"May you experience each day as a sacred gift woven around the heart of wonder." This blessing was written by the Celtic writer John O'Donohue, who died unexpectedly in 2008. We remember him as we experience the wonders of this time of year.
Philosopher Sam Keen coined the term "wonderosity" to describe the combination of wonder and curiosity. Wonder is a natural response to the reports of our senses; we are dazzled by something in the world around us. Curiosity helps us stay open to new experiences, and it takes us to places where we can be amazed.
Last year, one of my favorite new books was 1,227 Quite Interesting Facts to Blow Your Socks Off put together by John Lloyd, John Mitchinson, and James Harkin. I viewed my journey through this book as a fascinating trip and a great way to spend some spare time. In this follow-up work, they drew out my "wonderosity" big time. Here's a sampler of these interesting facts:
• "Half the food produced in the world is left to rot."
• "Honeybees contribute $15 billion to the US economy each year."
• "Only 5% of the world's population has ever been on an airplane."
• "On any given day, 53% of Americans work and 80% watch TV."
• "If a cockroach touches a person, it immediately runs away and washes itself."
• "In the Koran, Jesus is mentioned five times more often than Mohammed."
"400, 000 human beings are born every day."
