Not lost, just undiscovered.

The reason I always come back to these “Where the Hell is Matt?” videos is because of the simple joy that you see on people’s faces as they join him and do a crazy dance.

It looks like a blast. Complete fun. And that makes me smile.

Regardless of what this does to my credibility, I just had to be share: I recently spent a Saturday with my friend from high school at a Backstreet Boys concert.

It was fun being a teenager again, just for one day. Forgetting the responsibilities of being an adult and just having fun dancing and singing along to mindless pop. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

I love movies, books, music and TV shows. Who doesn’t?

Here’s the thing: I have a habit of getting into shows, books and musicians late in the game.

At face value, this may seem like a bad thing – it means I rarely get to be the “one who discovered the awesomeness of…”

But the truth is that I don’t actually care.

Waiting and being late in the game has its benefits:

• My friends and the general public let me know if something is worth my time
• If the person/book/show/etc lasts over time, it’s a sure sign that there’s something there – I know I’m not wasting my time or energy
• If it’s a show, I have tons to catch up on. It means no waiting until next week or season to find out what happens next. Anticipation is great but fulfilling a desire immediately is even better! The same applies for books too
• There’s lots of fresh material for me to soak up and enjoy while everyone has ants in their pants, waiting for the next season or the next book
• There are many opportunities for me to borrow the book, DVD or CD from friends who are already fans (cost savings!)

Here are some examples of things I love now but didn’t pay attention to for a long time:

• Dexter – this is the show I’m currently exploring. I just finished season 3 and I love it.
• Harry Potter – read the books 10 years after the first one was published.
• Friends – I started watching the first season while the latter half of the 10th (and final) season was airing.
• Doctor Who (w/ the 9th & 10th Doctors) -  I started watching while season 3 was airing.
• Lost – I started watching while season 3 or 4 was airing.
• Grey’s Anatomy – I started watching while season 3 was airing
• John Mayer – I had a friend who loved his music and wanted to go see him live. We all said no. A year later, we were all big fans.
• James Morrison – I recently discovered his music, three years late

The list could go on forever.

So what does this mean? People get to be excited and watch in anticipation as I fall in love and become addicted. They participate enthusiastically as I go on and on about these shows or books that they’ve loved for years already.

This also means that people think I’m slow and really out of touch – but I don’t mind.

From this point forward, I plan to write about and share my thoughts on all of my “new discoveries” here. So please bare with me – sometimes I’ll be on the ball and other times I won’t. Either way, your feedback and comments will greatly be appreciated.

Image source: Suchitra Prints (Creative Commons License – BY)

This weekend, I’ll be moving back out of my parent’s place and into an apartment downtown. One of the pluses of this move is being able to get away from the restrictive Go Train schedule and long commute.

It’s been a long 8 months of rushing to catch the train and having to time my after-work events according to the GO’s once-every-hour-after-7pm schedule. I’ve had many days of running from the far end of the parking lot to catch a train, even though I left home early, because I ended up stuck behind still-sleeping drivers all the way to the station. Those days hurt because it was barely light out and I had yet to eat breakfast. I’ve also had quite a few days where I’d rush to catch the train home and miss it by one minute, and have to wait a full hour for the next one. Oh and let’s not forget all the cancellations and delays and just an overall LONG commute.

So, I’m happy to be returning to the crowded, not-so-clean and frequently down TTC, simply because my commute will be shorter and I’ll have a few other options if the subway is down. It’ll also be good to no longer be restricted by a train schedule – it just isn’t for me.

I will say this though: I’ll miss the quiet, early morning ride across the lakeshore, listening to music or reading, sitting in a spacious and clean seat, and peacefully looking out as the sun rises over the lake.

But, that’s still not enough to make me change my mind about it. Goodbye GO and hello to the craziness that is the TTC.

Photo credits – all licensed to share through Creative Commons: TTC & Go sign by Howard Poon and Lake Ontario by Kent Barrett

Public pillow fights at Yonge-Dundas Square.

I stopped by Saturday afternoon with a friend to watch as random strangers pulled out their pillows for some fun. We laughed ourselves silly as people enthusiastically returned to their childhood days and participated in a good-hearted pillow fight.

It wasn’t violent.  Some people were dressed up.  A few little kids happily and safely participated.  And it lasted a very long time.

Good job Newmindspace!