I get a little bit closer to feelin' fine
Better Things to Do:
Do one of these things a day.
You'll have to trust me.
1. Visit www.jeanettewinterson.com (so much loveliness in one place)
2. Listen to the Garden State Soundtrack or something equally wonderful (Azure Ray, Rufus Wainwright, Rachael Yamagata, Ani...) - point is, listen to something that touches you or resonates with you, even if no one else likes it, even if you're ashamed to admit you like it
3. Watch Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. In fact go do that right now. Seriously.
4. Dance around your room. I don't recommend tap dancing if you live above anyone, but whatever floats your boat. You can't be sad if you're dancing. Especially if you dress up first.
5. Eat Ben and Jerry's Chubby Hubby. "The only man we'll ever truly love." An entire pint if you must, or share with a friend.
6. Read/Listen to David Sedaris. Reading his stuff is wonderful. Listening to him tell his stories is better.
Hugh (my boyfriend) and I went to the 26th Street flea market, and then I went alone to see Set It Off, the fifth movie I've seen this week. The Sony Theater on 19th Street pumps the volume so high that it makes my fillings hurt. I sat through the movie with my fingers in my ears, but Queen Latifah made it all worthwhile. She plays a tough lesbian bank robber with such charming conviction that you lower your head in mourning when she finally goes down in a blaze of gunfire. She's bad, sure, but you can't help but love her, especially after she uses her heist money to buy her girlfriend a naughty outfit. After seeing the movie, I found myself wishing that Queen Latifah had been given both the Barbra Streisand role in The Mirror Has Two Faces and the Kristin Scott Thomas part in The English Patient. She's got this presence, an exuberance you don't see very often. The theater was rowdy, with beer bottles rolling down the aisles and teen-agers smoking joints. The woman behind me had brought her two young daughters. There were several children's movies playing at the theater, but this day was clearly about her, the mother, doing what she wanted to do. I wondered what the children thought of the violence and harsh language, until I saw them later on the escalator, where the mother cuffed her daughter's head, saying, "You'd better get your mother-fucking asses over here before I beat the shit out of both y'all bitches." She was a white woman, my age, with several missing teeth. She lit a cigarette in the lobby, and when the retarded usher asked her to put it out, the woman said, loudly, "Fuck you, Fuckface."
7. Make a collage. It's a good way to express yourself artistically, even if you are devoid (as I am) of artistic talent. Wastes time while giving false sense of productiveness.
8. Take a bath. This isn't really my suggestion, it's Sylvia Plath's. Before you dismiss this - I grant you that taking advice from someone who put their head in a gas oven seems a little dubious - try it. Get in a bath and read or listen to music or just relax. If you don't have a bath: take a hot shower, put on a robe and get in bed - it's nearly as good.
9. Smoke something or drink something alcoholic - it's good to have vices in life. Moderation is key.
10. Do something that scares you. That's Eleanor Roosevelt's advice. Make an ass out of yourself. That's Maude's advice. I advise you do the first without worrying about the second one.
Do one of these things a day.
You'll have to trust me.
1. Visit www.jeanettewinterson.com (so much loveliness in one place)
2. Listen to the Garden State Soundtrack or something equally wonderful (Azure Ray, Rufus Wainwright, Rachael Yamagata, Ani...) - point is, listen to something that touches you or resonates with you, even if no one else likes it, even if you're ashamed to admit you like it
3. Watch Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. In fact go do that right now. Seriously.
4. Dance around your room. I don't recommend tap dancing if you live above anyone, but whatever floats your boat. You can't be sad if you're dancing. Especially if you dress up first.
5. Eat Ben and Jerry's Chubby Hubby. "The only man we'll ever truly love." An entire pint if you must, or share with a friend.
6. Read/Listen to David Sedaris. Reading his stuff is wonderful. Listening to him tell his stories is better.
Hugh (my boyfriend) and I went to the 26th Street flea market, and then I went alone to see Set It Off, the fifth movie I've seen this week. The Sony Theater on 19th Street pumps the volume so high that it makes my fillings hurt. I sat through the movie with my fingers in my ears, but Queen Latifah made it all worthwhile. She plays a tough lesbian bank robber with such charming conviction that you lower your head in mourning when she finally goes down in a blaze of gunfire. She's bad, sure, but you can't help but love her, especially after she uses her heist money to buy her girlfriend a naughty outfit. After seeing the movie, I found myself wishing that Queen Latifah had been given both the Barbra Streisand role in The Mirror Has Two Faces and the Kristin Scott Thomas part in The English Patient. She's got this presence, an exuberance you don't see very often. The theater was rowdy, with beer bottles rolling down the aisles and teen-agers smoking joints. The woman behind me had brought her two young daughters. There were several children's movies playing at the theater, but this day was clearly about her, the mother, doing what she wanted to do. I wondered what the children thought of the violence and harsh language, until I saw them later on the escalator, where the mother cuffed her daughter's head, saying, "You'd better get your mother-fucking asses over here before I beat the shit out of both y'all bitches." She was a white woman, my age, with several missing teeth. She lit a cigarette in the lobby, and when the retarded usher asked her to put it out, the woman said, loudly, "Fuck you, Fuckface."
7. Make a collage. It's a good way to express yourself artistically, even if you are devoid (as I am) of artistic talent. Wastes time while giving false sense of productiveness.
8. Take a bath. This isn't really my suggestion, it's Sylvia Plath's. Before you dismiss this - I grant you that taking advice from someone who put their head in a gas oven seems a little dubious - try it. Get in a bath and read or listen to music or just relax. If you don't have a bath: take a hot shower, put on a robe and get in bed - it's nearly as good.
9. Smoke something or drink something alcoholic - it's good to have vices in life. Moderation is key.
10. Do something that scares you. That's Eleanor Roosevelt's advice. Make an ass out of yourself. That's Maude's advice. I advise you do the first without worrying about the second one.