don't wait to get huge
Sometimes spam subject lines can be so inspiring.
"Don't wait to get huge." Word.
It was a good weekend. I was happy. I did all the things I like to do: eat, drink, play ball, walk around, listen to music, have brunch with family, get huge. You know.
I was in a good mood and I had a spring in my step. There was a point on Saturday where I was playing hoops and I just couldn't miss. It was turn back the clock night, and even if it only lasted an hour or so, it was immensely satisfying.
It got me thinking about happiness. There are a million happinesses in the world, ranging from mild to medium to spicy habanero.
There's the happiness that comes with moments of great relief, like passing the bar or receiving a favorable medical diagnosis. There's the happiness in being proven right. There's the happiness of getting a new gadget. There's the happiness of excelling at something. There's the happiness of landing in a familiar place, whether it's returning home after a long vacation or hearing your favorite song on the radio.
Figuring something out = happiness. Fixing something. Having sex. Eating potatoes. Going on a really strong run of one-liners in the office. Drinking with your pals. Climbing in bed with your old lady. Dipping your toes in the surf. Standing up for yourself. Teaching somebody something. Helping out a person in need. Seeing your kid do something cool. Watching your favorite show. Reverse dunking a basketball.
Getting away with something. Discovering something new to love. Punching a bully square in the jaw. Having a little change in your pocket going jingalingaling.
We can keep going here, feel free to add your own.
But it seems to me that the purest happiness is the one that fills your soul so completely that you cannot think of anything else except what is happening to you right then. What you are doing is all you care about, nothing else exists. No yesterday, no tomorrow, no worries, no consequences, just pure fulfillment. To be hopelessly lost in that particular moment is the ultimate happiness. I saw an example as I was walking through Stuyvesant Town today.
On the little grass field near our apartment building, there were two sixteen-or-so-year-old kids kicking a soccer ball around together. A boy and a girl. They were sort of horsing around, trying to take the ball from one another. Then they got tangled up and fell on top of each other. They started play-wrestling and giggling, and the boy eventually got the upper hand on the girl and they found themselves in a mess of arms and legs and the boy's face was like three inches above the girl's. They stopped giggling and just stared into each other's eyes for like 30 seconds in silence. I turned away to limit my own creepiness, but I am pretty sure that they had been "just friends" until that very moment, and then they both simultaneously realized they were in love. Not just love, but uncontrollable teenage love. Not long-term, adult, through the ups and downs, always there for each other love. No, it was wild, gasping, desperate, kiss me or I'll die love. And I can guarantee that their heads were empty of any thoughts other than the person staring back at them.
That's a good weekend. I can't duplicate that feeling for you, I'm sorry. But I can give you what I consider the next best thing, a new edition of the IAQ. Here goes:
Q: With Halloween just behind us, it seems like a good time to ask: what are your favorite candy bars?
A: In order:
KitKat
Twix
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
Nestle Crunch
$100,000 Bar
Mounds
Honorable Mention Old School: Marathon Bar
Q: What are your thoughts on the election?
A: Obviously I'm for Obama, although voting in a state like New York is sort of like watching TV without a Nielsen box. Still fun, but not impactful. Today I read this article and it kind of bummed me out for a couple of reasons:
I have trouble believing that Obama is really truly that sincere in his religious beliefs. I think it's a political move on his part.
And assuming I'm wrong about that, it bothers me that he would let those relgious views trump logic, common sense and fairness.
“I’m a Christian,” Mr. Obama said on a radio program in his 2004 race for Senate. “And so, although I try not to have my religious beliefs dominate or determine my political views on this issue, I do believe that tradition, and my religious beliefs say that marriage is something sanctified between a man and a woman."
Please, dude. Don't be so lame. Love is love, rights are rights, marriage like anything else can be redefined over time.
Q: A lot of people think the Replacements are overrated. What song would you offer as proof of their greatness?
A: You know what, fuck it. I am done proselytizing about the Replacements. If you don't like 'em, I completely understand. They didn't break new groud musically, they weren't the best players or the coolest dudes, there is no measurable evidence of what made them special. I just think they had more heart than everybody else combined.
But if pressed...maybe "Sixteen Blue."
Q: How do you deal with sucking at something you used to be good at (like basketball)?
A: Savor the good moments. Lower your expectations. This technique works across the board.
And trust me, you wanted no part of Hans Q. Bungle on the court this Saturday.
Q: What puzzles you?
A: Recycling. Like, I know it's good and I do it as much as possible, but I've had this irrational skepticism about it ever since I read this stupid article like 12 years ago. Plus, I still am not sure about certain items. Milk Cartons -- do they go in with plastic or paper? I've heard both answers. Maybe If I knew what they are made of I could make an informed decision.
And batteries. What the hell do we do with batteries?
Q: Early thoughts on the Knicks?
A: Yes it is early, but it looks like it's going to be a long season. The new style is there and the dudes are running, they just can't shoot. I mean, even crappy teams seem to have like 2 or 3 all-star type players, like say The Heat. The best players on the Knicks...Randolph and Crawford, I guess? Yuck. And the Marbury situation is really just awful and sad for everybody.
Q: What time is it?
A: 1:36 a.m.
Q: What was the answer to the lyric stumpah in the previous post?
A: "If You Want My Love" by Cheap Trick. Not their best or their worst, but one that stuck in my head for some reason. And a complete Beatle ripoff. Can you name the Beatles song being stolen?
On a side note, I knew Cheap Trick was from Rockford, Illinois, but I always thought Robin Zander was British. Turns out he's from fuckin' Beloit. Props, Zander.
Q: How did that book you were reading turn out?
A: Not done yet, but it got kinda sucky.
Q: Did you watch the World Series?
A: Bits and pieces. I liked it, but it sure was weird. Looking forward to 2009, I don't see how the Yanks will make the playoffs with the D-Rays and Red Sox in their division. They better open that checkbook wide.
Q: What do you think about Capital Punishment?
A: I think it's barbaric. I think that as human beings in 2008 we should be capable of better. I don't think it deters crime. I think that if we put even one innocent person to death, we should all be ashamed of ourselves. I have always felt this way.
But now...if someone did something horrible to my kid, I would want that person put to death. So I don't know how I feel about it.
Q: Are you excited about the show on Thursday?
A: Yes, although work may make me show up a little late. Also, some non-verbungle-reading officemates may be tagging along, so if you are coming please don't mention the blog. The job you save may be my own.
Q: What's the verdict on High School Musical 3?
A: It's no HSM 2. They really blew it.
Q: Should I wait to get huge?
A: It depends. Every situation is different. That said, I generally think it's a bad idea to wait to get huge. You only get so many chances.
"Don't wait to get huge." Word.
It was a good weekend. I was happy. I did all the things I like to do: eat, drink, play ball, walk around, listen to music, have brunch with family, get huge. You know.
I was in a good mood and I had a spring in my step. There was a point on Saturday where I was playing hoops and I just couldn't miss. It was turn back the clock night, and even if it only lasted an hour or so, it was immensely satisfying.
It got me thinking about happiness. There are a million happinesses in the world, ranging from mild to medium to spicy habanero.
There's the happiness that comes with moments of great relief, like passing the bar or receiving a favorable medical diagnosis. There's the happiness in being proven right. There's the happiness of getting a new gadget. There's the happiness of excelling at something. There's the happiness of landing in a familiar place, whether it's returning home after a long vacation or hearing your favorite song on the radio.
Figuring something out = happiness. Fixing something. Having sex. Eating potatoes. Going on a really strong run of one-liners in the office. Drinking with your pals. Climbing in bed with your old lady. Dipping your toes in the surf. Standing up for yourself. Teaching somebody something. Helping out a person in need. Seeing your kid do something cool. Watching your favorite show. Reverse dunking a basketball.
Getting away with something. Discovering something new to love. Punching a bully square in the jaw. Having a little change in your pocket going jingalingaling.
We can keep going here, feel free to add your own.
But it seems to me that the purest happiness is the one that fills your soul so completely that you cannot think of anything else except what is happening to you right then. What you are doing is all you care about, nothing else exists. No yesterday, no tomorrow, no worries, no consequences, just pure fulfillment. To be hopelessly lost in that particular moment is the ultimate happiness. I saw an example as I was walking through Stuyvesant Town today.
On the little grass field near our apartment building, there were two sixteen-or-so-year-old kids kicking a soccer ball around together. A boy and a girl. They were sort of horsing around, trying to take the ball from one another. Then they got tangled up and fell on top of each other. They started play-wrestling and giggling, and the boy eventually got the upper hand on the girl and they found themselves in a mess of arms and legs and the boy's face was like three inches above the girl's. They stopped giggling and just stared into each other's eyes for like 30 seconds in silence. I turned away to limit my own creepiness, but I am pretty sure that they had been "just friends" until that very moment, and then they both simultaneously realized they were in love. Not just love, but uncontrollable teenage love. Not long-term, adult, through the ups and downs, always there for each other love. No, it was wild, gasping, desperate, kiss me or I'll die love. And I can guarantee that their heads were empty of any thoughts other than the person staring back at them.
That's a good weekend. I can't duplicate that feeling for you, I'm sorry. But I can give you what I consider the next best thing, a new edition of the IAQ. Here goes:
Q: With Halloween just behind us, it seems like a good time to ask: what are your favorite candy bars?
A: In order:
KitKat
Twix
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
Nestle Crunch
$100,000 Bar
Mounds
Honorable Mention Old School: Marathon Bar
Q: What are your thoughts on the election?
A: Obviously I'm for Obama, although voting in a state like New York is sort of like watching TV without a Nielsen box. Still fun, but not impactful. Today I read this article and it kind of bummed me out for a couple of reasons:
I have trouble believing that Obama is really truly that sincere in his religious beliefs. I think it's a political move on his part.
And assuming I'm wrong about that, it bothers me that he would let those relgious views trump logic, common sense and fairness.
“I’m a Christian,” Mr. Obama said on a radio program in his 2004 race for Senate. “And so, although I try not to have my religious beliefs dominate or determine my political views on this issue, I do believe that tradition, and my religious beliefs say that marriage is something sanctified between a man and a woman."
Please, dude. Don't be so lame. Love is love, rights are rights, marriage like anything else can be redefined over time.
Q: A lot of people think the Replacements are overrated. What song would you offer as proof of their greatness?
A: You know what, fuck it. I am done proselytizing about the Replacements. If you don't like 'em, I completely understand. They didn't break new groud musically, they weren't the best players or the coolest dudes, there is no measurable evidence of what made them special. I just think they had more heart than everybody else combined.
But if pressed...maybe "Sixteen Blue."
Q: How do you deal with sucking at something you used to be good at (like basketball)?
A: Savor the good moments. Lower your expectations. This technique works across the board.
And trust me, you wanted no part of Hans Q. Bungle on the court this Saturday.
Q: What puzzles you?
A: Recycling. Like, I know it's good and I do it as much as possible, but I've had this irrational skepticism about it ever since I read this stupid article like 12 years ago. Plus, I still am not sure about certain items. Milk Cartons -- do they go in with plastic or paper? I've heard both answers. Maybe If I knew what they are made of I could make an informed decision.
And batteries. What the hell do we do with batteries?
Q: Early thoughts on the Knicks?
A: Yes it is early, but it looks like it's going to be a long season. The new style is there and the dudes are running, they just can't shoot. I mean, even crappy teams seem to have like 2 or 3 all-star type players, like say The Heat. The best players on the Knicks...Randolph and Crawford, I guess? Yuck. And the Marbury situation is really just awful and sad for everybody.
Q: What time is it?
A: 1:36 a.m.
Q: What was the answer to the lyric stumpah in the previous post?
A: "If You Want My Love" by Cheap Trick. Not their best or their worst, but one that stuck in my head for some reason. And a complete Beatle ripoff. Can you name the Beatles song being stolen?
On a side note, I knew Cheap Trick was from Rockford, Illinois, but I always thought Robin Zander was British. Turns out he's from fuckin' Beloit. Props, Zander.
Q: How did that book you were reading turn out?
A: Not done yet, but it got kinda sucky.
Q: Did you watch the World Series?
A: Bits and pieces. I liked it, but it sure was weird. Looking forward to 2009, I don't see how the Yanks will make the playoffs with the D-Rays and Red Sox in their division. They better open that checkbook wide.
Q: What do you think about Capital Punishment?
A: I think it's barbaric. I think that as human beings in 2008 we should be capable of better. I don't think it deters crime. I think that if we put even one innocent person to death, we should all be ashamed of ourselves. I have always felt this way.
But now...if someone did something horrible to my kid, I would want that person put to death. So I don't know how I feel about it.
Q: Are you excited about the show on Thursday?
A: Yes, although work may make me show up a little late. Also, some non-verbungle-reading officemates may be tagging along, so if you are coming please don't mention the blog. The job you save may be my own.
Q: What's the verdict on High School Musical 3?
A: It's no HSM 2. They really blew it.
Q: Should I wait to get huge?
A: It depends. Every situation is different. That said, I generally think it's a bad idea to wait to get huge. You only get so many chances.
Labels: happiness, IAQ, teenage love
posted by hans q. bungle at 23:28
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