Roll With It

Thursday 16 April

Fun fact: Winter is always coming. The Starks are sometimes more correct than the Lannisters. You will never hear me say that again, so enjoy it.

Woke up and drove home as the snow was beginning to fall, then took a shower AND finished a paper on the nukes panel I went to. I was more productive by eight AM than I ever have been. It was impressive tbh.

Made a poor footwear choice and didn't waterproof the boots, and so I was substantially more grumpy when I rolled into Middle East Politics than I usually am when it snows (I love the cold. I love the snow. It needs to be winter ALWAYS). However, that was negated because Greg talked about the Turkish Protests of 2k13, and that was freaking awesome. I got the same talk last year in Revolutions and Political Violence, and that was the single light on one Tuesday when I hated O-Chem and also my life. Thanks, Greg. I may have dozed off at the end because of a severe caffeine deficit, but whatever. I have the notes I took last year. Good enough.

Anyway. Then I did some footnoting on my paper and read about improv on my break, and then I headed to my Norlin class, where we got to do improv with Katy Craig, aka the messenger for my failed Boettcher Scholarship endeavor. I expected to hate it, because I'm me. I hate spontaneity and am remarkably bad at thinking on my feet and articulating coherently and also being clever in a specific instant. I almost called in sick.

However, like a lot of things lately, I was pleasantly surprised.

We started with a few games, and then we did some scenes, and then a couple of activities where we were paired off and in teams. Most of it had to do with getting comfortable with the group we were in, which was pretty easy because my group is hella chill. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time during a class. I love it. However, the bigger takeaway was that the games all had to do with relinquishing control—you couldn't talk during some of them, sometimes you had to agree with everything another person said, and vice versa, and sometimes the control of your arms was taken away. You lost some degree of autonomy, which was also pretty paralyzing for someone like me.

It was a lot of fun, however. I loved the way that you had to adapt to a situation or go with a flow, and there were a lot more interpersonal dynamics that I didn't know I had the ability to read, and this brought it out a little bit. If you're given even a little bit of direction or a constraint, it becomes a lot easier to create. Apparently, businesses are using it as strategies for innovation, which I found mind-boggling at first, but it became easier to sit with that idea.

Because it's true. You have to relinquish some control over every outcome, and you have to learn to adapt to different situations, and you have to create within certain parameters.

I'm not going to be the next Tina Fey, but I did learn that I didn't hate improv. You've got to roll with it. If you're interested, the troupe is the Bovine Metropolis Theater, so if you want to like go to a show or take a class or whatever, let me know, and I may be up for it depending on the time and the project constraints.

Anyway. Then I went home and watched Tina Fey in 30 Rock (I have a problem) and took a two hour nap because I am a responsible adult.

I woke up ready for a night in from the cold and the snow and basically ready for this:

Lemon Understands

When I woke up that I was craving queso, and so I decided to order in chile con queso from the Rio because it is literally the greatest queso I've ever had. I eat a lot of cheese, so that statement is a Big Deal. So I was waiting for that wrapped in my blanket, and literally FOUR SECONDS AFTER I PLACED MY ORDER Joe was like "When are we meeting?" and I was like "Are you fucking kidding me?" but acquiesced to have them come over. We were watching Skyfall and I was stuffing cheese in my face when Joe and Connor arrived, and I felt like a nerd. Welcome to my life.

Then I put on real pants (THE THINGS I DO TO SOCIALIZE) and we headed out into the cold to the Rio (where, if you'll recall, I'd just ordered queso from). It was bro night for us, and so naturally we talked about climate change and population growth because we're socially conscientious. This is why I hang out with nerds. We also met some of Connor's friends, and then complained about chemistry. Crissie was also there, and so I went and hung out with her and Lindsey and Crissie's Boy Adam, who is a character and knew more people at the bar than Crissie did. It was nothing short of remarkable. We left by 11:15 and I was in bed by midnight after getting so drunk that I had to go off on Joe when he mentioned Cersei Lannister. What a world we live in.

Anyway. The latter part of my day was in fact an application of the first part—this doesn't happen unless it's in like Sex and the City or something, and plot points are meticulously crafted. BUT HEY LOOK IT'S HAPPENING IN MY LIFE NO I'M DEFINITELY NOT A CARRIE.

You have to roll with it. That's what I learned. You have to say yes to opportunities that come up, and you have to take the plunge no matter what. There will always be days for Night Cheese, but sometimes you have to go out for Marg Night. Sometimes, you have to say yes. I understand that saying "no" is also healthy, and I respect that more than anything. But once in awhile, you do something different and unexpected if the opportunity presents itself. I've been getting marginally better at this in the last year, and it's literally changed my life—going to Marg Night, participating in improv day, participating in class; these are marginal benefits that have made me less of an angry cynic. As much fun as being an angry cynic is, sometimes it's nice to feel alright.

So next time the opportunity presents itself, roll with it. Maybe something good can work.

Thanks for reading :)