3/1/10 A Little of This, A Little of That

Happy first day of March, ya'll! I feel like this is the turning month for having survived what feels like the LONGEST. WINTER. EVER.

I was in Target yesterday, and I cannot tell you how happy it makes me that they've put the swimsuits out for sale. Seriously, I did a little happy dance right there in front of the Mossimo sign. Not that I have a particular love for bathing wear, mind you, (or the tone classes that I'm going to have to take to get back into swimsuit shape) but the fact that Target thinks that it's time to put them out must mean that warm weather can't be too far behind. (I say this as the last of yesterday's snow fall still lingers on the lawn). And if Target is confident that we will one day soon feel the sun's warm rays again, I trust them. Target knows all.

***

I'm currently reading a book titled, The sociopath next door: The ruthless versus the rest of us by by Martha Stout. Don't ask me why. It was just a book I saw and thought I'd try. My tastes are varied and unpredictable. As far as I know, none of my neighbors are sociopaths...or ARE they? (Peeks through slit in the curtains suspiciously). Anyway, the book premise is that that a shocking 4% of the population (or, said another way, a scary one person in twenty-five) has a sociopathic mental disorder, the chief symptom of which is that the person has no conscience. He or she has no ability whatsoever to feel shame, guilt, or remorse. Further, to them, life is a game where they win by doing whatever they want through power and manipulation.

The good news is that no one's face popped into my head as I was reading it. (No one I knew personally anyway. I can, however, think of several famous people who sound suspiciously sociopathic based on what I know of them). And I doubt any of you are sociopaths, since they do not really care about anyone else, and reading this little ol' blog serves absolutely no purpose other than for us to reach out and share our lives with each other out here in cyberspace. So that's good news. I'm okay, you're okay, and whatever else we have going on, at least we aren't sociopaths. If you're worried about someone else though, you might want to pick up the book. She gets a little repetitive in some places, but all in all, not a bad read.

(In the mean time, what lesson can we draw here? I think it's obvious: People who do not read this blog clearly have a mental disorder). :-)

***

Which reminds me. A few weeks ago, I was talking to someone who reads this here blog and she said, "I know you aren't really like this because I know you personally, but sometimes you come across as a little mean in your blog." And I was like, WHOA! WHAT?!? THAT'S CRAZY TALK! Because I'm like, the nicest (and most modest) person I know! But then I got to thinking about it, and I maybe she's right. Not that I'm mean (or, at least I try not to be, anyway), but I think sometimes it's hard to see the good-natured joking when all you have are printed words. I tend to write like I tend to talk, and a lot of my humor comes from making exaggerated comments. (See everyone who ever met me nodding their heads vigorously). Granted, this works better in person because you can very clearly see my "I'm just messing with you" face, but if you didn't know me, you might occasionally read this and think that I'm a real jerk. Or at least vain. And sarcastic. And maybe a little too snarky.

When I was in high school, my art teacher would tell us that you had to really exaggerate highlights and shading so they would stand out. Make your lights lighter and your darks darker than what they really are...otherwise other people are going to look at your picture and see gray. So rather than be gray, I write a little lighter and a little darker than who I am in "real" life. (Although it's also accurate to say that I write from my internal dialogue, and sometimes you can't help but think things that, even if they're true, you're waaaaay too polite to say out loud in person. And then, yes, those things end up on the blog. So maybe I'm not a saint after all). But if you're ever reading something and you go, Ouch, That's a little brusk or negative or whatever, please know that I'm wearing my "just teasing" face, and I've laid the shading on thick for extra contrast. Because I really am a very nice person on the inside. Nice and polite and refreshingly optimistic. A treasure to all who know me.

And did I mention modest?