Who Has A "Zest for Life?"

I have heard the phrase before, "zest for life," but the other day I was told that I have it.  A rider commented on the my app, " I love your zest for life." I'm pretty sure she was a professor who I did make laugh a lot during the ride.  I've never had someone say that about me, maybe it is accurate.  It got me thinking about what it really is and who do I consider to have a "zest for life."

I checked the internet of course for a definition and I found, "a feeling of enjoyment and enthusiasm for life."   A broader explanation was, "they are full of life; filled with anticipation in looking beyond the next horizon; filled with enthusiasm as they extend their warmth and compassion to everyone they meet; or bubbling over with humor as they meet both the hills and valleys of life headlong. These are people who never see a roadblock but only a solution; these are people who will give their services to others before thinking of their own needs; these are people who you love to be around because it's impossible to stay moody and blue in their presence."

I'm too modest to say I fit perfectly to that description, but I can see that I may be considered to be in the ballpark.  When I'm driving and picking up people,  I am enthusiastically interested in who they are and what they've done.  I never know what great story or comment I'll hear or will this ride be one of my favorite rides? Also, one of the reasons Monday is my favorite day of the week is that I can focus on the week ahead and not what happened last week or on the weekend.

These are a  couple people I've come in contact with who I think have a "zest for life."  In one of the hospitals there is a guy I always see walking in the hallways whistling.  You can't help but notice it and although I've never said more than a few words to him, I have a strong feeling he is very optimistic about life.  In another hospital is a guy who volunteers and is in a wheelchair.  I don't know his story, but he always has a big smile on his face and says hello to me.  He's someone you can tell is fun to be around.  Earlier this year I had a passenger who had recovered from a very serious car accident in high school and he works as a greeter in a store and he considered himself, "an attitude adjuster."  When I dropped him off at a breakfast place that hadn't opened yet, he stood at the door clowning around by flapping his arms like a bird to the person walking towards the door.  He was a real joy to talk with him.

As the above quote says, "there are people who you love to be around."  Imagine a world where everyone had a goal to be one of those people! So, who do you know who has a "zest for life?"