Tuesday, January 19, 2016

And this is my... 18th post

So being done with this blog merits one of my happy reasons. Its been fun writing these posts and has given me an insight at to what I value most in my life. I hope this has given you ideas on things that too, will make you smile.

xoxo
Reason #12-  Carlos

Okay, so there is this little boy I met once named Carlos and he is my spirit animal.  Carlos is from Haiti and his family moved to the middle of nowhere, hick town in Quebec for some unknown reason last summer.  Carlos came not knowing a drop of French or English and despite our best efforts Carlos just refused to learn.

He was a child in the summer camp I worked at and was 11 years old. That kid did what ever he wanted.  He climbed on everything, took what he wanted, stole the other kids food and danced around all day.  Clothes were optional to Carlos as well.  With the language barrier, Carlos didn't have to listen to anybody, and pretended he didn't know hand signals at all.  He was completely free. 

Sometimes, the other kids would say mean things about Carlos, but he was completely immune to them with his inability to understand French.  He didn't conform, he did whatever he pleased.  And there was absolutely no body to stop him.

I'm sure by now, Carlos is learning French and living in a more "Appropriate" way. But Carlos made me happy by showing me how "animal" we really are without words and communication and how content he was just doing his own thing.  I wonder about him sometime and wonder if by next summer he is still throwing dirt at the other leaders. 
Reason #11- Pugs

I freaking LOVE pugs. Oh my god. I love them. I have never really been much of a dog person honestly. But pugs are my drugs.  I always found dogs to smell bad, and bark at all the wrong times and bathing and walking them always seemed more like a chore to me. The one exception is when there is a pug involved.

When I was 9 years old my neighbors from somewhere in the states were going back to somewhere in the states for a couple weeks, and left a note in our mailbox asking me to watch their pug "Baconater" for that time. They also attached a key. 

My parents were slightly horrified that people we barely knew asked a child to watch their dog and gave her a key but I did it anyways (and to my annoyance my parents came with me).  I must have spent two hours a day walking and playing with little Baconater completely in love the entire time. The neighbors moved away the year after that and I never saw him again.  To this day, though, all I want is a pug of my own. With their stubby little body's and old men faces.  I don't think I would name him Baconater however and trust him in the care of a nine year old I only met at block parties, because I would take him with me everywhere I'd go.  

Reason #10:  Skiing

I absolutely love to ski. And I've only been twice, but it doesn't change anything.  My entire childhood, I'd watch as my friends left for a weekend up to mount Washington and just was seething in jealousy. Sure, my mom having replaced hips was a fair enough reason for me never to go, but still I silently wished every winter for my chance. 

So, last year I went up to Whistler with a big group of my cousins. We stayed in a little town house which fit the 9 of us perfectly.  I finally got to ski. My entire first day was spent on the bunny hill, riding the "magic carpet" up to the top each and every time.  I never fell, not because I didn't try, but because I actually didn't suck as much as every body else.

We were there for another day, where I finally went up to the green and blue runs. Oh my god, that was way more fun.  Besides loosing my deaf cousin once, the day went off without a glitch ending with a delicious cup of coffee and whipped cream.  It makes me wonder a little though, if I had started skiing at age 5, maybe I'd be an Olympian.
Reason #9  The ugliest blue crop top ever

So at my work, we have a clothing piece that is by far the most hideous thing any of us have ever ever seen.  It is a blue plaid shirt, cropped so it stops right above the belly button. Nobody I know would ever wear that. 

The first time I saw the shirt, I thought some idiot had come along with scissors and snipped half the thing off. I was shocked to realize that an actual designer would create that. 

We have a little game at work called the surprise shirt. Every so often, one of my co-workers will hide the shirt around to a mysterious place and who ever finds in bursts out laughing.  I honestly can't even deal with customers when I see it.  It makes coming to work so much more enjoyable.  We also have a little competition on who ever can sell the ugliest little blue crop top ever wins two dozen subway cookies. The other day, my coworkers made me try it on and walk around the entire store. I'm 90% sure now I know what I'm getting for my birthday.
Reason #8

Fear

Ok.

I know what you're thinking now. Yes, somethings on this blog don't sound the happiest but this one must cross some sort of a line. Fear? Being one of my 20 happy things. Please, just give me 300 words to explain.

Fear is one of lifes most necessary feelings.  Without it, our ancestors would have been eaten alive by bears or fallen off of cliffs.  Fear today is still one of our most vital emotions, without it, we wouldn't have been able to survive bears and lions and things like being afraid of people who had spots all over them.

Today, we don't need feel for all those things but it is still programed within us.  The world can now market "fear" as an experience of positivity.  We pay to ride scary rides, go in haunted houses and watch horror films. By far, one of my favorite experiences is where your so scared your stomach rises to your throat, your heart pumps and brain turns foggy. But then, theres that moment when on that roller coaster your screaming turns to laughter and your left after that scary movie going "wow that was good".

It's an emotion that reminds us we are alive and vulnerable and that's something to be happy about.

Friday, December 18, 2015

Reason #7

Christmas

Oh, Christmas.  The time of year marked by stores from the day after Halloween until boxing day gimmicks start on the 26th.  Where we all pretend to care about cheer and spirit, and spend paychecks on things people don't really need or want, but will be offended if they don't get. 

Christmas.

As cynical as this sounds, the Christmas season is the greatest time of year. I mean, most people get at least a day off from work, two weeks off of school and the excuse to indulge in deserts wearing fluffy sweaters.  There's nothing quite like sitting by the fire with the glow of the Christmas tree shimmering behind you.  Then there's the ice skating, sugar cookies and those damn mandarin oranges, always the sweetest near the 24th.

I feel that in order to really enjoy Christmas, you need to expect nothing.  Don't except snow flakes falling while your boyfriend proposes, or a new Xbox or phone.  All you really should search for from Christmas is a little bit of love, and joy from people that you genuinely like. Those who set Christmas up to look like a Sears post card will undoubtedly be disappointed.


There's also nothing happier than Christmas movies, the best by far being "Elf".  I feel a personal connection to "Buddy", constantly having your spirit compromised by life's pessimists. Christmas gives us all a little bit of an excise to act like Buddy, to show that we are really just children forced to grow older. We all feel a little excitement in the crinkling of wrapping paper, or seeing an old friend.

So Christmas, take what you want from it.  However, its hard not to find a parcel of happiness tucked into a fold in its shiny red bow .