photo by Linda Hoffman Kimball

We are starting new quarterly themes on the blog. This October-December we will be featuring pieces by several of our staffers on Passions. Do you have something to share on the topic ? Submit a guest post and maybe we can share your passions too.

In anticipation of our theme I wrote out in stream of consciousness fashion what first comes to my mind when I think of the broad concept of “passion.”

Here are my results:

Passion is when I crave something – crave to be involved with it, consume it, handle it, watch it, learn from it, get lost in it, become more fully human and more thoroughly eternal through it, and/or think differently because of it.

When I am passionate about something my voice may rise in giddiness or exhilaration. Or it may deepen in a primal protectiveness (“Don’t mess with me, I know what I’m talking about regarding this”). It can become a low, rumbling, imperative growl (channeling Aslan.) (Or Katy Perry).

Passion about something moves me to sacrifice time, attention, energy and often money.

Sometimes I will set aside something I’m passionate about because I know I will feel consumed by it. Also, I know that once I’m caught in it, transitioning into anything else will be excruciating.

Passions can enliven and generate many good things to enhance life and the welfare of the world around us. (Obviously one kind of passion can actually generate life itself.)

Ideally, passions are gifts and evidence of someone engaged with capital L Life. Pursuing ones passions can boot us out of idleness and torpor (when brain chemistry allows) and into a robust relationship with life, one that is “filled with love.”

If we let them, passions can also have a dark side. Strong drives used at inappropriate times or toward destructive ends are abuses of any passion. Some passions when unbridled (to borrow a phrase from Alma 38:12) can be toxic and sometimes morph into addictions that will ruin many good things, damaging life and the world around us.

Then I came up with a list of specific things – from the sublime to the ridiculous – answering the question: “What am I passionate about?”, again in whatever order they occurred to me.

Here goes:

Fabric & handwork
Paper – particularly handmade and art papers
Words in their many guises: reading them, writing them, hearing them
Family History & Genealogy
Travel
Art – making it; appreciating it
My family
Humor
My friendships
Music of many varieties
Dark chocolate
Scripture studies
Dogs
Mormon studies
My relationship with Deity
Red Rock country/Nature/Light
Hot oatmeal with fresh fruit
Curiosity: a continual quest for further light and knowledge
Murder mysteries
Peaceful evenings chillin’ with my husband
Not having to be in charge of so many things anymore

Reading this list is illuminating for me. And embarrassing. Mostly I will blame the nature of stream of consciousness. My relationship with Deity is so obvious that I didn’t even add that until somewhere down the list! But wouldn’t I have looked like a Polly Perfect if all the churchy ones were the first ones out of my brain?

One thing I notice is that I don’t list any sports or fitness entries. I love my Jazzercise, but I’m not passionate about physical activity like many friends are.

Nor do I list any noble causes – like cancer research or peace initiatives. We do, in fact, contribute to several worthy organizations and were we currently mailing our charitable contribution checks, I’m sure they’d be more top of mind.

I claim my right to adjust this list in the future. This is not the same list I would have written ten years ago. For me the empty nest is a terrific stage of life. At the moment, according to reports from their various ports, my offspring and their families are all thriving. Previous lists might have included deaf rights, mental health research, nativity sets, Ireland and African animals.

Anyone reading my list without knowing me would likely be able to good guess about my stage of life and demographic. If each of your family members listed their passions would you be able to identify them without attributed names? Feel free to try it at your next Family Night and report back.

What happens when I replace one of the broad concepts of what passion means to me with one of my specifics? For example, can I stand by this sentence?

“Ideally, murder mysteries are gifts and evidence of someone engaged with capital L Life.”

Or how about this:

I crave to be involved with hot oatmeal with fresh fruit – consume it, handle it, watch it, learn from it, get lost in it, become more fully human and more thoroughly eternal through it, and/or think differently because of it.

Yes, I can make a case for both of those sentences still being true!

How would you define passion in broad and specific terms?