One of my favorite times of the day, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, is the last 10 minutes of my workout session. This may sound totally retarded, but whatever. I endearingly refer to those 10 minutes as, “nap-time.” After 30-90 minutes of running, then a 60 minute workout, I get to just lay there on a massage table, with ice packs on my knees. It is so amazing.

I’m not one of those guys who works out with the blackberry in-hand. So gym-time is already kind of sacrosanct, in the sense that I’m “off the grid,” as it were. So, I totally love those last 10 minutes, where I can just let my mind drift, and veg-out, before showering and getting back to the inevitable inbox buildup that has accumulated.

Today particularly, I was realizing how much I appreciate my 10 minutes of solitude. During nap-time, today, I got to thinking how much I appreciate the small things generally, when things get particularly hectic in my life. For example, I love the re-designed tab on Orbit gum. It is now so much easier to close the flap.

I love it when Reagan sneaks some cookies into my backpack, in the morning, while I’m in the shower. I love it when I come down the last set of subway stairs right as the train is pulling up. I really think that is the kind of stuff that keeps me going. Anyway, sorry to get all pensive. I just thought I would share.

This morning as I was going through the turnstiles, entering the subway, I noticed the little digital display read “No Tokens.” I must have read this about 1000 times before today. But for some reason, this morning, I decided to think about it for a minute. Why in the world does the MTA feel like they still have to inform riders that the turnstiles no longer accept tokens? People haven’t been able to use Tokens in the subway since 2003. Is the MTA afraid that someone is going to awake from a coma and try to get on the subway with a token, then sue when they can’t because they didn’t realize that tokens were no longer used?

Another observation/pet peeve, witnessed this morning, was the guy walking along in front of me chatting it up on his phone. With the “hands free” piece installed, he held the microphone portion right in front of his mouth. How long have cell phones been around now? Has that poor sap still not figured out that the mic on his hands-free wire will pick up noises on the other side of the street, let alone the words coming out of his mouth, if he lets it dangle (like it is designed to do) 6 inches from his face? Doesn’t he realize that by holding that thing against his bottom lip, he is not only muffling his words, but probably blowing out the eardrums of the person on the other end? Also, if you are going to go through the trouble of holding something next to your face, why use “hands free” at all? Doesn’t it kind of defeat the purpose?

Maybe I’m totally missing a key factor in both of these issues, that is preventing me from understanding the logic. Can someone explain it to me?

Earlier this week, I came across this quote by John Adams, in the book I’m currenty reading. It was taken from one of his writings contemplating the post British rule, state of the Colonies. He wrote:

We may please ourselves with the prospect of free and popular governments. But there is a great danger that those governments will not make us happy. God grant they may. But I fear that in every assembly, members will obtain an influence by noise, not sense. By meanness, not greatness. By ignorance, not leaning. By contracted hears, not large souls.

I could not agree more. But I really appreciate the fact that he has the character to follow up the above statement with this observation:

There must be decency and respect, and veneration introduced for persons of authority of every rank, or we are undone. In a popular government, this is our only way.

The second part is a lot more difficult to practice, even if you agree with it.  I will try to reflect on it, every time that I start to get annoyed about the guy in the governors mansion. The guy who nobody voted for, wearing jogging shorts, with his feet up on the desk.

I love the recent HSBC ads like the one above. I really like the way that these ads distill down the idea of subjectivity. I tend to get so wrapped up in my opinion, that sometimes I feel like there is no other way to see things. Maybe part of that is NYC rubbing off on me. Maybe it is just my “type A” personallity shining through. I have a tendency to tongue lash drivers who I don’t like, and public figures that irk me (Lil’ Wayne). But I have tried to force myself lately, to take the high road (or the low road, depending on where you stand, Ha!), and be sympathetic to the idea that there are 2 (or more) sides to everything. So, next time you hear me talking about how so-and-so is super lame, or about how such-and-such, is the crappiest thing ever, feel free to remind me that I am an HSBC customer, and that I’m trying to be more open minded.