Fly By

I flew Delta internationally for the first time just after the March '11 Japan earthquake. That bit of info was irrelevent, I just wanted a way to quickly remind myself where/why I was flying.

Anyway, Delta did this interesting thing where they served ice cream as a mid-flight snack. I've never been served ice cream on a plane, ever. It just seems like a bad idea...especially an ice cream sandwich. Cut to 20 minutes later after the flight attendants have passed out neatly wrapped disaster-sandwiches, I'm woken up to something touching my arm. I look at my arm...see ice cream...I think, "hmm. That's weird". I look up at the kid sitting next to me to find that he decided to use the ice cream sandwich as an exfoliating mask.

My thought, "This can't be right."

The Asshole's Handbook to Driving

For the purpose of my own sanity, I have to believe that people don't drive like assholes on purpose. And if I'm gonna be bold and honest (who are we kidding, it's the internet. I'll be as bold and honest as I want) I'm sure I've been called an asshole by other drivers...once or twice.

There should be a handbook that every licensed driver should treat as their automotive bible. And let's get back to be honest and just say, from the beginning, that will be translated into different languages. White people, shut up because I'm acknowledging the fact that the people of my ancestral hemisphere are not what you would consider the "ideal driver". But let the truth set us free...white people have just as many terrible drivers. It's a universal travesty. It has come to my attention that this is the common denominator that will unite all people across the board.

Here are a couple items to kick off the handbook:

1. Do the damn thank you wave! You think you magically found an opening in the crowded lane? It never occurred to you that someone slowed down to let you in?

2. Check the speed of cars in the lane you wish to switch to. If you see a car approaching at a higher speed than you from the lane you wish to switch to, wait for them to pass. Then switch.

3. Speeders are already pissed off because they're late. Be aware of that. Don't cut the line if you've got time. Let 'em pass.

4. This next one has a couple conditionals. If you're in the fast lane going 65mph (I have a bat in my trunk just for you) and someone rolls right up on your tail...switch lanes. Let 'em by.

Now, if you're the person rolling up on someone's booty in the fast lane at 80mph, go around them. Don't expect everyone to abide to your insane speeding habits.

That's all I have for now. And if you can only remember one thing from this post let it be the "courtesy wave". Do it even if you're unsure. It'll make for a better world - one wave at a time.

My Friend

My friend reads this blog religiously. I only have a few, but she takes the time out to read it and digest it.

I wonder about technology. How we tweet/text/message/pin/blog/podcast/facebook/myspace/etc. to keep in touch and to stay in the loop. I know that I've subscribed to blogs and never read them. I know that I've followed people on twitter simply because they're following me.

I know that when it comes to that...I'm not so good. I upload and put stuff up for my own benefit and not for others. I know that.

I think I'm ok with it. But my friend...she's the future of the wild, wild, web.

Streamline Your Life

I'm trying to figure out how to "streamline" my life. I'm not even sure what that means. But in all honesty...at least I'm doing something.

Self-unRealization

I think life has a funny way of showing you its cards. Sometimes the timing is fantastic, but I'm gonna have to say that most times I can take it or leave it. This past month has been a bumpy ride full of one reality check after another.

I've come face-to-face with the fact that my father will never put me first. It broke my heart to finally have the steaming cup of reality thrown in my face. I've never felt such loss, embarrassment, and sadness in my life. When I was little I made, perhaps unconsciously, the decision to separate myself from my emotions. I thought that this would make me tough in the eyes of my father. I am weak. I am weak with a stone exterior.

The realization that it would never be enough, no matter what I did, no matter how good I was, or how hard I tried, I will never be first. My entire life revolved around his approval. Now I don't know who I am. I question if any of my accomplishments have any merit to me. I wonder if who I am is because that's who I wanted to be, or if it's what I thought he would want.

I always thought that life was a balancing act of who we wanted to be and who we actually were. But I've put that under scrutiny because both sides of the equation were obliterated with one phone call.

The big question is where do I go from here? What's my next move? Graduation is in sight and everything I thought I wanted is...floating. I am floating. I am in between worlds. I am not a single-self. I am multiple personalities, no, I am multiple personas. I am only what my surroundings expect me to be.

Who is Mina?