Spiteful

I can't post pictures on my blog while I'm at work. But I'm okay with that. Ever since I concluded that I don't need a picture in order to create a successful blog post, I have been writing more at work. I learned in college that 3 am is my peak time for creative writing, anyway.

On my way to the hospital this evening, I heard a song on the country station. Did you know that I often listen to country music now? Last month, when my friend Jessica visited me, we had a long drive to Mount Rainier and back for our snowshoeing adventure. Wanting to be a good host, I deferred to her radio station of choice which was country. And now I like it. It turns out, it isn't that hard to be a country fan. After about a week, I had familiarized myself with the most commonly played songs and now I can sing along.

Well, tonight I heard a song that I hadn't heard in a really long time. "Earl Had to Die." I want to say that it is by the Dixie Chicks but I wouldn't bet my lunch on it. It is kind of a terrible song, actually. A girl gets abused by her husband and then she and her friend plot his death. If someone had told me this story as a news headline, I would probably shake my head and mutter, "Oh, that's tragic." But when they sing it, it is catchy and (dare I say it?) almost charming. And I like it, in spite of myself.

It is the equivalent of Cheetos. These are perhaps the most unnatural, processed snacks on the face of the earth. Now arguably, Twinkies might be more extreme, but those have never been a temptation for me. Cheetos, however, I really enjoy. Like in a, "If you could only have one food on a deserted island?" kind of way. It's really a shame. I have been trying to let Seattle's organic-trendy culture rub off on me. To be one of those people who shudders at the thought of letting white flour or refined sugar even touch their week supply of PCC produce. I get it. There is essentially no nutritional value from a bag of Cheetos. But I like it. In spite of myself.

Perhaps this brings me to the point of this blog. By nature, I would call myself a timid person. Actually that sounds pretty wimpy. I don't want to call myself that. Demure? Nope, don't like that one either. Reserved. That's it. A respectable trait. Although you would never hear someone say, "Oh, I had such a fun time with my friend last night. She is so reserved!" But this week, I want to do some things that are bold. Brave things. You know the kind of things that give you butterflies in your stomach just thinking about them. If all goes well with these things, maybe I'll blog about them next week and be a little less vague. For now, I'll just say, braver than killing a bug but less brave than jumping out of an airplane. These are things that I have been thinking about doing for quite a while. And I really want to do them.

In spite of myself.