In response to all the "favorites" questions

I've posted this elsewhere, so this may be a repeat for the three or four people who drop by. It just seems apropos to the profile questions here.
____________________________________________________

I have a hard time defining things as "favorite." Are people really able to do this? I don't know if I'm envious of those who can categorize their likes so specifically or if I pity them for being locked into their choices.

Take, for example, favorite colors. This one is the easiest area for me to narrow down—I say blue – any blue, for the most part, but especially a very specific cornflower blue. But to be honest, I love green almost equally. And gray is lovely. White is perfect in certain circumstances and there are a variety of purples that are very satisfying. I suppose with these, the better route is to say my favorite color is "the cool spectrum" rather than any specific colors. Except for that absolutely joyous red-orange that autumn leaves can turn. That's got to be up there too. See my problem?

The truth is, my favorites are always varied. Favorite type of music? It depends on my mood. I like Linkin Park and Sondheim. I love acoustic music, and I drool over a good drum solo. I think bluegrass and the blues are great, but I don't like country. Favorite book? I've read thousands and thousands of books in my life (yes, literally), and I loved quite a few of them. Favorite author? Too many. I appreciate something specific about every single one of them, the way they use description or the honesty in their prose or the way their narrative seems to flow in a tapestry of smoke and color (in the case of Patricia McKillip).

Here's the thing that started this thought process: trying to pin down my "favorite place in the world." Randomly triggered by seeing pictures of Val Kilmer's New Mexico ranch (views of the Pecos from his treehouse—I'd pay rent for that! Even if it is only 300 sq. ft.) and the fantastic juxtaposition of the trees, the cliffs, and the river. It started me thinking about other places that I love.

Is my favorite the rugged beauty of the Aran Islands, where it seems like the wind has swept the landscape down to its most essential self? Is it the unexpected coziness of the upper reservoir in Centerville, Iowa? Is it the complete and utter peace of the stone fishing hut on the river at the Cong Abbey, County Mayo? Is it the cliffside pasture on Sheep's Head where I could look out over the ocean for the most beautiful sunset (my profile pic)? [It's no surprise to anyone who knows me that there's a common theme here. Trees, stone, and water. Dappled light everywhere and sounds of wind and birdsong and moving water. It's cheesy, but it's true. Nature feeds my soul.]

So I guess that's my answer. I'm a broad-spectrum girl. My favorite place is nature. My favorite person is my friend collective. My favorite colors are the cool tones. My favorite books are the ones on paper. My favorite authors are the ones who write with passion in their own voice. My favorite movie is one that moves me in some way, whether to laugh, cry, dance, or overthrow despots.