One Giant Game of Telephone

The United States Congress has only a 13% approval rating.

Tonight was an educational experience. For the first time in a while, I engaged in facebook argument with a friend about something of the political nature. Thirteen hours ago my friend posted an emotionally charged outcry, which at about one hour ago I responded to with an equally emotionally charged comment. We went back and forth for the good part of the past hour, bringing a culmination of feelings and fact into the debate. We argued, we challenged one another, we cited our personal experiences.

At the end of all of it, we discovered that the article of news in question was a fake. A simple lie made up by some unknown force. We were happy, because although we were on different sides of the argument, the event in question really sucked for everyone involved.

Time to get hokey (not that I wasn’t already headed in that direction). We engaged one another in political discourse for an hour. And it was all moot. The question at hand was a non-issue. But I learned a lot about this friend, and about the issue. I hope in some way that he learned a little from me too. And together we sorted the fact from fiction. Two twenty-something kids living on opposite sides of the country with vastly-different life experiences just got more accomplished than the United States Congress: we had a political discussion that ended with the discovery of truth.

So go forth and discuss, argue, yell, research and challenge each other. Otherwise the world is just one giant game of telephone. 

Books & Bikinis

I like to spend my summer days relaxing at the lake and reading a book. Or just reading. Actually, I spend most of my summer days stressing out about submission deadlines for my MFA program and writing frantically. But I like to imagine that I'm chilling out with a book in-hand by some swimable body of water.

Luckily, the folks over at Matchbook have put these two favorite things together. Behold: bathing suits matched perfectly to your summer reading material. Don't worry guys, they have some lovely ensembles picked out for you as well.

image from matchbook.com

Two Glasses of Cheap Wine

I don’t often get drunk. In fact, I’ve only been drunk twice in my life. Some might consider that an impressive fact for a twenty-something of independent means. I honestly just don’t see the point. I do, however, appreciate being tipsy, giggly and giddy. All of which can be achieved with a reasonable amount of cheap wine.

The first time I was ever truly drunk was at a company Christmas party. I used to work in retail. Of course, that usually means that you drink more, but being a store manager meant long hours and little energy. Hardly an atmosphere which is ideal to drunkenness, although it is one in which most prefer it.

The second time I was in the safety of my home, drunk off of cheap wine. This, I believe, is the best kind of drunk.

Tonight I’m not drunk at all, but I have had a few glasses of wine. The bad thing about alcohol? It lowers inhibitions, makes you more vulnerable. The good thing about alcohol? The same damned things. Honestly, at home, with a pen in my hand (or a keyboard beneath my fingertips as it were), alcohol is the great creative lubricator. It makes me stop judging the words, which is the most important part of writing a first draft. 

Ernest Hemingway once said, “Write drunk, edit sober.” Obviously Hemingway may have overdone it from time to time, but the idea is sound. Loosen up; let yourself write when you write. Edit when you edit. For me, two glasses of wine are usually enough to silence the diamond polisher within me and give the vomit drafter the vocal chords of Etta James. Do what you need to, but let yourself write.

Eat Life.