Going the Distance

As you may or may not know, running is something I enjoy doing from time to time, though I can't say it's something I'm great at. About a year ago I had worked up to running a straight mile... not a fast one, mind you, but a mile no less. At that time, I would keep close track of the time... trying to push myself closer and closer to the coveted 10-minute mile, but that never happened. Then for a long time I stopped running... mostly because it got cold, and I do not do cold. More on that some other time...

But what I'm realizing is that I was measuring the wrong thing. It's not speed I'm after... it's distance.

Unacceptable

I am a pretty tolerant, patient person. But even I, your humble blog author, find certain things absolutely unacceptable. I can't even quite express them in words, so I chose instead to draw some drawings. As a quick aside, yes a lot of these have to do with driving. Yes, I like to drive fast. I'm still a rule-follower, but even I know a stupid rule when I see one, and I do like to get where I'm going... quickly. That does not mean that I am an unsafe driver, though! I like to refer to it as "driving with intention." Everyone should drive so intentionally. ;)

Et voilà:

[P]erceived [M]adness [S]yndrome

It's madness, I tell you. I recognize this. If you are a female, you will very likely know exactly what it is I'm talking about. If you are a male, do not attempt to understand it... logic will not help you here. Rather, keep this as a weapon in your coffer for safekeeping. It might just save you one day. Trust Stacie.

IMAGINARY

im·ag·i·nar·y /iˈmajəˌnerē/ adj. existing only in the imagination

I've spoken to lots of people who say that, as a child, they enjoyed the company of imaginary friends. This is perfectly normal and natural, and you only think it's weird if you didn't have any. Here's a diagram to help you understand:

Masquerade

There is a reason masks can be simultaneously scary and beautiful... especially those used for Mardi Gras and masquerades. They're decorated so lovely, designed to draw attention to themselves, to elicit admiration. At the same time, though, what you're beholding is merely a shield - an elaborate disguise whose sole purpose is to conceal the identity of the face behind it. Now, I don't have the slightest clue where this ritual began, and I have no intention of slipping into the Wikipedia wormhole right now to find out. What I do know, though, is that it's no secret that we wear these metaphorical masks on a daily basis. But I have to wonder - why has this been so often regarded as a bad thing? Is it even fair to expect that a person completely reveal every little aspect of his personality, attitudes, opinions, etc. in every situation? Isn't it actually preferable that we sometimes hide certain things at certain times for the sake of harmony or social acceptance? In other words, is it ok to be who you are at all times, to be true to you, without just laying out all of who you are on the sidewalk for everyone all the time?

Monday Red Beans

On this first Monday in June, I feel it's only appropriate to pay homage to my place of birth with a short post to get the week started.

June 1 marked the official start of hurricane season, and it's been hot as hell down on the dirty coast, but there is a reason I'm proud to live here. This city has more culture in its pinky toe than most places have entirely. We identify ourselves very strongly with some things, and one of those things is the reason for this post's title. If you're from here or familiar, you saw that and nodded. If you're not, a New Orleans tradition that can't be stopped is red beans & rice on Mondays. Who knows why that really started, but I've heard that we eat red beans on Mondays because Mondays used to be the day the ladies would go out and do the washing, so they needed something that could essential "cook itself" all day long on the stove for dinner that evening. But here in New Orleans you can't just use any old red kidney bean to do the job. No, no... Camellia brand red beans is synonymous with red beans. Why? Because my mama uses Camellia red beans, her mom uses Camellia red beans, and if you're from here, ya mom 'n 'em probably use Camellia red beans, too. ;)

Now I'm not going to venture to get into all of what makes this city so special... I did, after all, call this a "short post"... So what I will do instead is let you hear it, feel it. The music here is like no other... it's charming and inspiring, and I chose two videos today that each bring to life a unique piece of that New Orleans flavor. Enjoy!

Follow the Rules, Part 2: Language Fail

So yesterday we explored rule following and one of its consequences on my life. Well, here's another little story for you... and one which has haunted me for years. 14 years, to be exact. When I was in Driver's Ed., I wanted to be the best little driver that instructor had ever seen. I was going to win Driver's Ed. What happened while we were driving, though, is really a result of a problem with the English language...