Looking at my list, I realise I may not be as unpredictable as I imagined, but I am consistent.
From sleep to clean sheets, Sonja Brown’s favourite things revealed a personality built around small moments of joy and quiet triumph. Picture: iStock
I recently realised that I am apparently more predictable when someone recently asked me to name 10 things I truly love. Not “like”, not “don’t mind”, but love.
A simple enough list, I thought. I sat down confidently, pen in hand, ready to reveal myself as a complex, mysterious individual. Well, I surprised myself – and not in the way I’d hoped.
Number one: sleep. Not ambition, not success, not even family. Sleep. Deep, uninterrupted, drool-on-the-pillow sleep. The kind where you wake up confused about the year. A strong start, I felt.
Number two: food that someone else made. Not just food, but effortless food. The kind that appears without you having to Google “how long does chicken take to cook before it becomes a health hazard?”
Number three: cancelling plans. Not making them, cancelling them. That sweet, unexpected message: “Hey, can we reschedule?” Yes. Yes, we can. In fact, we can reschedule indefinitely.
By this point, I realised my list was less “aspirational human being” and more “tired creature avoiding interaction”.
Number four: finding money in a pocket. It doesn’t matter if it’s R5 or R50. Suddenly, I’m a financial genius who clearly manages wealth with hidden brilliance.
Number five: several green traffic lights in a row. There is no greater sense of power. For a brief moment, I believe the universe and I are in perfect alignment.
Number six: the first sip of coffee. The one that convinces you that maybe, just maybe, you can face the day without hissing at strangers.
Number seven: taking off tight clothes at the end of the day. Shoes, belts, anything with a waistband that has silently irked me since breakfast.
Number eight: laughing at something completely inappropriate at the worst possible time. There’s a rebellious joy in it. A quiet reminder that self-control is, at best, a suggestion.
Number nine: clean sheets. I don’t know who I become in clean sheets, but she has her life together. She drinks water, replies to e-mails and probably owns matching Tupperware.
And finally, number 10: doing absolutely nothing and not feeling guilty about it. This one felt profound, almost philosophical. Or possibly just lazy. There’s a fine line.
Looking at my list, I realised something important. I may not be as unpredictable as I imagined, but I am consistent.
Comfort, small joys and moments of quiet triumph … these are my great loves.
And, honestly? I’m not even a little disappointed.
