When I think about my writing or about my life, I think about how it is cyclical. I write, think, and live the same things in different ways all the time. Four years ago, I wrote an essay about happiness when I applied to the University of North Carolina. Four weeks ago, I adapted that essay to be a poem for a personal project in my portfolio class. Four months ago, I wrote this piece for this blog.
unc_essay.pdf Fidget spinners, Pokémon Go, and non-conventional sexual acts. Not a lot of people would have the moxie to tie these three things together, but with so many negative things going on in the world, I feel the need to. Somebody somewhere likes these things, whether you do or do not. That’s why they exist. Because they serve a purpose, and they make someone happy. On the subject of fidget spinners, I think it was such a cruel thing to take away from people. Originally designed to help people in the workplace cope with fidgeting, studies showed that the fidget spinner increased productivity and engagement for those in the workplace and classroom while decreasing anxiety. Regardless of where you stand on political, social, and digital issues, I think we can all agree that now seems like a time when we really need something like that- just a small thing that makes our day more enjoyable. For someone, that was a fidget spinner. Somebody somewhere really needed that and you took that from them with your dumb jokes online, whether you meant them or not. On the subject of Pokémon Go, I admit that it’s one of my many bad habits. Some people drink and smoke, but I eat mac n cheese, ice cream, drink diet soda, bite my finger nails, and play Pokémon Go. It’s what makes me happy. I’m a firm believer that we need to occasionally indulge in our bad habits, which is tricky to justify at times. Bad habits are not efficient, but nothing was ever going to be efficient because you would go insane without your indulgences. I’ve had a lot of people question how I could play so much Pokémon Go or what I get from it, and that’s fine. You don’t have to innately understand what about Pokémon Go makes me happy. In fact, seeking understanding is a part of the process, but you cannot ostracize me or make fun of me because of how I choose to spend my time. I’m sure you have a bad habit or hobby that I don’t understand. Why do we do it? Because it makes us happy. On the subject of non-conventional sexual acts, this is a tough one to write about delicately. When I started my blog, I wanted to write about things I believe in, and I’m an advocate of normalizing conversations about sexuality. The things we like sexually are as complex and innate in our being as the things we like in our day to day life. I didn’t wake up one day and decide to like Pokémon Go. I liked it because it conforms to my personality and what I like doing. This goes beyond gay/straight or BDSM. This is for anyone who is embarrassed of their non-conventional sexual desires, fetishes, or past relationships. Don’t be. Because those desires are a part of you that should be embraced and accepted so long as they are a part of a healthy sexual relationship with consenting partners. You do it because it makes you happy. That’s my whole argument. I wrote about it years ago and my outlook on life has not changed. You shouldn’t have to fight it. You shouldn’t have to justify yourself. Just do it. Do what makes you happy. Share your stories about things that make you happy. Stop ostracizing others and seek understanding of things that make them happy. Because if you’re not willing to fight for the happiness of yourself and others, what are you willing to fight for? happiness.pdf Happiness is a central theme of my writing because it is what I always come back to when I think about purpose. Simply put, the goal of every day is to be happier than you are sad. I also understand that it’s more complex than this, but that’s the point of the piece. Disclaimer: your actions have consequences, and you need to make sure that they aren’t destructive to other people. But also, take a breath, stop overthinking everything, and start doing the things that make you happy. I’ve written about this so many times, and I wrote this four months ago. So why now? Honestly, we are living in a world where negative news dominates. It feels like every day there is another mass shooting, problematic political ruling, celebrity case of sexual misconduct, or death of a person that I idolized as a child. If we have to restrain the little things that make us happy on top of this, I think we are doomed. To be honest, I am at a crossroads in my life too. Even though it’s months away, my graduation is a looming deadline of perhaps the biggest transition I will undergo in my lifetime. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking on what makes me happy currently and what will make me happy moving forward. I have some big decisions to make, and I have some little decisions to make too. I’ve been finding the little things that push my day from bad to good, and I’ve been picking out big things to focus on moving forward. I’m not always going to do things that people around me agree with or understand, and that’s okay. If you would like, please seek understanding from me. I’d be happy to try to explain my actions to you, and I’d love to keep everyone I have in my life moving forward.
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AuthorI am a proud creative, U-M LSA employee, University Activities Board at Michigan State University alumni, pro wrestling fan, Detroit sports follower, Nintendo geek, and sandcastle champion. Categories |