Friday, April 12, 2013

Favorite Things: Five

{Part of a Friday series with Alex, Star and Lee that celebrates our power to discern, discriminate, decide and declare. Please join us in the comments or on your own site if you have a few favorites, too.}

Favorite Subject in School

:: At the time I would have said something typical, like English or art, the things that I most identified myself with. But looking back, the subject that I remember most fondly is math. Conical sections, in particular, were exciting for some reason. To this I attribute in large part the enthusiasm of every math teacher I've ever had. My science and math teachers seemed to be unerringly and singularly devoted to their subjects, whereas those in the arts tended (for understandable reasons) to have greater incidence of apathy or a sort of desperate jaded exhaustion. I love English and writing, but in school I often wound up pitying them, too, since their battle already seemed to be over. I don't know if it was any different for  my math teachers, but at least none of them seemed to think so. And there is a certain undeniable artistry to the symbols and numbers, and the pursuit of an elegant and inevitable solution.

Table of Conics, Cyclopaedia, 1728 (from Wikipedia)

Favorite Board Game | Favorite Game to Play With Others

:: Pictionary! When I lived in New Mexico there were a limited number of ways for the jungen to entertain themselves. So we danced, made music, hiked and climbed, and played games. It was plenty, and I think because we were not overwhelmed with choices, we were never bored or undecided. Our game nights were regular and epic, involving feasts and a robust and jolly competitive spirit. Of the games we played, Pictionary stands out to me as promising the most exceptionally hilarious and frenzied time.

Also, floor hockey (for the second part of the category). I had a ton of fun being totally dismantled and steamrolled in floor hockey. If I write any longer, I will keep thinking of more, because I love so many games, I haven't even touched the tip of the iceberg here. So I will sign off, thanks for reading.

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