I'm not sure why, but I find Easter simply and sweetly amusing, somehow (or I do now. When our kids were younger, there was lots more hustle and bustle, trying to make sure their outfits – which I often made for them – were just right, the E. Bunny myth was maintained, and baskets were perfectly and evenly filled…all before we hurried to church, trying to find a spot in the pews on one of the state occasion Sundays).

Last year, as well, I noticed a variety of sights and sounds that made me quietly smile. Here's what I saw this year:

A noisy, yet extremely orderly crowd of leather-and-stud-clad motorcyclists pulling away in a caravan from Easter breakfast at a nearby restaurant.

A wide-eyed Gerber baby in church whose bright, enthusiastic little face was almost an exact copy of the drawing of a baby that used to grace Gerber baby food products – and maybe still does.

That same little baby staring up at the choir loft as the music's crescendo built. Suddenly, at the peak volume, he broke into song himself, trying to join in and add his music to the music that was offered to him.

At the same time, a little girl, about 5, vigorously covered her ears, wishing for a quieter moment. She came to life, entranced, later in the service when a harp and the choir created the impression of a waterfall, somehow, in the rhythym and sounds of a much different piece of music.

Little girls in fancy dresses wanting, even more than they wanted to be "pretty," to treat the pews like jungle gyms. All dolled up, they were still squiggly, wiggly little kids.

"Give them a $20! Give them a $20," exclaimed one exuberant little boy to his dad, putting a price tag much higher on the church service than his father had.

A young girl with Down's Syndrome scrunching up her face in distaste at the experience of the communion wafer dipped in red wine. I smiled with her mother, sharing a moment of amusement at her honest reaction.  I also thought back to how our son once kiddingly suggested that communion wafers should be chocolate-coated.

Thinking early in the Easter service as I listened to the music that we never clap in appreciation for the performance in church, yet we should, like we do everywhere else. And what happened soon after? One of the main celebrants seemingly answered that silent thought, and asked us clap for all the effort of so many that had been expended to provide these beautiful Easter Sunday performances.

Perhaps you noticed these types of moments today, or some other recent day, as well.

They're the simple moments of sweet or amusing contrasts that people-watching almost always presents.

Our son, a high school junior, returned home after school yesterday – a Monday – randomly singing the U2 song, "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," as he walked in the door.

I was surprised. First, he doesn't sing much, that I know of.

And that particular song? Never, that I know of.

So I wondered what had motivated his spontaneous song, and on this particular day. He is in the back half (well, back quarter, by now) of the high-pressure, all-important, getting-near-the-finish-line-for-college-applications junior year.

All grades need to be good (or great), all trend lines positive, all intentions clear. Goals in sight. Better yet, achievement of goals in hand.

Or so it is said.

My instant reaction to his musical interlude, for a variety of reasons, was to be amused. And to laugh.

THAT, it turns out, may be what he was looking for, in this moment, on this Monday. "Positive provocation," getting me to laugh, and also, to think, may have been his goal. 

If so, it worked.

"Many people never DO find 'what they're looking for!'" I added that thought, randomly, still letting the ideas bounce around. He knew what I meant. "I should check with my dad. It's possible it's the theme song at the retirement community where he lives," I added, a bit wryly. I don't really mean that. And yet…

One can get busy on a path, and find out, well, that what they found wasn't "it" at all, for them.

It's like a quote someone shared on Twitter yesterday:

Many climb the ladder of success only to discover it was leaning against the wrong wall.
Lao-Tsu

Have you found what you're looking for?

If so, how did you find what was right for you? 

Was it a straight path? Circuitous? Serendipitous? Or a combination of all three?

And as many of us experience during our lives and careers, it is possible to find oneself searching again when industries change, or the demand for one product or service shifts to a different one or disappears altogether.

Below, here are a few ideas we suggested to Matt about how to find what he is looking for in a career path, starting with a summer internship, and then choosing a college major.

1. What do you like to learn about?
2. Whom do you admire? Why? What do they do?
3. When you hear stories about people's work, which jobs sound most interesting?
4. When you imagine your ideal job, what types of people are you working with?
5. When you imagine being in your ideal job, what types of problems are you solving? How? For whom?
6. What are your favorite ways to spend your free time?
7. When someone asks you to help them, and your answer to their request is an enthusiastic, "Yes!" (that sometimes happens, doesn't it?) what have they asked you to help them do? Is it research, setting something up, creating something, fixing something, organizing information or things or people to get something done?
8. What are your favorite classes in school?
9. What types of people do you most like to work with? Are they gregarious, crowd-gathering, crowd-entertaining types? Or are they quieter, perhaps people who like to research, create, write or problem-solve? Or are they, like many people are, somewhere in between?
10. What types of people do you not like to work with? While you will be working with all types of people in whatever job you have, you may work with more, or fewer of the people you find most difficult to understand, work with, or motivate, depending on the job you have.

What ideas would you add to the path-finding list?