Orange

Orange is my favourite colour.

I don’t reckon that’ll come as much of a surprise to most (see below - the image Jake sent to me last Tuesday), but it’s true all the same.

It all started almost by accident. When I was a wee whippersnapper, my Grandma asked me colour plastic cups I preferenced for some squash (cordial). I didn’t give it much thought and said orange - perhaps because it was the first cup I saw, or some whimsical persuasion in that instant.

I wasn’t convinced orange really was my favourite and contemplated this extensively at the time. Sure enough, I was awarded the orange cup on every visit from then until I was entrusted with glass.

It became so familiar that orange became my actual favourite colour, or perhaps, I realised deep down it always was; I’m not quite sure which way round.

If I were pushed to think about it any deeper, I’d say that for me, orange represents warmth, Valencia, vibrancy, and familiarity.

It is well documents that humans are creatures of familiarity and habits - and I’d wager that at some point most find themselves to desire, get drawn to, are magnetised by or at least succumb to the comforting embrace of a good ol’ routine. This, by all means, is no bad thing.

For me, over the past little while, this has looked like a Thursday morning run w/ Andrew, T, et al, doing the Sat quiz with Alex Llewy and Sim at sugar dough, getting a coffee with Mooch on a Friday morning at work and for the last 6 years, a trip to Tasmania around Christmas time.

I enjoy thoroughly all of these things and they ordered neatly in the bounds of my little happy place and comfort zone.

**Anyway, I was deep into writing, getting lost in the whole ‘leaving ones comfort zones’ yadda yadda, editing it on my flight out of Melbourne, full of emotions and Amex lounge booze (thanks, Rohan&Laura!). I got a bit lost in it so started perusing (which is one of my favourite words to say) the inflight entertainment which to my delight included the hobbit films.

As I mentioned before, I’m a recent first time reader of The Hobbit (due to Seam’s insistence) and so tapped ‘play’ on screen.

The more I watched, the more my mind was blown by the evident parallels to my starting a journey waffle. It hit me how very classic the whole thing is ~~ leaving the comfort zone, embarking on an adventure etc. far from reinventing the wheel.

I won’t bore you with my journey realisation ramblings- as Gwill would say: “you gotta keep it moving”. But I did realise the word ‘hobbit’ isn’t too far from ‘habit’.

I had a truly top tier time in Tassie last week with Emma and Ali. We did all the things I love is Tas with people I’m incredibly familiar, comfortable and happy with: Bridport dog beach sunset, Binalong Bay body surfing, mt Amos climb, New Syd pub in Hobart, listened to lovely Bill on the drives and many Banjos pies to name but a few.

For now, though, I’ve just landed in New York – a city I’ve never been to – and it’s 31 degrees colder than when I left Melbourne…Time to vacate the comfort zone.

---

I’ll leave you with a Poem (because orange is so famously good for rhyming!):

Comfort of amber skies,

laughter lingers, soft goodbyes,

Lager honey, a treasured glow,

wrapped in warmth as I to go.

Bittersweet, into unknown shade,

friends and memories softly trade,

After all the horizon and day dreaming,

To part where hearts still gently gleaming.