Rant 2

Yesterday, as we walked back from yoga, Julia and I got hit on by students who couldn't have been older than junior high age. Proud day indeed.
Cory just introducted me to orange-flavored chewing gum. It's pretty much rocking my face off! Totally awesome. If you can, I'd advise you to go find some right away!!! It's that good!!!
Just talked to Mitesh (one of the underclassmen who went to HS with me). He's suffering through organic chem right now. I don't miss that at all. It's hard junk. So glad to be done with it, for now at least.
Yes, Galen, I do sometimes write "poetry". My little bro calls his song lyrics, but I'm sure it serves the same purpose. Just to vent without being destructive, ya know?
My next Emerson-inspired post... Brought to mind from his essay on manners as well.
This one is on expectations. "... that by dealing nobly with all, all would show themselves noble." I really, really like this thought. I think it makes sense, also, when greating each new day, to see that expecting the best of each experience the day brings helps each to seem better than perhaps they would appear otherwise. And really, when it comes to memories, all we have is what things seem to be; Matters little what things really are for the most part.
I think this expecting the best to get the best makes perfect sense. When I was in grade school, and later secondary school, I was in the "smart kids' class." Not that any of us really were any smarter, we just tested better (that's my opinion anyway.) But overall, we did better in school and on standardized tests because we felt more was expected of us. Were we to not follow through with excellence, we'd be letting down "everyone!!!" Granted this might just be me overthinking things but it seemed to garner results.
And just the idea that by thinking of others as better without true judgement, well, that's just amazing. One does risk being let down but when you think better of them anyway, they don't really seem so terrible.
I am not completely certain where I first heard the adage "Judge a man not by how he treats his betters but by how he treats those who can do him neither good nor ill," wherever, it does loosely go with this theme in my opinion. Expect the best and treat others well. Who knows? Maybe that jerk who just cut you off is just some poor guy who is lost and late for something really important, like a job interview or picking up his kids from school? Maybe the waitress who charged you too much for that cup of coffee is just new and doesn't know how to run the register? Even if these little daily insults are truly on purpose, and very annoying, take them in stride, smile, and move on. What good is getting livid going to do other than raise your blood pressure and help you pass on the frustration to those around you? (By the way, you should think about taking yoga if you're really stressed out. I was a total skeptic but now I know that it is calming and totally recommend it to anyone who needs it.)
Okay, well Happy Wednesday to you all!!!!