Slow Internet and Other Irritants

You know what is interesting about the poem that inspired the title of my blog? "Birches," by Robert Frost talks about both the high and the low points in life, where sometimes you're shattering diamonds as you spring from the earth in exultant joy, but eventually, you have to come down again to earth.

Today is a coming down to earth day. I really have no reason to be in this coming down mood, but I am. There are just days. Acne days. No food in the cupboard days. Not enough money for rent days. Not enough sleep days. Nothing good to read days. Nobody to talk to days. Nobody listening to me days. Ironically, lots of these sentences begin with "No."

I learned in my philosophy class that we define our humanity by the negative. We see ourselves, and our values, in comparison to what they are not. We see light, for example, as "not dark". But honestly, I had trouble with that idea, because it would mean that all of those days of "No," actually define who I am as a person, instead of days filled with "yes." The kind of person I am on "No" days is someone I don't like very much. But it is my "no" days that make me really appreciate my friends and their patience with me.

Cuz they know the thing I need to most is someone there to tell me that I am good enough, to talk to about things, and just stay with me until I feel better about the state of the world. These friends keep me from dissolving into ridiculous tears and fears-- they keep me sane. They listen to the list of complaints I have about why life is lame: I don't want to clean my room, no one remembered anything I told them, I'm tired of eating and wish I didn't have to be hungry, I hate being alone, I wish I could sleep, I'm afraid of bears, I can't concentrate, I never win when I play Mariokart, I hate dirty bathrooms... you know. Negative stuff. On "no" days, these bug me, when usually they don't.

So happy friends, thanks for dealing. Tomorrow should be a "yes" day.

All I can say now is... why is the internet so slow?