We should all just relax man. We should all just be listening to Regina Spektor and hanging out doing nothing with old, comfortable friends, you know the kind of friends who are so familiar and warm, and smell the way you remember, like a worn-out faded red t-shirt that used to be your dad’s, but you stole it, and you’ve been sleeping in it for three years now and it just smells right.
And we should be watching episodes of Parks and Recreation because it is a funny show, and it almost never makes you sad, or feel like crying or anything too intense at all. It’s just funny, and nice.
We should all be taking baths too, long ones. Where did it come from that baths are gross? People always tell me, I don’t get why you like to take baths you weirdo, you’re just marinating in a vat of your own disgusting fluids or whatever. And I’m like, I don’t know about you, but I’m a pretty clean person, I shower A LOT and I am just generally pretty hygienic, so my baths aren’t really gross. And honestly, just embrace it, you only live once, and if you live your whole life too afraid to even take a frigging bath, then it must just be sad to be you. Me, I know, I freak people out because I don’t wear shower shoes at college and I believe you can eat things off the floor, generally, and you should wash your hands for sure, but don’t be whipping out that anti-bacterial crap all the time because germs are good for you, germs give you a frigging awesome immune system, which I happen to have. I know that kind of approach to living isn’t really okay with everyone, and that’s fine, but take a bath for goodness’ sakes, you’ll feel better. Even better use a LUSH bath bomb when you do it, and light some candles too, like maybe one that smells like honeysuckle, or the ocean, and you’ll never be the same again.
I also think we should all just invest in a good memory foam mattress topper, because that will also change your life, and keep your feet clean and manicured, because nothing feels as good as clean, nice-smelling, soft, pretty feet. We should also all be drinking chamomile tea, because it’s good for the body and the mind.
We should try to challenge ourselves, even in simple ways. One of the simpler ways that I’m challenging myself right now is I’m reading The Book Thief which is written much differently than the things I usually read and the things I usually write, and it really is making me think about language in an entirely different way. And so I’m attempting to write things the way this guy writes things and it’s hard but it’s fun and it’s making me better I think, which is good, because you should always try to be better at everything but especially at the thing you’re best at.
We shouldn’t be afraid to spend time wasting time either, as long as it’s wasting time with friends. For example last night I went to Friendly’s with two old friends which isn’t a waste of time, but then one of them showed me for the first time ever how to grow caterpillars out of straw-wrappers and so then we drove around looking for a place that sold individually-wrapped straws and finally we ended up at McDonald’s where I shoved fistfuls, literally, fistfuls, of straws into my purse and then we got out of there and we spent the rest of the night sitting around a kitchen table drinking tea and making straw-wrapper caterpillars. And it was stupid, really, but it was important. And sometimes, even more important, is just to sit, and talk to people. Make time to talk, even if you could be doing something more "exciting" or "productive". In the end, the time invested just talking to other people is more worthwhile, even if it's talking about pointless things or shallow things. It’s important to waste time with friends, sometimes.
Also, don’t spend too much time thinking about pretty boys, or pretty girls, or being sad because that one pretty person you spend all your time thinking about doesn’t think you’re that pretty in return. I know how it is, to feel this silly, yet painful sadness, deep sadness because the person you’ve found this aching, desperate beauty and need in, doesn’t seem to have discovered that same beauty in you. But I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, if only because I myself need to hear it once more. You’re you, and being you, becoming you, and finding happiness in that singularity is good, and exciting, and an opportunity that you should take every advantage of. I truly believe that. If you allow yourself the time to become, others will see that, they will be attracted to that, to your individuality, to your strength, to the beauty that is inherent in a steadfast and defined sense of self. It’s beautiful and be grateful for it.
This isn’t supposed to be a list of New Year’s Resolutions, although we are still reigning in the New Year. It’s really just some suggestions from me to you, and if you add spending an extended amount of time patting a dog, riding a Subway though it might not be clean, but is filled with lots of different people from lots of different places, shopping at thrift stores in a (successful) attempt to find treasure in another man’s junk, and maybe, if possible, playing with some children, even if just for a little while, you have my vacation in a nutshell, and not a bad philosophy for living either. Just some suggestions.
Happy Two-Thousand-Twelve everyone. Happy, Happy, Happy.
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