I am all about thrilling myself... I say, defiantly, as if 8 months ago I wasn't laying in bed despairing over the extraordinary downfall of my life with just a tubful of Twizzlers and a Chihuahua to comfort me.Okay, so I haven't always been all about thrilling myself. It's just that for a while, I was all about being down in the dumps and then I realized, that was not working for me. If this blog serves as anything, it's a journal about a girl who's spent a lot of time being bogged down, overwhelmed, certainly stressed out and not so psyched that life can be a big fat monotonous routine.
And then doing something about it.
(Here's a kicky, little story about "boredom": I took my little nephew to Griffith Park today. It's the biggest park in the US with beautiful trails, play grounds, an Observatory. It's spectacular.
He looked at it in all it's green mountain splendor and said, "This looks so boring." I gazed into his little five year-old eyes and said, "Wait until you have a job, have to pay bills, buy and maintain a house, worry about advancing your career and if you're ever going to find someone to love you. Then I think being chauffeured around in an air conditioned car to a beautiful park where you are bought anything you want on a whim by your guilt-ridden aunt who never sees you, will then, NOT SEEM SO BORING."
My sister asked that I please stop scaring her son.)
Back to my original point. As most of you know, I resurrected the Adventure Bowl as a way to force myself out of a major state of bummed-outted-ness after my cousin died, ETC.
The "ETC." is capped 'cuz, ya, know, it reflects so many things that went wrong in such a short amount of time after that.
The Adventures are a way to keep life a little unexpected, a dash of fun and a whole heaping of THRILLING. I pulled the Bowl out today, just swished around in it to see what's in there:
GET PINK HAIR: This one scares me a bit. I mean, pink hair to me is like the ultimate act of rebellion for a good girl like me. But I have been having so many meetings lately. Would pink hair be a funny story to tell or am I just going to look like a lunatic?
RIDE A ROLLER COASTER: Yay! Can you think of a better idea as an adult of feeling like a kid again? I picked this one today and I have to say, the idea that I have to stop what I'm doing sometime this week and ride a roller coaster ROCKS MY WORLD!
CONTACT THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY: Um, yeah, I know who this one is. I met him when I was 14 and we were gaga over each other. I can't help wondering what happened to him. When I pull this one out of the bowl, I guess I'll find out.
GET A NOSE RING: See "Get Pink Hair"
CROWD SURF AT A CONCERTS: I have seen a ton of shows and I have watched a ton of people, with absolute abandon, jump up and crowd surf. To me it's the most spontaneous, crazy, ballsy, life affirming, fearless thing a person can do. And I've never done it.
Because, I've let that part of me slip away. I need to get it back. If I do these things, if I thrill myself, I know I will.
Don't let the things you love slip away from you. I don't care if you're a Mom or you have a 60 hour work week. You have to still have fun. At the very least, it's good for your kids to see and I promise it will enhance your work. And your "adventures" don't have to be these big crazy things. They are just the things that come to you when you have a moments peace and think, "I wish I could..." Whatever that is - WRITE IT DOWN.
So what is it that comes to you? I would love to know. Maybe I'll just have to borrow it and put it in my bowl!
This blog is dedicated to NOT throwing up on roller coasters.
16 comments:
Wow! Roller coasters - I can't wait to hear all about it. that is so awesome. I went all the way back to read part 1 of this story, it's amazing too. Have fun and make sure you tell us all about it.
I wish i could...
Go to a water park and not worry about people seeing me in my bathing suit.
Go walking out side and not worry about the homeless approaching me for money...
Dress the way i KNOW i look inside, and not care what anyone thinks...
which leads to: i wish i had a TONG OF MONEY for a shopping spree :)
i wish i had a pink laptop...
ok i think im getting more onto asking santa for things instead of i wish i COULD lol... sorry :)
I would go sky diving, parasailing! I would jet ski. I LOVE THIS IDEA!!!
Pink hair is a bit hard to pull off at a meeting but it would make you memorable :)
If I had an adventure bowl, I would probably put in things I used to do but don't anymore like "take an art class" or things I'm way too afraid to do like "quit my job" or "ask someone on a date". Hmm...maybe one day...
I love this so much. It's really about seizing every day and I really need to be reminded about that. I get waaaaaay bogged down just like you. Thanks for the awesome reminder - I found your blog on Self.
Roller coasters!!!! How was it? I love that you're keeping up with this. I can really tell you sound so much happier - this blog is saving me tons on Self Help books so thanks for that!
Roller coasters!!!! How was it? I love that you're keeping up with this. I can really tell you sound so much happier - this blog is saving me tons on Self Help books so thanks for that!
I want a nose ring too!!!! I too work in the "biz" and worry about the effect a facial piercing would have on my career - SO LAME. That's not the point of the adventure. The point is to act without thinking. I think I might start my own bowl....or maybe I'll just go get my nose pierced and tell everyone else where they can stick it if they don't like it.....or maybe I won't :-D No matter how it turns out you're such an inspiration.....I forward/tell about your blog to everyone I know!
I tell everyone I know about your blog too! I'm a lurker and not a commenter but I LOVE IT!!! I agree with the girl who said she saves on self-help books. Thank you!!!
Pink hair! yay! I have always wanted pink hair. i really think it's one of those things you HAVE to do once in a life time. Your list is awesome, I can't wait to hear what the others are :)
Britney
Hey, I found your blog last week, and slowly, but surely, I've read the whole thing! I wanted to comment every time I saw your posts about the lurkers, but I decided to wait until I finished! I wish you all the best of luck and I can't wait to read more fun posts!
Becky
p.s. i have a nose ring :) and ive had pink hair... in highschool... but i got TONS of compliments on it. i just dyed parts of the underneath pink so it showed thru my layers. fun fun fun!
I have just started your blog and I want you to know it means the world to me. I wrote Oprah about you because your story is so moving. I just wanted you to know when I come here I feel so much less alone.
OMG. I'm so glad you commented on my blog so I could find yours. I didn't spend 100 days in bed, but I'm still grieving the death of my father, totally out of the blue, almost 4 years after the fact, and I need something to pull me out of my funk! I think you have some great suggestions, although my principal wouldn't like pink hair, I think my students would dig it. So, I'm putting you in my feedreader and coming back for more!
I so badly want to run another marathon! Really bad! I'm just not there yet!!
Also, i want to get rid of the pesky word verification that you have to do to leave a comment!!
Thats it!!!
This post meant so much to me - esp. the part where you say, "I let that part of me slip away."
I have done that to so many things I love but not any more, thanks to you. Thanks for the encouragement.
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