Ms. Scellaneous

Sometimes life makes us feel miscellaneous. In all the hustle and bustle of daily life, jam packed with the ritualistic routines and the unexpected happenings that make the best stories, life can leave us feeling scattered, unfocused, and exhausted. Because let’s face it folks, life is a worthy opponent in the battle to maintain our sanity. It lashes out with fierce strength, sending a volley of responsibility, expectations, and unplanned circumstances down on unsuspecting civilians, whose only answer is to just wing it and hope for the best. As we fight back as best as we can, with a barrage of squeaks, groans, and halfhearted sighs, we cling to what little structure and fallback plans that keep us afloat.

Life – 1. Me – 0.

NOPE. I will emerge victorious, just give me some time and a fighting chance. Just call me Ms. Scellaneuous – because I’m a mess, a muddle, and most often found marveling at life and all its magnificent surprises (and dodging bullets too).

Maybe Life Thinks My Play on Words is Funny 

>Next Year - Two Door Cinema Club
>About The Weather - Tom Rosenthal
>In A Drawer - Band of Horses
>America - First Aid Kit
>Jackie and Wilson - Hozier
>Step - Vampire Weekend
>Mr. Tambourine Man - Bob Dylan
>Cleopatra - The Lumineers
>Sun - Sleeping At Last
>Days - The Drums
>These Days - Nico
>Quietus - Foxing 
>Shield Your Eyes (acoustic) - Dry the River


You can win this war, with humor, good music, and good food,

Gabriella

Ways to Win Your Weekly Wars

Long weekends are both a blessing and a curse. They seem to arrive just when we need them. Our lives have become so hectic and fast paced, we begin to wonder how much more we can stand before we break down completely, and there it is – a redeeming light at the end of a formidable tunnel. The light is so beautiful, so bright we must look away, blinking deliberately to bring our eyes back into focus, and by the time we turn our faces back to its glory, it has passed, leaving us once again at the entrance to an ever-darkening tunnel. And this tunnel seems even more foreboding than when we last encountered it.

Only one thing is certain. We must carry on. No matter how frightening, dismal, or difficult of a task it may be – though we may scream and shout – tears may fall and feet may bleed. We don’t have to go silently, but we have to get to the other side. And there’s no saying that we can’t have a little help along the way.

So let’s not hesitate. Let’s face it head on.

Courage, My Friends:

>Slow the Time – Cataldo
>I’ll Believe In Anything –  Wolf Parade
>There is a Dark Place – Tom Rosenthal
>Stay Alive – Jose Gonzalez
>Dropla – Youth Lagoon
>Dog Days Are Over – Florence + The Machine
>How Can You Swallow So Much Sleep – Bombay Bicycle Club
>Sun Giant – Fleet Foxes
>Heart’s On Fire – Passenger
>Lost Coastlines – Okkervil River
>Lovers In Japan – Coldplay
>Wake Up Children – J. Thoven
>Back Then – B Story

Have Heart. You were made to win this fight.

Gabriella

Simply Say It

Why do we keep really wonderful things to ourselves?

It’s a simple question with a more complex answer. Maybe we’re afraid to come on too strong or to make the other person uncomfortable. Perhaps we’re worried about the response we’ll receive, or what those around us will think. All these fears are natural and understandable, of course. In a world where we must all be on our guard, careful not to let anyone harm us or do us wrong, we have learned to keep a lot of things to ourselves. Our mothers all taught us that same age-old phrase, ingrained into our minds like our own names, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” But they didn’t say anything about what to do when we have really nice things to say! So I say share and share alike! Simply say it. If you’ve observed something sweet about someone, say it for God’s sake! I promise you, it’ll make someone’s day.

Now this doesn’t mean that we should be insincere in our compliments and tell people things that we don’t mean simply to boost their ego. It just means that if somebody has said, done, or simply is something that we admire, we should thank them for their goodness by bringing it to the forefront. Take the goodness that lives inside you and share it with the world. Start with your own friends and neighbors, and watch it grow.

Don’t hold back,

Gabriella

In Praise of The Young Man Who Danced At The Red Light

As I sat behind the wheel of my mom-style minivan I counted the seconds ticking slowly by. I began to wonder how much of my life I had spent waiting at these devilishly long red lights, contemplating everything from my very existence to the true ingredients of the Krabby Patty Secret Formula.

The particularly soft song playing through the aux cord was gradually coming to its close, stirring me from my daydreams and sucking me back into the boredom of the moment. My wandering eyes made their way to the car in front of my own, and I couldn’t help but notice the young, bearded man in the driver’s seat who was, for lack of a better term, getting his groove on. I haven’t the slightest idea what he was listening to, or what kind of a day he was having, but it must have been very, very good. As he nodded his head easily and rambunctiously tapped the steering wheel, I couldn’t help but smile. He was just so happy. His carefree demeanor seemed to emanate from the tips of his dancing fingers and reach into my own heart, so much so, that I began to laugh. And before I knew it, I couldn’t stop laughing.

When he glanced into his rear view mirror and noticed me giggling like a fool, he ceased his moving and grooving. I immediately felt guilty for having put an end to his joy, but my regrets were short lived. After a moments rest, he grinned back at me through the mirror and continued his lighthearted dancing. I found myself so relieved by his unwavering happiness that my smile grew even broader and my laughter even heartier. When he glanced back at me once more, his own cheer compounding upon itself, I was struck by the sudden urge to retaliate in equal joyousness. I quickly searched my music for an upbeat, sunny song, and settled on an old favorite. Starting a little timidly, I soon struck up a smooth and shamelessly silly dance. We laughed at each other and at the supreme kookiness of the situation, and I don’t know about him, but I had long forgotten about the seemingly never ending red light.

And as quickly as it began, it was finished. The cars slowly creaked into movement, stretching tired gears that grew cold waiting for the light to shine green. My new found friend pulled into the left lane in preparation to make his turn, and I stepped lightly on the gas pedal, ready to continue on my journey. As the engine revved and my soccer mom ride pushed onward, the young man and I peeked over at one another and smiled for the final time. I didn’t even have time to look back at him through my rear view mirror before he was out of sight.

Out of sight, but not so far out of mind.

Thank you, young man who danced at the red light, for making me smile. Thank you for reminding me to be joyful for myself, in the peaceful moments I spend alone when no one is watching. This one’s for you.

Keep living merrily. Keep doing you.

Gabriella

Thursday? Or Friday Eve?

The bestial Wednesday crept through the shadows of the waning Tuesday, eager to unleash its exhausting wrath upon our poor existences the moment the clock struck midnight. Upon rising that dull and foreboding morning, the dead weight of Wednesday was already heavy on our drowsy shoulders. After tugging sore limbs through the holes of well-worn clothing, we threw open the doors of our lives and trudged on into our daily responsibilities, heads struggling to remain high, chins drooping into cups of overpriced coffee. But though the day was long, and with each hour passing even slower than the last – we did it. With our chalices of victory held aloft, and the stenches of sweat and cheap frozen dinners mingling in the stale air, we celebrated our conquering of the ominous beast that was Wednesday. After the ceremonies and merrymaking met their end, we crawled, weary and in need of showers, into our warm, inviting beds, ready to sleep in preparation of the following day.

Thursday. With promise of new beginnings it rose eagerly with the sun to wake us from our shallow slumbering. But as the beams of radiance and rebirth kiss our bloodshot eyes and bring redness into our cheeks, we look upon Thursday with scorn. Were we made bitter and cold by the battle of Wednesday? Or is the allure of Friday taunting us from beyond the veil of another long day and sleepless night? Either way, our routines remain much the same. We beg Thursday to end our suffering quickly, and it ignores our pleas for mercy and drags sluggishly on for what seems like an eternity. Just when we think we can bear it no longer, the clock strikes its sweet spot and alerts us that it’s quitting time, and we are filled with an unbelievable sense of relief. Finally, it is time for Friday.

But why do we do this to ourselves? Why do we live each day in constant longing for the next? Are we so discontent with our day to day existence that the only conceivable thing to save us from our despair is the hope of the next day? Perhaps if we were to seek joy and contentment in all days – Wednesday included – we would not find ourselves so desperate for the night to come and put us out of our misery. They say that attitude is everything, and it can find the good in anything. So how about we stop looking at each day like a task we must complete, but as an adventure that we get to experience. Each day is the eve of a new and incredible adventure. On the eve of a special day, there is excitement and happiness, there is a sense of anticipation and wonder. With this mentality, we can approach each morning as another opportunity to experience this world and seek greatness.

So, good morning, Friday Eve. I can’t wait to see what you have in store for us all.

With eagerness,

Gabriella