In trying to come up with ideas for this Inside Column, I drew a blank. Repeatedly. So in order to have something to fill this space, I asked several friends what I should write. The answers were varied, some realistic, others ridiculous or reflective.
So in lieu of coming up with my own idea (cut me some slack — my creativity is running low as finals approach), I will share the ideas my friends have given me.
“How about appreciation of joints — like knees?” one suggested. “Life without them would be terrible.”
Indeed, I do appreciate my knees. Without them, I would not be able to walk between my typical writing spots as I procrastinate further on writing this very column. So now I thank my knees for giving me the wonderful ability to walk away from my work. It truly is a gift.
“Ball and socket joints are great,” another friend added. “You could thank them all. But maybe not hips. … That could get too controversial.”
Now I thank the rest of my joints — excluding my hips, since I can’t afford to be even remotely controversial. You’re all pretty great. Elbows and wrists, thank you for letting me close my laptop so I don’t have to stare at the mostly blank screen. Ankles, thank you for easily getting twisted so I can distract myself with pain that I probably deserve for walking away from my work. Knuckles, the sound you make when you crack is awful, but thank you for being you anyway.
“How about that leaf dragon, whose population is disappearing?” yet another friend said.
It turns out that the leafy sea dragon is an endangered species. I’d never heard of it before, but it’s quite interesting. Also, the animated images that come up when searching the internet for “leaf dragon” are amusing enough to make me scroll through them. They allowed me to procrastinate for another minute or two, and I am eternally grateful. Anyways, protect the leafy sea dragons.
“What are you interested in?” was another response someone gave me.
Wow, that’s a tough one. I had to actually think about it, which really didn’t let me procrastinate. Which is unfortunate, since this has become something like a reflection on procrastination. I don’t have the space to write my thought process in determining that it’s really difficult to list what I’m interested in. Short answer: adjectives and sarcasm. But I couldn’t have stretched that into 400 words, could I?
