Every once in a while I very much want to eat a char-broiled cheeseburger and crispy hot french fries and wash it all down with a butterscotch milkshake, all the while listening to Buddy Holly singing "That'll Be The Day" on a jukebox. I think this is because my first job ever, as a fresh-faced naive 16-year-old was at a place called The Malt Shop in St. Paul, MN.
I was a soda jerk. I wore a purple shirt with ice cream splattered across my chest and it was permanently encrusted there (from the machine we used to make the shakes and malts). I am pretty sure I wore black tennis shoes that would slip across the floor all day (or night) long, until we mopped it clean of ice cream drippings. The juke box probably had more than 5 songs on it, but for now, I will say it had 5. I still know all the words, almost 20 years later. I had some friends there, I don't remember their names. I had some enemies too. But I loved that music. And I loved, still do, a good char-broiled cheeseburger, fries and a shake. I just....never......eat....them.....anymore. Sigh. The sadness of changing metabolism and the growing commitment to eating healthy.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
I like high horses
As a writer and aspiring successful writer, who paid a lot of money for a title that says I am a good writer, I have developed a lot of opinions about writing over the years. As a writer who has entered adulthood at the same time the interweb roared into our collective consciousness, I have seen my claim as 'good writer' and 'aspiring successful writer' taken up by just about anyone with a computer. Anyone who is anyone can write, nowadays and some people are actually leveraging themselves online in a very lucrative and viable way.
(The sidebar is a commentary on how with the advent of blogs, no one is held accountable for their opinions and professed facts, they do not represent any particular public, nor are they required to stay true to a code of conduct, which many journalists adhere to, take pride in, and follow at the very least out of respect for themselves and their jobs, and at the most, out of respect for humanity and the world at large. Of course, there are many publications that have no standards, and individuals do exist for whom morality does not seem to exist, but by and large, the journalist I know have standards and integrity.)
But what I myself have fallen prey to on occasion, and what many self-professed writers also fall prey to, in the blogosphere, is the trappings of ego. People with intelligence taking a topic and commenting on it in such a way that implies that anyone of a different opinion should be ashamed of liking what they like or doing what they do. I think it can be very hard to express opinion without saying something to offend a person of a different belief, IF that person is quick to offense regardless of how a thought is phrased. But it seems as though those of us that like to expound sometimes just enjoy the sound of our own witty little voices. And as we write our scathing commentary, we imagine the reception of said commentary is in the form of delighted laughter and raw admiration. We imagine our audience as applauding our candor and wit. Or, if we take pleasure in a little darkness, we imagine our audience as being shamed into a change of heart. Either way, there is a lot of ego in writing. And the line between loving oneself and lauding oneself is very thin, indeed, I think.
My favorite poet keeps ego out of the equation and his reception at shows is exponentially different than when the other poets perform. I will take this observation to heart in my writing from now on, as a principle. Let's see how I do!
(The sidebar is a commentary on how with the advent of blogs, no one is held accountable for their opinions and professed facts, they do not represent any particular public, nor are they required to stay true to a code of conduct, which many journalists adhere to, take pride in, and follow at the very least out of respect for themselves and their jobs, and at the most, out of respect for humanity and the world at large. Of course, there are many publications that have no standards, and individuals do exist for whom morality does not seem to exist, but by and large, the journalist I know have standards and integrity.)
But what I myself have fallen prey to on occasion, and what many self-professed writers also fall prey to, in the blogosphere, is the trappings of ego. People with intelligence taking a topic and commenting on it in such a way that implies that anyone of a different opinion should be ashamed of liking what they like or doing what they do. I think it can be very hard to express opinion without saying something to offend a person of a different belief, IF that person is quick to offense regardless of how a thought is phrased. But it seems as though those of us that like to expound sometimes just enjoy the sound of our own witty little voices. And as we write our scathing commentary, we imagine the reception of said commentary is in the form of delighted laughter and raw admiration. We imagine our audience as applauding our candor and wit. Or, if we take pleasure in a little darkness, we imagine our audience as being shamed into a change of heart. Either way, there is a lot of ego in writing. And the line between loving oneself and lauding oneself is very thin, indeed, I think.
My favorite poet keeps ego out of the equation and his reception at shows is exponentially different than when the other poets perform. I will take this observation to heart in my writing from now on, as a principle. Let's see how I do!
Monday, October 17, 2011
Spanx...
Using my popularity, I have decided to revolutionize the English language and inspire millions by starting to use the word 'Spanx' in the place of the more familiar and common term, 'thanks.'
In so doing, millions will begin to follow my example and not only will I make the world a more delightful place, but I will also draw untold attention to spandex and the binding, girdle-like clothing brand Spanx, which produces tights, leggings and underwear that are incredibly comfortable and also makes you prettier.
In gratitude for my generous actions, I think that the company Spanx should pay me $75,387.13, which may or may not be the amount of student loans I still owe Sallie Mae.
Spanx,
Leslie
In so doing, millions will begin to follow my example and not only will I make the world a more delightful place, but I will also draw untold attention to spandex and the binding, girdle-like clothing brand Spanx, which produces tights, leggings and underwear that are incredibly comfortable and also makes you prettier.
In gratitude for my generous actions, I think that the company Spanx should pay me $75,387.13, which may or may not be the amount of student loans I still owe Sallie Mae.
Spanx,
Leslie
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