Welcome once again to my nook, where the pendulum of topics I touch seems to swing in two opposite directions: things I love or hate. This week, I’m embracing hatred — sort of.
You know when the world feels immensely heavy, so all you want to do is crawl under a rock and hope it magically gets better? That’s where I’m at right now. I understand it’s counterproductive to not actually do something to create change in society, but I’m not feeling optimistic — and that’s OK. Right now, I just need to fall off the face of the Earth (during my free time, of course) as a coping mechanism.
To do that, I venture into secret gardens in my mind that consist of literally touching grass, reading a book or going to the movies. I want to pick up a new hobby this year — knitting — but I haven’t brought that idea into fruition quite yet.
My latest form of escapism has been watching Vanderpump Rules, a reality TV show that almost feels like a CW original series, except it’s a bunch of late 20-somethings who work at Lisa Vanderpump’s restaurant called Sur. That’s the beauty of having different coping mechanisms.
I love, yet also hate, getting deeply invested in some form of art because, for once, all my issues vanish. I love and hate the tight feeling in my chest while watching Titanic as Rose releases Jack into the ocean (yes, she did have enough space for both of them on that piece of furniture, and I won’t go into further discussion). Remembering that Rose does not have a picture of Jack, so all of him only lives in her memory and dreams. The fact that Jack basically sacrificed his life so Rose could finally live her life to her full potential — my poor heartstrings. For those three hours, I’m not thinking about filing my taxes.
For 45 minutes, my brain gets a break from our current climate because I’m invested in finding out whether Tom Sandoval from Vanderpump Rules cheated on his longtime girlfriend, Kristen Doute — who puts Sherlock Holmes to shame. She’s an absolute nut job, but she conducts boots-on-the-ground journalism and always ends up being correct. It’s fascinating to watch.
I’m a sucker for excellent one-liners that stick with you for a lifetime, and trust me, this show provides them. I also like consuming new media as a form of inspiration. My best ideas hatch while watching the most mundane or moving art forms. They also happen at midnight, when I can’t get myself to go to bed.
I try to watch as many “educational” forms of art as possible because knowledge is power — even when it comes from reality TV. At the end of the day, I love to learn. Despite my tangent about reality television, I want to read more literary classics, so I’m open to any recommendations.
When I read books, I tend to pick up new words or phrases. If you see me heavily using a word, it’s most likely because it was recently added to my vocabulary. Reading has also made me a fanatic of em dashes. I loathe semicolons, and I feel like em dashes really make a point stand out.
I also pick up the phrases of people I’m around often. I remember starting to incorporate the word “buddy” after living with my college roommate. Along the way, she adopted my lingo, too. There are some movie classics I refuse to watch because film bros have been beyond annoying about them — sorry to The Godfather. Maybe one day I’ll give it a chance, just so I can fully understand the references woven into pop culture.
I guess that’s where the love-and-hate relationship comes in. I love the escape, and I hate that I need it. I love getting lost in stories, and I hate how quickly they end. Whether it’s through a book, a movie or a reality TV show I’ll defend with my life, these stories give me somewhere to rest my mind when the world feels too loud. These stories give me space to learn, reflect and breathe before returning to reality. For now, that’s enough — one book, one show and one em dash at a time.
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