since there are now 22 poor souls being forced to read these posts on the glorious east coast, i thought i'd revisit this beast and try and figure out why i feel the need to blog my thoughts & feelings to the
i've been listening to lot of people lately complain just for the sake of complaining. and i do it too. why is it dark out so early now? why is it so cold? whyyyyy did this waitress bring me a side salad when i clearly said "cover this entire plate in cheese fries"? then to make it worse, i escape back to my apartment after a long day of complaining and listening to others complain, and i watch tv shows where people complain for 37 of a 42 minute program, and shoot each other longing looks for the remaining 5. and yeah, i need to step back from my netflix and actually go to the gym, but that's not the point. the point is that this mentality of whining is everywhere. liz lemon, i love ya like a sister, but your song and dance about not being able to have it all is getting a little old. you have a beautiful apartment in manhattan. you have a hot boss (CALL ME, ALEC BALDWIN). you eat a significant amount of ham, but you've got a cute little figure. your fictitious life is not that bad.
i need to know that it is still possible to spend time with another human who doesn't want to complain about how hard their life is, but rather, wants to talk about something of substance. i had a conversation tonight for the first time in a long time that was about things that make me happy, and it's amazing what talking about things that make us happy does for a mindset. so, i'm going to prevent the liz lemonification of my life by documenting three things that i don't ever want to complain about:
1. where i live (can also be categorized as 'how long my commute is' or 'how much my apartment costs'): unless you live in your parent's basement, you're going to be unhappy about giving a significant amount of your earnings over to a guy named larry who refuses to fix your thermostat and won't let you buy a dog. but that is a fact of life. the same can be said about your property taxes, homeowners. illinois isn't cheap. greater chicagoland is exponentially less so. i spend more that 70% of my paycheck on living expenses, and as much as it hurts to write a rent check with all those zeros on it, i am so happy here. in my independence, in my one bedroom apartment, in my neighborhood, in chicago. i think people mostly complain about where they live/how much being alive costs because its a relatable topic, but goddddd does it suck. you know what else is relatable? bowel movements. lets talk about that!
2. how much work i have: this one kills me. you guys, i went to a science school and majored in art history and public policy. then i dropped out of teach for america. then i went to grad school with zero financial assistance. and to make matters worse, i studied non-profit management. my degree LITERALLY says i'm a master in never making more than $40,000/year. by the grace of some god-like entity, i got a job. and i really, truly, 110% love my job. when my contract is up, i will most likely chain myself to my desk and refuse to leave. so, my only goal here is to not fall into the trap of being one of those people who just can't wait to tell you how busy they are. not that they're busy doing their work, but that they need to shout from the rooftops that nobody in the history of the working world has ever had more on their plate than they do right now.
3. the weather: i don't know who the hell moved to chicago thinking they'd be greeted by the soft tropical breezes of hawaii, but this is the midwest. it is november. being cold isn't news at this point, it's your own damn fault. and sure, weather is a good source of unifying small talk. but those who continue to be surprised when a chilly wind blows really need a reality check. don't tell me how freezing you were on the metra this morning, girl in front of me at starbucks. maybe you should worry a little less about your adorable $600 coat from burberry, and buy one of those sleeping bag coats that zips from ankle to neck. or you know, wear actual pants instead of leggings. whatever.
so that's my goal for this week. honestly, if i make it through 72 hours of not complaining, i'll reward myself with a venting session about all the things i hate. but for now, i'm trying.
