As we bumble our way through childhood, we begin to notice some cool things that touch our hearts.
I learned how to ride a bike, and this gave me access to a much larger world than my own backyard. I could ride to two different parks, my elementary school, and more.
Along the way, I began to read some books and listen to some music.
I am grateful to my parents for introducing me to a few of their albums. I remember listening to Paint Your Wagon and Camelot over and over again. My lifelong love of musicals began in a bean bag chair, my head sandwiched between a pair of huge headphones!
I listened to albums by Elton John and Cat Stevens. For whatever reason, I tended to like more of the Elton John songs. I began to want to listen to this and not that.
I spun cooking bowls on the floor of our kitchen, fascinated with the way they rotated. Perhaps this led to my lifelong love of physics!
Our taste is developed through direct experience.
Sometimes, we value the opinions of others. That can lead us to watch certain TV shows while avoiding others. I watched Cheers and The Greatest American Hero.
As teenagers, we tend to pay more attention to what our friends recommend than our parents. That’s how I stumbled upon the game Dungeons and Dragons.
So, our taste depends on the experiences we acquire during our formative years.
Because I grew up in a house in south Denver during the 1970’s, I had different influences than a kid who grew up during the Great Depression in the Bronx. At school, I learned a bit of Colorado history. Most kids growing up in Asia or India did not.
Who’s more likely to be fascinated by Billy the Kid? (Note: He failed to capture my imagination although I learned a bit about him.)
This means we need to keep having interesting experiences to refine our taste. It’s another reason why I love to travel.
As adults, we self-select the books we read, the music we listen to, and the movies we watch. To some degree, our choices are based on our previous experiences or on recommendations from people we admire. Sometimes, happy coincidences surprise us!
Because no one else shares our experiences, our taste is unique. Even twins who grow up in the same house have different experiences. But what if the differences are minimal?
In addition to direct experience, our taste depends on our individual thoughts and feelings. Genetics and environment both play a role in how our brains develop. This determines how we respond to the things we experience.
Our taste something to treasure!
We can celebrate our differences, and we can appreciate the times when we just happen to love some of the same stuff. We can pay attention to what experiences cause our souls to resonate more or less strongly.
We can learn to honor who we truly are.
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