I have to say I admire people who are so definitive in who they are and the choices they make, that they are able to use words like 'never' and phrases like 'that's just me, I'm never gonna change'. There is something that is probably very refreshing being so set in your ways, that any of life's roadblocks that come your way, you just put up a hand and say, 'Oh, _________ is something I would never do. But that's just me, I'm never gonna change.' As in, F off and accept it. The decisiveness makes me want to learn their secrets to life. The confidence, the ability to put every situation in the same boat and sail it to its destination, point blank, period.
I can barely decide what I want to do when I wake up in the morning. Do I want Starbucks? Do I not? Do I have time? And then the moment arrives...and yes, today would be a good day for a caramel macchiato! I'm a decisive person who changes her mind...a lot. Which sounds like a contradiction, but really isn't. What I want in any given moment is subject to change due to all of the various elements of that which is called life. And any choice I've made that I've done a 180 on, I've never regretted, never wanted to take back and never said, if I were to do it again, I would've done it differently.
However, despite the changes, despite the fact that at any given moment, I could pack up and move to the beach. Despite that I have changed jobs and apartments more times in ten years then most people do in their life, I know who I am. At the heart of all my quick decisions, internal conflicts, verbal diarrhea that I may get from time to time, I know myself and what I want. I wanted to move to New York. I moved to New York. I wanted a higher salary, I changed jobs. I want answers, I ask. And when you decide that, things you will put up with, how far you will take something, how much fight you have, then it's easier to trust yourself to make a decision that will make you happy. It might not be the easiest, you might look back on your life and think if this was me two years ago, five years ago, maybe I would've decided something different, but all you can do is live in the moment of your decisions.
I'm a person who expects a lot out of people, wants to see them at their best. I'm judgmental and stubborn, sensitive and thoughtful (to the point where my thinking drives me insane), but what I demand out of others, isn't half of what I demand out of myself. I'm not going to be one who settles, who is satisfied with ok. I'll go with the flow as long as it's flowing the way I want and then if it changes, I'll fight like hell against what naturally is supposed to move me along. But even knowing who I am doesn't mean that me won't change tomorrow. I'll be thrown off my high horse. I'll have an ego blow or two. I'll get my heart broken. I'll make mistakes. And knowing this in advance, prepares me for the excitement that the future holds, with all its messiness, and keeps me in the now of my back and forth craziness.
I just hope the people who don't expect their views to change, the people who are so happy with the people they are today in this moment, that would never see it any other way, know in their hearts all they're missing out on. It's never too late to change...your mind, your heart, yourself. I can relate to them on at least one level of 'never'. Because settling for less than what I want is something I would never do.
But that's just me, I'm never gonna change.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
quit running from what's not chasing you
'Some things we don't talk about, rather do without and just hold and smile...' -The Fray
Pride is a two-faced bitch. On one hand, it's an amazing quality to have. To help us celebrate something we've accomplished. To make us work hard. To have us put our best foot forward. To stand tall and fight through difficulties. But pride will also keep you from doing the right thing. It will convince you to rationalize the wrong thing. Pride keeps us from saying things we need to and makes us say things we don't mean. Because we don't want to get hurt. We don't want to be the first to give in. If we're going to lose it all, we might as well have our pride, right?
Why is it so easy to hurt someone, but an apology is something we have to 'think about'? Should the words 'I'm sorry' be changed into 'Let's get over it'? Sometimes that's how it feels. And sometimes that's exactly what needs to happen. But why is it so hard to to take the first step? Why is it so hard to tell someone we love them? Why of all the things we could say, do we just choose to ignore it? The problem with a problem is that it doesn't go away because we say it's over. It just sits inside of us waiting to come out. And maybe it won't come out to the person we have a problem with. Maybe it won't even come out anytime soon, but down the road when you least expect it, that what we have tried to hide away finds its way to the surface. And how are you supposed to hide from yourself?
There is really so much more that we can be doing with our lives. At the end of the day, if we let it, pride leaves us lonely. Pride pushes people away and lets issues go unresolved. And those issues just get pushed onto the next person and the next. It convinces us to believe that all the people who we push away, chose to leave us. It makes us believe that all the people that wanted to help us, really were trying to avoid handing problems of their own. It makes us believe lies, because knowing that someone might find us out is so much scarier than the truth.
The truth being that sometimes we are wrong. Sometimes we've done something so horrible, that apologizing won't make up for it. And even if we did, how do we find the right words? We aren't above trying. Again. And again.The truth is that we aren't above being loved. We aren't above letting people love us. But to some people, pride is better than the truth. It's worth going into a situation knowing that when you come out, you had the last word. That you held up and didn't cry, didn't flinch, brushed your shoulders off and moved on. That you were the one that could walk away from something, could do without. It definitely can help us from getting hurt. It's just not as reliable at knowing how to help us back up. So even though we should walk around with our heads held high, holding it too high, sooner or later you're gonna miss a step, trip and fall and no one and nothing will be there to save you...
but your pride.
Pride is a two-faced bitch. On one hand, it's an amazing quality to have. To help us celebrate something we've accomplished. To make us work hard. To have us put our best foot forward. To stand tall and fight through difficulties. But pride will also keep you from doing the right thing. It will convince you to rationalize the wrong thing. Pride keeps us from saying things we need to and makes us say things we don't mean. Because we don't want to get hurt. We don't want to be the first to give in. If we're going to lose it all, we might as well have our pride, right?
Why is it so easy to hurt someone, but an apology is something we have to 'think about'? Should the words 'I'm sorry' be changed into 'Let's get over it'? Sometimes that's how it feels. And sometimes that's exactly what needs to happen. But why is it so hard to to take the first step? Why is it so hard to tell someone we love them? Why of all the things we could say, do we just choose to ignore it? The problem with a problem is that it doesn't go away because we say it's over. It just sits inside of us waiting to come out. And maybe it won't come out to the person we have a problem with. Maybe it won't even come out anytime soon, but down the road when you least expect it, that what we have tried to hide away finds its way to the surface. And how are you supposed to hide from yourself?
There is really so much more that we can be doing with our lives. At the end of the day, if we let it, pride leaves us lonely. Pride pushes people away and lets issues go unresolved. And those issues just get pushed onto the next person and the next. It convinces us to believe that all the people who we push away, chose to leave us. It makes us believe that all the people that wanted to help us, really were trying to avoid handing problems of their own. It makes us believe lies, because knowing that someone might find us out is so much scarier than the truth.
The truth being that sometimes we are wrong. Sometimes we've done something so horrible, that apologizing won't make up for it. And even if we did, how do we find the right words? We aren't above trying. Again. And again.The truth is that we aren't above being loved. We aren't above letting people love us. But to some people, pride is better than the truth. It's worth going into a situation knowing that when you come out, you had the last word. That you held up and didn't cry, didn't flinch, brushed your shoulders off and moved on. That you were the one that could walk away from something, could do without. It definitely can help us from getting hurt. It's just not as reliable at knowing how to help us back up. So even though we should walk around with our heads held high, holding it too high, sooner or later you're gonna miss a step, trip and fall and no one and nothing will be there to save you...
but your pride.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Today Is a New Day
People have good selective memories. They remember two things: the times they felt like shit and the times they felt unstoppable. The goal is to turn the times you feel like shit into times you feel unstoppable. You've been there. I've been there. We've all been at the lowest of the lows. It doesn't matter how old you are or what mistakes you've made or what you've had to endure, because you are still here. There is always an opportunity to turn it all around. You just have to want it to happen.
Why wouldn't someone want that to happen? That, my friend, is a good question. One of the most frustrating things is wanting something for someone more than they want it for themselves. Happiness and courage and love are feelings you can bestow onto someone else, you can cram it down their throats, force yourself to believe that they are happy/courageous/loved but if they don't feel it for themselves, then it's like racing someone who decided to take a nap instead. You're going forward at full speed and they're...well, they're taking a nap. There are people who you are going to love that want to hold onto their pasts, their hurt, any struggles that they've faced and leave room for nothing else. On any given day, you might even be this person. You know why they hang on? It's because it's what they know. It's what they can handle.
If there are people who think all they can handle is broken hearts and deflated spirits, then that is a choice I don't have to understand but you seriously can't tell me that there are people who wake up and say 'I sure hope I feel like shit today!" My mom used to have this book called '14,000 Things to Be Happy About'. Now you have to think that if there was a person that had enough time and enough audacity to sit aroud and think of that many things to be happy about and write it down AND have it published, then you can find ONE thing to be happy about. Here I will help, a banana split. I'm allergic to bananas, you say. I am lactose intolerant, you lament. You know what then, slurp up the chocolate around the banana and eat soy ice cream, I am sure they have it.
I am not insensitive. Nor am I immune to tragedy or broken hearts. Like I said we've all been there. But I also know for every ten things that have been devastating in my life, there is someone who has had eleven. I know there will be times when you feel there is nothing to be happy about and that's okay because unfortunately, that's true. But doesn't it at least make you feel a little better knowing that when you're ready, there is at least one thing waiting to make you smile?
You don't have to be an optimist. You don't have to force a smile or never be sad, but happiness will only follow you so far before it stops and waits for you to be ready. And all you have to do is try. One thing to be happy about a day. It's not that much to handle. Are you ready?
How 'bout now?
Why wouldn't someone want that to happen? That, my friend, is a good question. One of the most frustrating things is wanting something for someone more than they want it for themselves. Happiness and courage and love are feelings you can bestow onto someone else, you can cram it down their throats, force yourself to believe that they are happy/courageous/loved but if they don't feel it for themselves, then it's like racing someone who decided to take a nap instead. You're going forward at full speed and they're...well, they're taking a nap. There are people who you are going to love that want to hold onto their pasts, their hurt, any struggles that they've faced and leave room for nothing else. On any given day, you might even be this person. You know why they hang on? It's because it's what they know. It's what they can handle.
If there are people who think all they can handle is broken hearts and deflated spirits, then that is a choice I don't have to understand but you seriously can't tell me that there are people who wake up and say 'I sure hope I feel like shit today!" My mom used to have this book called '14,000 Things to Be Happy About'. Now you have to think that if there was a person that had enough time and enough audacity to sit aroud and think of that many things to be happy about and write it down AND have it published, then you can find ONE thing to be happy about. Here I will help, a banana split. I'm allergic to bananas, you say. I am lactose intolerant, you lament. You know what then, slurp up the chocolate around the banana and eat soy ice cream, I am sure they have it.
I am not insensitive. Nor am I immune to tragedy or broken hearts. Like I said we've all been there. But I also know for every ten things that have been devastating in my life, there is someone who has had eleven. I know there will be times when you feel there is nothing to be happy about and that's okay because unfortunately, that's true. But doesn't it at least make you feel a little better knowing that when you're ready, there is at least one thing waiting to make you smile?
You don't have to be an optimist. You don't have to force a smile or never be sad, but happiness will only follow you so far before it stops and waits for you to be ready. And all you have to do is try. One thing to be happy about a day. It's not that much to handle. Are you ready?
How 'bout now?
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Keep Telling Yourself That
Here it comes, that time of year where you promise yourself that you are going to lose weight, be nicer, work harder, save more money, sky dive or whatever. The thing is, if you really wanted to do all of this, if you were serious about making a resolution and keeping it, then what is the point of waiting? Why is January 1st the end all, be all of trying to be a better person, a more daring person, the person you ultimately want to be? What happens if you try your resolution and come February you fail, then what? You spend the rest of the year doing the same thing as last, feeling comfort in the fact you can give it another shot in about ten months. And you are okay with this because hey, at least you tried?
Well, I call bullshit.
It's a lovely thought but be honest. You have intentions. Admirable intentions but intending to do something is frankly a more inspiring way of saying, I'm just going to sit on my ass until I figure out what I want to do. People don't change overnight. You don't wake up after a champagne-filled, confetti-laced night ready to dominate the world, you just don't.
You only intend to.
The challenge that we face is to accept that we're not going to be everything we want to be in a day. We're going to make mistakes. We're going to do things we aren't supposed to. We're going to talk ourselves out of rational thought for the sake of short-term fun. I think we should make the effort to try to accept this. Look back at where you've been this past year, what you've gained and what you've lost and most importantly, what you've learned. Make a top ten list of the things you've learned. Better yet, make a top ten list of the best times you had. Figure out the people who were involved when these things happened and try to keep them around. Act like you're going to live in the moment but realize that this is virtually impossible without reliving your past or worrying about your future. Revisit old times, go back and do it again if you must but don't go the same way. Imagine where you want to be in five years but realize that a security plan only works for people who believe security equals happiness, which I'm sorry to say it doesn't.
There are things you may feel are unfinished from 2007, things you want to say or do or take back or change. You want all of this to be magically resolved by January 1, 2008 and this will not happen. Even if you do stick to some of your resolutions, just remember that it's okay to gain back the weight you lost. It's okay to overspend and do reckless things and never sky dive. Because there are more chances then New Year's Day to be a better person. You will have more than one chance....
to prove it.
Well, I call bullshit.
It's a lovely thought but be honest. You have intentions. Admirable intentions but intending to do something is frankly a more inspiring way of saying, I'm just going to sit on my ass until I figure out what I want to do. People don't change overnight. You don't wake up after a champagne-filled, confetti-laced night ready to dominate the world, you just don't.
You only intend to.
The challenge that we face is to accept that we're not going to be everything we want to be in a day. We're going to make mistakes. We're going to do things we aren't supposed to. We're going to talk ourselves out of rational thought for the sake of short-term fun. I think we should make the effort to try to accept this. Look back at where you've been this past year, what you've gained and what you've lost and most importantly, what you've learned. Make a top ten list of the things you've learned. Better yet, make a top ten list of the best times you had. Figure out the people who were involved when these things happened and try to keep them around. Act like you're going to live in the moment but realize that this is virtually impossible without reliving your past or worrying about your future. Revisit old times, go back and do it again if you must but don't go the same way. Imagine where you want to be in five years but realize that a security plan only works for people who believe security equals happiness, which I'm sorry to say it doesn't.
There are things you may feel are unfinished from 2007, things you want to say or do or take back or change. You want all of this to be magically resolved by January 1, 2008 and this will not happen. Even if you do stick to some of your resolutions, just remember that it's okay to gain back the weight you lost. It's okay to overspend and do reckless things and never sky dive. Because there are more chances then New Year's Day to be a better person. You will have more than one chance....
to prove it.
Friday, November 9, 2007
Where's Ron Popeil When You Need Him?
I don’t know how God feels knowing that he’s being hookered out on late night television by some pseudo-minister promoting ‘miracle water’ but I’m sure it’s not good. Supposedly by drinking this water, it makes you the recipient of several thousands of dollars. I found this out in the wee hours of the morning while I experienced a glimpse into the life of an insomniac.
I pride myself in my sleep habits. I am capable of sleeping anywhere, anytime. My mom says when I was younger, if we were in the car and she said, ‘Take a nap,” I would immediately close my eyes and be out. I'm sure I was just waiting for her to say the magic words to give me permission to doze off. I accidentally cuddle with strangers on airplanes before take off (hey, those seats are small). I have slept a 10-hour night only to take a 3-hour nap later that afternoon. I love to sleep. So, imagine my disgust when last night I woke up at 3:30 in the morning wide awake, lying in bed repeating to myself, why are you awake, why are you awake. Thinking that bad television would cause my mind to drift into peaceful sleep once more, I switched it on only to find minister man, miracle water and prayer promises that are supposed to guarantee you money. It got me thinking, what if I called this man and he swore that I would be receiving money on Thanksgiving and then I didn’t. Could I sue for false advertising?
As if he wasn’t bad enough, I turned to the ever boring, ever unnecessary channel that is the Home Shopping Network.I didn’t think this really existed. I mean the things they sell, the clothes they wear. It looked more like a Saturday Night Live spoof, than a real promotion of crap. First item up, Casio Light-Up Keyboard. Oh. My. God. First of all, homeboy selling the item was wearing a pink polo under a bright blue v-neck sweater merrily following the keyboard lights convincing himself and other morons that he was learning to play ‘You’ve Got A Friend’. For three payments of sixty-nine dollars or something, you too could look like a complete tool. Up next for sale in twenty-nine minutes and forty-two seconds, a roaster/chafing machine. Next.
NEXT is exactly what I switched to. I thought surely MTV would be showing an old episode of Cribs or some other less popular show that would provide a little, mindless entertainment but no. Instead they were showing the dating show that has the worst actors who are also the worst looking people all crammed together on a bus trying to last the longest on a date that they don’t really want to be on anyway. Fuck insomnia.
But at last I found my solace as I switched to Fox. Fox, I believe, is the sleaziest of the news stations. I don’t know why I think this, maybe because of the newscasters or the Fox News Problem Solvers but I have a hard time believing what I see on Fox. Therefore, Fox is my favorite. Lucky for me they were showing COPS and it was the Wichita PD being followed. Ugly woman officer pulls over a car with two men for suspicion of drunk driving. When pulled over and asked for registration, she spots a gun in the glove box. She barks at them to get out of the car, hands where she can see them, calling for back up followed by passenger and driver both claiming that the gun is not theirs. Good thing for faceless girl, who as a backseat passenger tattles on the front passenger pulling the gun from his pocket and putting it in the glove compartment. Nothing like COPS breaking it down for us Midwest style to help a girl get some sleep.
I think they should have a channel that has a spinning bullseye and a voice repeating, you are getting very sleepy. Once in awhile I have these insomniac spurts and it makes me sympathize with those who have real sleeping problems or work late shifts and have to watch the crap that is televised between the hours of 2 and 5 a.m.; because honestly many more nights of that and I will seriously have to invest in some porn.
I pride myself in my sleep habits. I am capable of sleeping anywhere, anytime. My mom says when I was younger, if we were in the car and she said, ‘Take a nap,” I would immediately close my eyes and be out. I'm sure I was just waiting for her to say the magic words to give me permission to doze off. I accidentally cuddle with strangers on airplanes before take off (hey, those seats are small). I have slept a 10-hour night only to take a 3-hour nap later that afternoon. I love to sleep. So, imagine my disgust when last night I woke up at 3:30 in the morning wide awake, lying in bed repeating to myself, why are you awake, why are you awake. Thinking that bad television would cause my mind to drift into peaceful sleep once more, I switched it on only to find minister man, miracle water and prayer promises that are supposed to guarantee you money. It got me thinking, what if I called this man and he swore that I would be receiving money on Thanksgiving and then I didn’t. Could I sue for false advertising?
As if he wasn’t bad enough, I turned to the ever boring, ever unnecessary channel that is the Home Shopping Network.I didn’t think this really existed. I mean the things they sell, the clothes they wear. It looked more like a Saturday Night Live spoof, than a real promotion of crap. First item up, Casio Light-Up Keyboard. Oh. My. God. First of all, homeboy selling the item was wearing a pink polo under a bright blue v-neck sweater merrily following the keyboard lights convincing himself and other morons that he was learning to play ‘You’ve Got A Friend’. For three payments of sixty-nine dollars or something, you too could look like a complete tool. Up next for sale in twenty-nine minutes and forty-two seconds, a roaster/chafing machine. Next.
NEXT is exactly what I switched to. I thought surely MTV would be showing an old episode of Cribs or some other less popular show that would provide a little, mindless entertainment but no. Instead they were showing the dating show that has the worst actors who are also the worst looking people all crammed together on a bus trying to last the longest on a date that they don’t really want to be on anyway. Fuck insomnia.
But at last I found my solace as I switched to Fox. Fox, I believe, is the sleaziest of the news stations. I don’t know why I think this, maybe because of the newscasters or the Fox News Problem Solvers but I have a hard time believing what I see on Fox. Therefore, Fox is my favorite. Lucky for me they were showing COPS and it was the Wichita PD being followed. Ugly woman officer pulls over a car with two men for suspicion of drunk driving. When pulled over and asked for registration, she spots a gun in the glove box. She barks at them to get out of the car, hands where she can see them, calling for back up followed by passenger and driver both claiming that the gun is not theirs. Good thing for faceless girl, who as a backseat passenger tattles on the front passenger pulling the gun from his pocket and putting it in the glove compartment. Nothing like COPS breaking it down for us Midwest style to help a girl get some sleep.
I think they should have a channel that has a spinning bullseye and a voice repeating, you are getting very sleepy. Once in awhile I have these insomniac spurts and it makes me sympathize with those who have real sleeping problems or work late shifts and have to watch the crap that is televised between the hours of 2 and 5 a.m.; because honestly many more nights of that and I will seriously have to invest in some porn.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Your Not Enough is My Too Much
What is it that I said before? The challenge is accepting the trade off, the fact that in order to see what you think might be worth it in the end, you have to endure the drama that is now. I must've thought this during an optimistic blackout. Do you know that you have to like a person at the very same time they like you and even if they like you and you like them, each other has to be on the top of the other's list? I could like Boy who likes Girl Not Me while Other Random Boy likes me, like a menage a trois that no one is directly involved in. Someone can like you at the same time you like them, it just might not be enough. Or it may be enough but one or the other is not one hundred percent sure and god forbid we try something we're only ninety-nine percent sure about that has a fifty percent chance of failure anyway. I didn't make the rules. That's just how it goes. Luckily, the optimistic self has meshed well with the cynical self and has created reserve lists.
A reserve list is a list of people that we like, who like us, who are cute, nice, say witty things but for some reason can't bump that seemingly unattainable, impossibly unpredictable number one that drives us crazy yet makes us happy off the list. The reserve list can include but is not limited to: friends with benefits, exes, random, semi-anonymous people we meet at bars or other inappropriate places. The trouble with the reserves is that rarely do they move up in ranking; therefore, defeating the purpose of the list in the first place. Does this all seem exhausting?
Now you know how I feel.
We use the list to make sure we're not missing out on anything while certain males out there turtle around, wanting us to wait for them to make their move. We can be ahead of the race, found others who can keep pace and then the turtle finally reaches the finish line and is upset that we didn't wait for them to come around. Can I get a 'what the fuck'? Guys don't want you to be desperate. They don't want you to be too much work. They want you to make the first move. They want to chase. They say they like you. They never call. Consistent only in their inconsistency. And the thing is, we put up with it. Of course it's because we base who we want on things other than consistency, reliability, and comfort. We know it's safer to drive the mini-van but we want the Porsche.
So what's the answer?
We try all methods and see that none of them work. We play the game and decide we're not going to follow the rules. We ride out the drama and hope that it really is worth it in the end. The answer is we will only do, can only do what seems like the best idea at the time. Anything else it seems is too much to ask for.
A reserve list is a list of people that we like, who like us, who are cute, nice, say witty things but for some reason can't bump that seemingly unattainable, impossibly unpredictable number one that drives us crazy yet makes us happy off the list. The reserve list can include but is not limited to: friends with benefits, exes, random, semi-anonymous people we meet at bars or other inappropriate places. The trouble with the reserves is that rarely do they move up in ranking; therefore, defeating the purpose of the list in the first place. Does this all seem exhausting?
Now you know how I feel.
We use the list to make sure we're not missing out on anything while certain males out there turtle around, wanting us to wait for them to make their move. We can be ahead of the race, found others who can keep pace and then the turtle finally reaches the finish line and is upset that we didn't wait for them to come around. Can I get a 'what the fuck'? Guys don't want you to be desperate. They don't want you to be too much work. They want you to make the first move. They want to chase. They say they like you. They never call. Consistent only in their inconsistency. And the thing is, we put up with it. Of course it's because we base who we want on things other than consistency, reliability, and comfort. We know it's safer to drive the mini-van but we want the Porsche.
So what's the answer?
We try all methods and see that none of them work. We play the game and decide we're not going to follow the rules. We ride out the drama and hope that it really is worth it in the end. The answer is we will only do, can only do what seems like the best idea at the time. Anything else it seems is too much to ask for.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Shake Your Money Maker
If I could list all of the brilliant plans that my friends and I have come up with in the past year, it would astound you. Creating a team of drunks. Beer-bonging while floating down a river in a canoe. Baking cupcakes for deejays. Genius, I tell you. But none have been as profitable as our latest idea. We have created the adult equivalent of having a lemonade stand.
It all started one night in an unknown bar for a birthday celebration of a hardly known person when I found myself in need of a soft pretzel with cheese. I was sitting at a table full of strangers, trying to make new friends when my eye caught sight of the deal of the day. For only $2.75 I could get one and I thought if i could get eleven people to each donate a quarter to my need, then I would be in soft pretzel heaven. Even though I nearly failed economics in college this example of supply and demand was not a hard one to figure out, even after a couple of drinks. Unfortunately, one of my friends was the only donor and I thought maybe it was because we were at the bar and no one had spare change, just credit cards. However, after further investigation I found this not to be true at all. The collecting of quarters is actually a formerly undiscovered hobby that my friends and I have breathed life into.
People don't part with cash very well but loose change, no problem. It's amazing how many people are willing to give up a quarter to a complete stranger without asking any questions. It's also amazing with what ease comes our flippant answer when asked what we're going to use the quarter for. The answer that answers all questions.
Don't worry about it.
We took our coin collecting one step further when manning the door of our bar. By manning the door I mean we posed as the doormen. We dressed up in handmade t-shirts with the doormen names on the back in iron-on letters and checked ID's, asked for quarters. We didn't charge a quarter, we just asked. Ask and you shall receive. The amount of quarters collected so far could rival and probably far exceed any 10-year old lemonade stand's profit. And it can definitely buy enough soft pretzels to satisfy my cravings.
I know you must think, haven't people caught on to your devious plan? Maybe they have but they're not saying anything. I think the question catches them off guard. They say 'yes' and start digging in their pockets, hoping they have a quarter to give our eager beavering souls. And then after we smile sweetly and thank them, they think, what the hell just happened? I know you must also think why would a bunch of 20-something year-old girls panhandle people for twenty-five cents. Don't be jealous. You know you wish you would've thought of it first. Who knows what we'll come up with next.
Stay tuned.
It all started one night in an unknown bar for a birthday celebration of a hardly known person when I found myself in need of a soft pretzel with cheese. I was sitting at a table full of strangers, trying to make new friends when my eye caught sight of the deal of the day. For only $2.75 I could get one and I thought if i could get eleven people to each donate a quarter to my need, then I would be in soft pretzel heaven. Even though I nearly failed economics in college this example of supply and demand was not a hard one to figure out, even after a couple of drinks. Unfortunately, one of my friends was the only donor and I thought maybe it was because we were at the bar and no one had spare change, just credit cards. However, after further investigation I found this not to be true at all. The collecting of quarters is actually a formerly undiscovered hobby that my friends and I have breathed life into.
People don't part with cash very well but loose change, no problem. It's amazing how many people are willing to give up a quarter to a complete stranger without asking any questions. It's also amazing with what ease comes our flippant answer when asked what we're going to use the quarter for. The answer that answers all questions.
Don't worry about it.
We took our coin collecting one step further when manning the door of our bar. By manning the door I mean we posed as the doormen. We dressed up in handmade t-shirts with the doormen names on the back in iron-on letters and checked ID's, asked for quarters. We didn't charge a quarter, we just asked. Ask and you shall receive. The amount of quarters collected so far could rival and probably far exceed any 10-year old lemonade stand's profit. And it can definitely buy enough soft pretzels to satisfy my cravings.
I know you must think, haven't people caught on to your devious plan? Maybe they have but they're not saying anything. I think the question catches them off guard. They say 'yes' and start digging in their pockets, hoping they have a quarter to give our eager beavering souls. And then after we smile sweetly and thank them, they think, what the hell just happened? I know you must also think why would a bunch of 20-something year-old girls panhandle people for twenty-five cents. Don't be jealous. You know you wish you would've thought of it first. Who knows what we'll come up with next.
Stay tuned.
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