And here we are now. Sometimes on a craptastic day the only thing that makes us feel better is a Diet Coke. Or a bag of chips. Or a pretty poem.
But usually just the right ditty can do the trick.
We're growing up. We're living. We're learning. We're doing all the stuff that makes up cliches and movie climaxes and purple passages in chick lit novels and reality TV.
Soak it in, soak it in. This is us.
*j
5 comments:
This called:
Stop and Smell the Love
May 5th 2008
It has struck me a lot of times over this past year or so in the “real world” that there are a lot for things I do not understand about people in general and society as a whole, and there has been a lot of things that have made me question the direction of mankind. I feel like I have my head screwed on straight when it comes to humanity and the general goodness of people, but unfortunately I feel like I very frequently (like way more often then I like to), have to reassure myself that all people have good in them. Also that getting worked up over other people’s poor decisions, that actually have not much to do with me, is stupid and pointless.
I do have a very strong tendency to wear my heart on my sleeve and my emotions love to hang out on the tip of my tongue, which in lots of situations, are not very good places for those things to be. I have always always been this way even before I could talk I have been this way which is genuine and true and sometimes it comes in handy. But unfortunately for me I have also always been very strong minded, opinionated, and overly concerned about the way other people act, eat, dress, work, live, and love. And ever since I could talk, I have tried to subdue my aggressive want to speak out on such things, though I’m still do have much success in this area of control. As I get older the petty things like style, fashion, weight, attractiveness, athletic ability have started to become less important to me (as the should be), but I still get very upset and worked up about the big stuff like work ethic, honesty or lack there of, parenting, education, racism, sexism and overall unnecessary mistreatment of anything.
So many days I feel bogged down by the morons of this city and so many days I feel irritated (more than regular people) with the robotic ways of disengaged people. So many days I have to remind myself over and over that people are good and that it is all going to be ok. So many days this battle in my head goes on but not today, and that is where I come to my point (finally)…
TODAY I AM HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE!!!! Two, not one, but two random strangers, that were not myself, have reminded me that people are good. They always have been and always will be!
The first of these two stories happened as I sat outside on this wonderful day reading my book during my lunch hour. A man walking up tight with his business buddies, he was middle aged and wearing a very handsome suit. He stopped in mid conversation, took out his iphone, and took a picture of all the beautiful tulips that were, marvelously out, in full bloom. His friends laughed at him, and he said with a smile, “What?? They are pretty and my wife loves tulips!”. So it turns out those phone/mini machines are good for something after all!
The second person to remind me was also a man, a little bit older, maybe 50 but he was by himself. He stopped not knowing anyone was watching him, and he hung about oddly as if he were going to do something terrible (like steal the purses of the ladies next to me). He moved slow and weird with a strange look on his face, then he inched around paused to see if anyone was watching him and touched one of the tulips. Then he caught my eye, turns out someone was watching him, and made an embarrassed silly face. He didn’t take the tulip which made me laugh, but just the fact that he was deliberating so hard over weather taking one of those gorgeous flowers would be right or wrong proved to me people are good. And that the beauty of nature compels us all to feel the love that is always floating about around us. I wish I would have said, “I won’t tell take it, give it to her or keep it for yourself…I promise I won’t tell” but even though I didn’t speak up fast enough, I was happy that he wanted to take a flower and even though it would not have bothered me, I was happy he decided that it would not be right.
How cute…but for all the people who don’t know me all that well, sometimes when there are 50 ba-jillion-million flowers that the city paid for, it is ok to take one or twelve, but only if you counteract your guilt by making someone else smile.**
** I do not condone stealing in any way… well with the exception to, flower picking, dance moves, your mom’s things, your best friend’s lip gloss, and monopoly money (only if you have landed on boardwalk more than once in one game, and if whoever you are playing with was stupid enough to let you be banker)!!!
That was the essay I wrote for a women in business essay contest I am in with a couple of girls here at work. Will you check it...I have already found more mistakes and I know you two will find them all! This is nothing serious just for fun, and a 50 bucks! Ten of us threw in and I want to win!! Help me!!
hs
Hales - I love this story. Love it. You have such a voice, darling. You really do. Much more than you give yourself credit for, at least in writing. What I'm trying to say is, if you had a blog, I would read it each and every day. Below is my edit, though it didn't need one...
Stop and Smell the Love
May 5th 2008
It has struck me many times while living in the “real world” this past year that there are a great many things I do not understand about people. In fact, I have observed many things that have made me question the very core of mankind. I feel that I have my head screwed on straight when it comes to humanity and the general goodness of people. Yet more times than I’d like to admit during this past year I have had to stop to reassure myself that all people have good in them.
I have a very strong tendency to wear my heart on my sleeve. My emotions love to hang out right on the tip of my tongue, which in many situations are not very good places for them to be. I have always, always been this way. Even before I could talk I have been this way, a way that is at once genuine and true and also can come in very handy at times. Paired with this outspoken part of me, I have also always been strong-minded, opinionated and overly concerned with the way other people act, eat, dress, work, live, and love. It can be a truthful combination but also a lethal one.
Ever since I could talk, I have tried to subdue my aggressive desire to speak out about such things, and I find that I do have much success in this area of control. As I get older, the petty things like style, fashion, weight, attractiveness, and athletic ability have started to become less important to me (as they should be). However, I still get very upset and worked up about the big stuff, such as work ethic, honesty (or lack there of), parenting, education, racism, sexism, and overall unnecessary mistreatment of anything.
On so many days I feel bogged down by the morons of this city and on so many days I feel irritated (more than regular people) with the robotic ways of disengaged people. On so many days I have to remind myself over and over that people are good and that it is all going to be okay. On so many days this battle in my head goes on, but not today. And that is where I come to my point (finally)…
TODAY, I AM HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE!!!! Two – not one, but two random strangers, who were not me, have reminded me that people are good. They always have been and always will be!
The first of these two stories happened as I sat outside on this wonderful day reading my book during my lunch hour. A man was walking up tightly with his business buddies. He was middle aged and wearing a very handsome suit. He stopped in mid conversation, took out his iphone and took a picture of all the beautiful tulips that were, marvelously, out in full bloom. His friends laughed at him and he said with a smile, “What? They are pretty and my wife loves tulips!” And so, it turns out that those phone/mini machines are good for something after all!
The second person to remind me that good exists all around us was also a man, a little bit older (in his fifties probably), but he was walking by himself. He stopped, not knowing anyone was watching him, and he hung about oddly as if he were going to do something terrible (like steal the purses of the ladies sitting beside me). He moved slowly and weirdly with a strange look on his face. Then he inched around, paused to see if anyone was watching him and touched one of the tulips. Then he caught my eye – turns out someone was watching him! – and made an embarrassed, silly face.
He didn’t take the tulip, which made me laugh, but just the fact that he was deliberating so hard over whether taking one of those gorgeous flowers would be right or wrong proved to me people are good, and that the beauty of nature compels us all to feel the love that is always floating around us. I wish I would have said, “I won’t tell. Take it, give it to her or keep it for yourself… I promise I won’t tell.” But even though I didn’t speak up quickly enough, I was happy that he wanted to take a flower. And even though it would not have bothered me, I was happy he decided that it would not be right.
How cute. But for all the people who don’t know me all that well, sometimes when there are 50 ba-jillion-million flowers that the city paid for, it is okay to take one or twelve… But only if you counteract your guilt by making someone else smile.*
*I do not condone stealing in any way! Well, with the exception to: flower picking, dance moves, your mom’s things, your best friend’s lip gloss, and monopoly money (only if you have landed on boardwalk more than once in one game, and if whoever you are playing with was stupid enough to let you be banker)!!!
You are so fabulousooo, HA and you know the rules of writting. Which are things I don't really think i ever knew, well maybe when I was in Mrs. Esnard's class!
THANKS!!!
Lost my phone couldn't txt back becasue i never found it
No problemo! ;)
Ugh, I hate when that happens. I lost my camera this weekend, double ugh. Well, you must come ova another time, my sweets. And let me know when you're moving!!
xoxx
*j
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