Whenever I witness my husband staring at the ceiling, investigating hinges or observing the mechanics of something, I know immediately what’s going on. He’s being curious and getting inspired. As an engineer he’s totally fascinated by “how things work”.
Staring up at the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco one spring evening, thinking “what a beautiful sunset, how romantic this is to be sharing such a moment with my sweetheart” I turned to look lovingly into his eyes and found him gazing at the bridge with intensity. Sure enough, he was observing the structure, the design, the rivets, the whatever-they-are-called-bits-and-pieces making up the bridge. With intensity. Deep intensity. He was marvelling at man’s ingenuity while I was marvelling at the sunset. Hey ho. The good news is that I know him well enough not to take it personally. He wasn’t so much missing the romance of the moment as being in deep appreciation for what’s inspiring in his world. Sunsets for me, bridges for him.
And that brings me to this little gem. Nominated for an Academy Award in 2012, this six-minute animated short had me smiling and feeling inspired on a dull, rainy English day. I have a list of inspirational things for days such as these – photos, videos, songs – a veritable play list to banish the blues and lift my spirits.