On Pride and Slippers

image courtesy of webbeat.tv

This morning, after I’d put my last batch of homemade banana oat cookies in the oven and settled down at my dining room table to write, I was overcome with a wave of pride and happiness. The James Taylor Pandora station was melancholically spilling out of the living room speakers, a foamy cup of coffee warmed my hand, and my feet were cozy in new, furry slippers, a recent purchase that has changed my life and made me realize that yes, God does exist, and his name is Target.

I looked around MY apartment, the home that has my name on the lease, the sanctuary my sister and I have created with our hard-earned money, the small but inviting nest that is situated on a street that I love, in a city that I’d longed to live in my whole life but never believed I’d actually be lucky enough to call mine. And I felt, in the words of that kid on youtube after he successfully rides his bike for the first time, “happy of myself”. In that moment, I forgave myself for not being a theatrical prodigy, for not getting my oil changed when I’m supposed to, for still carrying those extra five pounds I’d resolved to lose last January. I took a second to feel pure, sincere gratitude and pride, things that us 20-somethings probably lose sight of all too often in this cut-throat sea of career competition and financial anxiety.

And then my power went out. There I was, thanking my lucky stars for the incredible light that soaked my life, and in a flash, I was back in the darkness. Instantly, I had become powerless, in more ways than I cared to consider. My instinct was to turn to fear and anger, especially after I realized that the internet was down too—no more James Taylor radio. But, in the next instant, with a deep breath, I came back down to earth slowly, carefully, this time appreciating the fact that the crummy shit we experience on a daily basis is valuable, if for no other reason than to make us to recognize how truly magnificent all the good stuff is. And I silently thought to myself, “thumbs up for rock and roll!”

Check out the video that Cassidy’s talking about here:
Thumbs up for Rock and Roll