5 Things To Do Right Now

1. Listen to Bruises by Train http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mil8F3qfLqk

Lucky for you I provided a nice little link. Listen to it, if you hate it I'm sorry you can't appreciate this great gift to mankind.

2. Get My Booky Wook by Russell Brand. If you're having a bad day, if you need a raunchy laugh, if you're feeling lonely or you're just struggling with an addiction in downtown London then this is the book for you. I just finished it and I have a newfound respect for that hilarious Brit.

3. Watch Will Ferrell's impression of James Lipton on SNL.  I can't get over him in these skits. If you watch this and don't crack a smile I have much sympathy for you and your recent Cardiectomy.

4. Eat Half Baked ice cream by Ben and Jerry's. It will make you want to lead a new life.

5. Do something brave. Maybe a Jillian Michael's workout? Not only does that take fearlessness but you just ate a ton of ice cream. You'll thank me later.

Or just end that bad habit. Or just make that phone call that's been nagging at you. Either way, do something you normally wouldn't do today.

Image:http://www.fantasticallyaverage.com/2012/12/sunday-social-random-about-me.html

A Middle School Mural

So you'll be glad to hear that I've discovered even more artists within the walls of my high school. In the hallways student art is displayed for all to see and admire, the art room if full of student work from past generations, so what struck me most about the work that I just recently uncovered was its location. I believe that whoever set up this gallery really had aesthetic and personal interests in mind, and that really reflects in their work. They wanted to not only represent themselves in their masterpiece but also the pieces of the puzzle that make up a population, so it comes as no surprise that they chose the bathroom stall as a place to display their true artistic abilities. I mean, this person could have easily joined the Poetry Club and made themselves known to the school through that collaboration. But no, you have to do something out of the ordinary to portray your writing and skills and insure that they are read and admired. So while I was in the bathroom stall taking care of personal business not only did I have something to read, but I had something to inspire me. Who was I to know all the "dum b!tches" in my school? How would I have known someone’s deepest darkest secret had it not been so beautifully displayed before me? I felt so comfortable with this artist that I could pee in their creative presence. Now I think that's just special. Most artists like to be recluses, cast-away's from society who soon forget about their audience. But no, this poet knew the ways to their reader's heart, and that is through their urinary tract. They wrote something so loud, that sound was not necessary for it to be heard. This Bathroom-Byron brought tears of joy and curiosity to my heart. Their not too perfect scrawl let me know that they were an every man who didn't need elegant cursive to display their true talents. This person didn't hide behind the mainstream use of a brush and canvas, but rather took that number 2 pencil and let the world know their opinions through the rustic appeal of the off-beige bathroom door. Now, I know what you're thinking--How can I too be a writer with such talents? Now the answer is simple. But as we all know when it comes to art, most things are easier said than done.
My recommendation for you is if you want your voice to be heard, take a public place where people feel their most awkward and insecure and scrawl your meaningful opinions for the world to see. Not only will they appreciate your hatred for that "freshman hoe" but they will be inspired to make their lives mean more than a trip to the bathroom stall.
So I thank you anonymous writer who made my trip to the John a life changing moment, you don't know just how much your words are life-changing. I just know that you will continue in your path to further inscribe my life, and many others with your not so erasable opinions.

Satisfaction Guaranteed

So the other day in my Economics class we briefly discussed guarantees. Why they're important, why we expect them, and how they help sales. By definition a guarantee is; a formal promise or assurance (typically in writing) that certain conditions will be fulfilled. This got me thinking; wouldn't it be nice if we could guarantee our own lives? Or at least put some kind of warranty on them? I don't know about you, but I greatly wish that any big decision that I make came with a 'Satisfaction Guaranteed' label on the outside of the box. I'd like to think that with any choice, there is something beneficial that I will get out of it, and that it won’t completely blow up in my face, dysfunction, or expire. It would be nice to know that everything I will do, guarantees a stable future, good lesson, or at least an interesting story. As I get older though it has come to my attention that a guarantee isn't something that can be bought, it simply can be implied. I can't guarantee that I'll like the movie that I see on a Friday night, or that I'll have fun on a blind date. All I can really do is hope for the best and realize that without a guarantee there is a risk.
I don't think that I've gotten very far with things that I knew were guaranteed. I can watch a movie I've already seen, and guarantee that I'll laugh or I could check out that new Indie blockbuster and risk falling asleep. I could stay in Colorado and guarantee that I will know and love people I'm around, or I can move far away and risk being lonely. While taking a chance is very scary, I've found that with a guarantee there is even more risk involved. I may laugh at the movie, but I risk learning a valuable life lesson from the Indie film I turned down. I may be comfortable in Colorado, but I'm also comfortable on the couch, and last time I checked, staying in one spot for too long can be detrimental. With every guarantee that I accept, the more comfortable I'll become and that to me is scarier than the unknown. We like what we know and what we have seen, but humans will always crave to learn more. While a familiar voice can be soothing, a new sound can be eye opening.
Now I of all people am a sucker for tradition and being close to what I know. But I'm also fearful of being stuck in a rut and looking back on my life knowing that I turned down something beautiful for something that was safe.  A concrete thought or promise is an amazing thing and everyone needs stability. Everyone.
But every person also needs to step out of their own cozy comfort zone and realize that not everything is solidified. This is the biggest lesson that I'm learning right now.
So uncertainty can be scary or even worse, boring. There will always be a lesson to be learned from taking a risk. I guarantee it.

The Big Blog Theory

As a senior now into my second semester, I've found that I have little to do but wait on colleges and  pretend to stress about mundane school work. While I'd like to tell you that I've been using that time to develop a cure for Osteoporosis and rescuing the endangered frogs of the Amazon, I've really been spending a lot of time catching up on my beloved sitcoms. Friends, How I Met Your Mother, anyone? And while many would argue that this time I've been using eating snacks and contributing to the corny  symphony that is the laugh-track is a waste of time, I've found that it has been a lot more than that. As somebody who has trouble sitting still, I find this hour I spend watching something light-hearted and witty, comforting and even therapeutic. I'm allowed to escape into a world where every joke is laughed at and every problem is solved within the span of 30 minutes. This is a world where a tight-knit group of friends never seem to abandon each other but support one another through what appear to be useless and unessential problems, yet at the end of the day are very relatable. I currently find myself asking "What would Sheldon or Barney say?" In daily life situations, or I find myself pondering how a sitcom writer would solve one of my problems. Would they have a new hot guest-star come in to be my new love interest? Would I be rejected by the college of my dreams only to find it was all meant to be in the end? Whatever they so choose I guarantee would be both entertaining and good for my character development as a whole. It is easy to say that I wish that my life was a sitcom. Now if I had my choice, my life would be a mixture of Frasier and Seinfeld. I would want the ruthless and yes, even bitchy wit of Frasier and Niles combined with the "nothing-ness that somehow becomes something" ideals of Seinfeld. I would want my life sitcom to be written by someone who was dry and clever and who also had a big heart. Someone who would care about the characters as much as I would. People I idolize and those who I despise would make one-episode appearances but the original cast would remain constant. The story would be both mind-blowing and something everyone could relate to. The story line would turn the mundane into the incredible and the sorrowful into the funny. I would want people to rush home to see it. Is that too much to ask out of my very own sitcom? Or maybe even out of my own life?

I think that it's easy to be afraid that our lives will only have 15 minutes of fame rather than a memorial of all the seasons posted on Netflix. We all want a life that we will remember, look back on, and have a video montage of our best moments with "Time of Our Lives" by Green Day playing in the background. Or is that just me? Something we are all looking for are ground-breaking moments and heart-felt lines that can keep us going to the next episode and even season. What we must realize is that a sitcom is not based on the set, the lines, or even the story-line. It is the characters who make the show. It's these roles who we want to see get married and be happy. We relate to them and they speak to all of us differently. So I think that it is important that we are all stars of our own sitcom. That even if there isn't an incredible guest-star or a ground breaking salary present we can continue in our own character's path. We can develop ourselves and create the set and audience that we wish to see. And while not every single one of our jokes will be laughed at or our problems last longer than half an hour, we can know that we are in the giant sitcom of life, and the people surrounding us are better than any studio audience.

Image: fanpop.com  From New Girl, her name is Jess and she is the star of her own show. I found it fitting.