The Search for Whimsy

Book Club by Karin Jurick

I put sprinkles in my coffee yesterday. I don't know how to froth milk, so I was worried I'd pour the sprinkles in and they would just sink to the bottom, but instead I had tiny pink hearts floating in my lukewarm coffee. Sprinkles, unless you are a psychopath or addicted to corn starch, do not actually taste that good. No one eats sprinkles plain, unless they are the sugar crystal kind. But the point of sprinkles is not to taste good. It is to make food fun. The purpose of sprinkles is entirely based on increasing the joy of eating food. Sprinkles do not restore room-temperature, almost-black coffee to the vanilla latte I wish it could be. They do, however, make the lukewarm coffee worth drinking.

We live in a busy, overwhelming world. A world which is, at best, a crumbling shadow of what it once was, and at worst, an actual burning hellscape. The world is filled with wars, pain, disease, hunger, death, grief, and loss. But the world is also filled with metaphorical sprinkles. In our broken world, there are still little ounces of joy around every corner. 

It is very easy to be a pessimist in this world. There are plenty of things to be upset about, plenty of things to be disappointed about, and plenty to be angry about. There is reason to give up, to hate, and to shelter oneself alone in a dark cave. But I do not think that is a fulfilling life. To intentionally shut out all light and instead see the world only for its faults is understandable, but not worthwhile. To become so caught up in hating the world robs you of any ability to help the world, and if you do not help, you are only increasing your own misery. 

I think what we are seeing now is hunger for whimsy. People are starving for joy, for happiness, for humor. It is not an attempt to ignore the horrors of the world, but a need to fuel oneself with something sustaining, and happiness is more sustaining than hate. It’s why cat videos have been a constant internet trend since the internet was born. It’s why comedy and art will never die, even if people say it’s insensitive or unnecessary. It’s why sprinkles are still available in grocery stores, even though they add no nutritional value or flavor. People want whimsy, and I think it is easier to find than we might believe. 

Your clothes, for one. Not that you need to buy more clothes, just that you maybe should stop wearing all black. I love the colors pink and yellow, but I don’t think I look good in them. Instead, I find other ways to spark joy with my outfits. I accessorize with jewelry from my grandma and my favorite purse, which I got at a garage sale. I wear cowgirl boots as often as possible. I put glitter in my hair and on my eyelids. I use sparkly lip gloss and draw stars on my nail polish. I’m not saying you have to do all of this, but I am saying that the way you dress yourself provides opportunities to spark you in yourself and others. 

What about your home? I know we live in a sad beige epidemic, but my room is pink. I have photos and flowers everywhere, and stuffed animals and paper chains for decor. Again, not that you are required to replicate this, but decorating your home in ways that bring joy could benefit everyone who steps inside. 

In a world where we seek whimsy, it’s very possible for us to also BE whimsy. We have the capability to use our clothing, homes, internet presence, and smiles as sources of joy, not of hate. We can be lights to the world, and sprinkles to coffee. C.S. Lewis wrote about the extravagance of trying to single-handedly change the whole world, and how it’s much more feasible to simply change yourself. Even if you cannot make the whole world a latte, you can at least make your corner of the black coffee pink.