Being human, we are constantly trying to fix our own flaws or at least point out the flaws of our friends and family. You don’t even want to know what we to complete strangers. This, to me, explains the large amount of self help books that line the walls of Barnes and Noble. There may only be three books in the entire store about guinea pigs but there is at least forty five explaining and resolving our fear of becoming a guinea pig (literally and/or figuratively). I, personally, would never voluntarily pick up a book that explains in vivid detail why my mother didn’t hug me enough. Or, at least, I wouldn’t voluntarily pay for one. Of course, if someone were to lend me one… Needless to saw, I picked up my first self help book the other day. It wasn’t very helpful but it did have some very interesting exercises in it. I know what you’re thinking. Sorry, none of which involved hitting my immediate family or in laws with large foam pool noodles but there was one about fining thirty one simple pleasures and treasuring one every day. I think everyone would benefit from something like this and should try to make their list. Here let me start:
Hugs
The smell of fresh bread…and the feel and taste of it too
Cuddling with something soft
Mocking celebrities
Making lists
Reading a funny and non-socially impacting book that is less than one thousand pages
Reading the Cliff Notes on an extremely long, boring, socially impacting piece of depressing Russian literature and then feeling accomplished (like you actually read the book) and now you can carry the actual book around with you and feel literate and intelligent
Being on the winning team in a dodgeball game
Watching a good movie
Watching a bad movie and throwing popcorn at the screen
Making someone else pick up the popcorn
Family Game Nite (plus booze)
Tom Jones
Dancing like an idiot
Cupcakes
A full body massage
A hot fireman calendar
A full body massage from a hot fireman
Giving a hot fireman a full body massage
Bunnies
Chocolate
A big oatmeal raisin cookie
Fresh baked apple pie
Nerf gun fights with your friends
Flannel pajamas
Building something with your hands
Getting a tattoo (embrace the pain)
Enjoying your favorite classical CD with a glass of wine
Writing all day in a café
Sand in between my toes
Actually finishing something
So what’s on your list?
