market vendors on the way. I peeked at stunning bouquets of flowers and stopped to admire some very handsome breads. And then I noticed there were a few vendors selling food—full, hot, amazing meals. I always love a sandwich, but an unplanned hot lunch in December? A treat.
I’m sharing a bit of this objectively ordinary day here, because I love to walk—it’s my preferred mode of transportation—and walking allows for so much wandering. Even if I have to get somewhere within a specific timeframe, I’m still going to get the opportunity to pause a bunch (crosswalks, traffic lights) and I’m going to see (and hopefully notice!) so many things I normally wouldn’t.
And, I have to believe that wandering most certainly leads to wonder. They are undoubtedly connected. Maybe it’s the slower pace of wandering, or the little bit of magic inherent to the act—taking the long way around, treading a slightly different path than the usual one, gently welcoming uncertainty and owing it nothing more than curiosity.
Again, I know this anecdote is truly mundane. But, not everything we notice or take time with has to be thrilling or life changing or even important to mean something to us. Not every story has to be unique or groundbreaking or even entertaining for it to feel valuable. It all counts, especially when you just allow yourself wonder.
••• Full of Wonder (and Wander)
E.B. White said: “Wander often, wonder always.” There’s no need to top this exquisite phrase, so I’ll share with you a collection of gateways to inspire, initiate, stir, and expand a sense of wonder.
Wander Down a Rabbit WikiHole
The favorite podcast I was listening to on my way to the dentist, is called WikiHole. It’s hosted by D’Arcy Carden, an undeniably charming and hilarious actor and comedian—and in each episode she’s joined by three new guests as she takes them down a...you guessed it, WikiHole. Oh, and it’s part gameshow so the stakes are high! (Not really!) One of my favorite episodes in particular was the one where they began with Aunts and found their way to Snickers and Madonna.
Wonder on the Web
I’m easily frustrated by most web design tasks because my brain just isn’t wired for ease there—but boy do I love spinning a color wheel. I used Coolors.co (free) to create the pallet for Word of Mouth (you can fine tune color schemes and save them, or just play with the random generator—a very pleasing experience). Convertingcolors.com is also a fantastic free tool that allows you to see color schemes in various forms, like harmonies, analogous sets, and more.
Switching gears completely over to words, have you ever used Powerthesaurus.org???? If you write a lot, or not, please do yourself a favor and bookmark this resource. Search any word and you’ll find sometimes hundreds of terms and phrases with similar (or opposite) meaning—as well as the option to explore definitions, phrases, and idioms.
Wisdom in Wonder
If you love poring through a thesaurus to find the most fitting words, you might also love spending time with a feelings wheel. Mosaic Eye Collective is my favorite place to find deeply impactful and heart-led offerings for self-exploration, like a feelings wheel (and instructions for use) and a framework for discovering values and needs. Many of the collective’s offerings are free, and making a small donation or buying physical goods is a lovely and meaningful way to support their work!
In line with the emerging wheel motif here, I’ll point you to Wikimedia’s Cognitive Bias Codex. Good luck not spending hours discovering the myriad ways our brains develop cognitive bias.
Wonder Above, Wonder Below
Float up-up-up and away into the troposphere and beyond in the Space Elevator—bet you can’t guess the highest altitude a bird has ever flown. Or dive down-down-down into the Deep Sea to meet a Blobfish and a Squidworm. If neither sky nor sea are your jam, you’ll certainly find other thrilling delights from Neal Agarwal’s neal.fun.
Inquire Within
A couple years ago my friend Leah gifted me the most beautiful deck of oracle cards, and I take every opportunity to draw from it. Artist and creator Kristen Drozdowski at Worthwhile Paper + Studio, says:
Inquire Within was created in a soft, slow & carefully meaningful manner, and my hope is that that the words and images inside serve as gentle reminders of the magic you already have in you.
I’ll stop here and let the deck speak for itself—here’s the card I just pulled in honor of this little letter’s third issue:
Curiosity and Hope
With curiosity in mind, I’m working on the next letter and the theme of hope keeps swirling around my head and heart. Would you like to share something that makes you feel...hopeful? Or something you hope more people could know about? I’d love to hear from you—drop me a note here!