For the past couple of days, I’ve gotten a little too lax and have allowed my inner Positive Polly to sneak out. She’s gotten a little too cozy with Negative Nelly, and I’ve had it. I’m pulling in the reigns and well, she’s grounded. They are not allowed to see each other, unless it’s on my terms.
I suppose I should expect it when I’m living in a new city where I barely know a soul, and I have not yet begun my new job full-time, as the school year does not begin until the end of this month. However, instead of feeling sorry for myself, I’ve decided I simply need to indulge in a little narcissism. Why not? Instead of depending on someone else to love me and lift my spirits, I’M going to love me. Writing up lists is a therapeutic tool for my insatiable desire to add some structure to my busy thoughts, so for my first one, I’ll embrace the things that for some reason or another, I really want to like, but don’t. Not until recently have I come to accept that I don’t have to like these things just because I think that I have to, or because most people do. It’s better this way. These things make me more uniquely ME, and you more uniquely and wonderfully YOU.
Lady Ga-gag. (Photo credit: Beth77)
1. Lady Ga-gag. I will give her mad props for her activism, equal rights message, and her extreme measures as a leader for her fans to not fear being themselves, even if it means not fitting in. However, the giant egg and the meat dress scream mad narcissism. And her music makes me feel kind of ill. Every time I see her, I remember her on MTV’s Boiling Points when she was an aspiring singer who looked exactly. like. Snooki. Besides–Madonna for life.
Sick Street, I mean, Sixth Street, Austin (Photo credit: Kevin H.)
2. Bars. Don’t get me wrong, wine with dinner after a long day, a michelada by the pool, or a celebratory glass of bubbly suits my fancy, but I’m not a huge drinker anymore. I’m not a fan of going to bars. I’m single, and most of my friends enjoy long nights of being seen in bars. I live in bar-central. I should go to bars and meet new people, right? However, the meat-market scene and dodging awkward encounters does not appeal to me. Neither does losing control of my choices. I actually like waking up in the morning remembering every idiotic thing I said.
Mmkay. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
3. The Olympics. I feel badly about this one and so left out! Everyone wants to talk about the Olympics, write about the Olympics, watch it, breathe it… but I can’t get into the spirit of it, and I don’t have a reason. I love sports, always have. Up until my twenties, I was the type of person to stay up all night watching obscure sports just to witness the magic of the Olympics a little bit longer. But, the magic didn’t last, and it just feels like a bad break-up.
Ewww. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
4. The Treadmill. My calves blow up just thinking about running on one. Running outside, however, is another story. There is just something about running and going nowhere that stresses me out.
Gross. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
5. American Idol. Or any other singing/dancing/pageant competition-reality show for that matter. I can’t even talk about it.
Fools. (Photo credit: vagabond by nature)
6. College Sports. My family of Sooner fanatics would hate me for this one. I love professional sports. Soccer. Baseball. Basketball. Tennis. Football. Track. You name it. I loathe college sports, and I’m not sure why. However, my excuse is that I went to SMU, where sports are low on the totem pole. Okay, maybe not, we were just terrible.
Uh. uh. (Photo credit: sezidesign)
7. Weddings. Turning down free food and a glass of bubbly is hard to do, but the rest of what weddings are made of is just strange. I want to crawl into a hole when I see a man bite off his new bride’s garter. I find bridesmaids to be uber cheesy. And the requirement of a big white dress confuses me. And please understand, I have enjoyed watching each one of my family members and friends get married because seeing them do what makes them happy makes me happy, too. I am also a strong believer in marriage, and it deserves a celebration. Mine just won’t involve the chicken dance or a bride-and-groom cake topper.
Aaaah! (Photo credit: Joe Dunckley)
8. Cats. I’m an animal lover, so I want to like cats. Whenever I meet someone who has a cat, I usually lie in order to not offend them and say, “I like them, but I’m just deathly allergic to them.” Truth is, I really am allergic, but they also just really creep me out. And no, your F-book status updates of the cats talking baby-babble to each other is not cute.
Phew! (Photo credit: Rob Blatt)
9. Pants. I am more comfortable wearing a dress, or a skirt. Perhaps a part of my disdain comes from being short and having to hem every pair that I own… even the petites. And I hate jeans. People tend to like them because they are “comfortable.” Seriously? I put them in the MOST uncomfortable category.
Baaahring. (Photo credit: Joshua Berman)
10. Yoga. Yogis will say that the people who would most benefit from yoga are the people who say they don’t have the patience for it. Probably true, but I’m not willing to push past this dilemma. I want to like yoga because I believe in the power of meditation. But every time I try it, it ends up having the opposite effect on me. Instead of relaxing, I create lists in my head…
Next week’s list will include 10 things I wish I didn’t like, but do…
What are some of your “wish-I-liked-but-don’ts?” Please, indulge me!
I’d have to really think about things I wish I liked that I don’t like that aren’t really, really niche … maybe the radio?
If you were a guy you might love jeans because our can fit in a loose, comfortable way.
If you don’t like bars then it makes sense that you wouldn’t like college sports (or at least attending college sports) since most of the crowds are drunk and rowdy.
I have a comment on each of them but it would take forever to write it all LOL
Oh, man… that’s one that should be on my list, too. I don’t even know any radio stations here in Austin yet, but I suppose it doesn’t even matter!
That’s a good point about the correlation between my distaste in bars and college sports… I had never thought of it in that way, but I think you are right! Some bars are okay though… Sometimes I enjoy a sit-down bar that is low-key, and maybe it plays good music, though low enough to hear someone speak. The worst are the ones where you have to shout because you can’t even hear what comes out of your mouth if you don’t.
Tell me about it. I’m NYC and 24 and no one in my friend group is older than 27. They love going out and also love NOT going until 11:30 PM… Needless to say, I warn them I need more than an a 20 minute warning to want to bother, but do they listen? No. Then I’m called antisocial. No, I have alcohol here and I’m engaged. I don’t have incentive to go.
But I digress
.
Also, my fiance is among those who like waiting until these hours to go, but she’s an extroverted fashion geek who majored in costume design so we are just different people in this regard
Bah! Oh, I remember those days… I never could understand how my friends were able to take power naps starting at 8 PM in order to go out at 11 PM… sometimes 8 PM is my bedtime. Sheesh. Ha!
Congrats on being engaged! I can see that being another reason why you don’t feel the urge to bar hop. I, on the other hand, am new to a city and single, so I probably should suck it up every now and then and become more social… I’m just such an old lady! Haha.
Yeah, especially number 2. I never really got the reason for going in to bars. The ones around here, excepting the Main Street Pub, have almost no good food and the drunk college kids can make them a real drag to go in to from about August to May.
Same thing with Reality TV – except it’s a drag all year round.
I might copy your idea and do one of these myself. Really nifty idea!
Ooh, yes, please do! I’d love to read it!
I’m with you on pretty much everything … except treadmills & cats. I used to despise cats .. now I have two of my own that have taken over my life (and my wallet). As for treadmills, that’s all I can manage running on. I *wish* I like running outside, like you, because it would be so much more entertaining. I’m such a hermit.
Bah! I can be a hermit, too. I think the running preference also has a lot to do with the culture of where you live. Austin is all about running and biking. Though it’s been freakishly hot lately. Ah… I should have added biking! If I weren’t so afraid of my lack of grace and running into parked cars, I would love to own a bike. I think I’m the only person in Austin who doesn’t. I could do circles around the cul-de-sac where I grew up, but somehow I don’t think that counts. Ha!
I got 9 out of 10! Do I win a prize?
I’m short to but the pants thing doesn’t bother me. I learned how to hem them at an early age and can do it while reading or watching movies. Jeans don’t bother me because I don’t wear them tight when I do wear them. Actually they are one of the few pants I don’t have to hem, I just get them in the boys or men’s department where they sell them by inseam.
I wish I liked outdoor music concerts, we have a lot of them around here, but I’m never comfortable. I’m too hot or too cold or the grass is wet. Whahhh, I’m a baby or worse someone with a obnoxious kid is next to me.
That’s it; I need to learn how to sew a hem! Life would be much easier. Growing up, my mother always hemmed my pants for me, as she sewed dance costumes for a living, so I never learned myself. I do find myself wearing jeans a tad more often, now that tight-rolling them has come back in-style. Ha!
I hear you on the outdoor concert thing. I love the idea of them, but it hardly becomes as glamorous as it is in my head.
Your first 7 are mine, as well. I always feel like some peer and pop culture pariah for not liking bars or the Olympics, etc. It’s not that I hate any of those things, I just don’t “get” them or why others profess love for them.
My sentiments exactly. Yes! Peer and pop culture pariahs no more! We are not alone, my friends!
I’m with you on weddings. I’m not a fan of attending them, though I’m not sure why. And I’m even less eager to be in them. Thank goodness I’m too old now for anyone to ask me to be a member of their wedding party.
Thanks for stopping by my blog!
I hear ya. I’d also say I was probably too old to be asked to be in one at this point, but then again, I have yet to have my own, and my twin sis is getting married just this year. I’m knocking on wood!!
Your twin sister is getting married? Well, congrats to her, but I’m sorry, I don’t think there’s any way you’ll escape that one.
Ha! Actually, I am grateful she is not a traditionalist. She’s not having any bridesmaids. Just food and booze. She’s great!
For that, she deserves an extra gift.
Haha. No kidding! I owe her one.
~I wish I Liked living in the wild/ close to nature or whatever it’s called but I don’t [BECAUSE I can't stand the creepy crawlers and the insects].
Strongly agree with your 3 & 10. However, I do like reality shows not the likes of *kardashians* though. But I dig American idol, the X factor, the Master chef, So you think you can dance and so on and on. *I wish I didn’t like them but I do.*
And you should love them proudly! I actually don’t hate all reality shows… just the ones that are competitions (singing, dancing, etc.) I’m a Real Housewives of Whatever aficionado, in a bad way, a real bad way!
Thank goodness! someone who hates Yoga as much as I do. Would you mind if I did one of these, it is such a good idea!
One of mine would be shoes. Especially at rehearsal, they’re just clunky and awkward. Being someone who is generally uncoordinated, the extra layer between me and the ground isn’t something I love.
Yes, please do! Would love to read it! Ha, I love your shoes comment. Too funny! I understand this all too well.
I totally agree with all of these except for cats and pants and sometimes weddings!
I have tried especially hard to like yoga since all of my friends do and have taken me several times and because they leave saying things like “I feel so emotionally refreshed!” But you know how I feel when I leave yoga? Sore and angry for having gotten talked in to going to yoga again.
One thing that I’ve also finally admitted to myself that I don’t like is most movies. For a long time I would go to anything anyone invited me just to be social, including midnight showings of star wars (WTF?… so not me) so it has been a huge relief for me to come clean.
Yes! That’s how yoga makes me feel, too. Try Pilates! My sister teaches it, and it is much more of a workout, but easier on the body at the same time.
I know what you mean about movies, too. I actually really love movies, but I hate the movie theatre. I’m much too antsy to sit up straight the entire time and maybe it’s in my head, but the seats are always itchy. I am currently having a love affair with Netflix though. You made me laugh with your midnight showing of star wars comment… I did that too, and I totally fell asleep! Mouth open, drool, the works. Totally unattractive. So glad you’ve come clean with me! Feels good, doesn’t it!?
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Zest. Any kind of zest. I know I’m supposed to have a sophisticated palate. But, tell me it doesn’t taste like throw up in the back of your mouth.
Bah!!
“…dodging awkward encounters does not appeal to me. Neither does losing control of my choices…” This last part is the reason I’m about to give up drinking and ‘weeding’! Good fun at the time but when I look at my call log and facebook in the morning, I’m like fuuuuuuuck!
Haha. Never fbook and drink! Bad combo. So, I gave up fbook…