It’s amazing how something so small can make someone’s day. Give it a try. Reply to an email you received from an admirer. Send an email to a long time friend whom you haven’t contacted in a long time. Smile to a stranger. Say ‘good morning’ to a stranger. Call your mother. Call your sister. Hug a friend. Hug a stranger. (okay, that might not be a good idea if you’re living in New York) Make a small effort to please someone today and you’ll see how great it feels.
Next time you’re jealous of someone, change your perspective. Decide to be inspired instead.
I seem to have a strong aversion against people who hit their children. As I walk down the street, if I see a parent yelling at or slapping her kid, I feel like kicking the shit out of her or him. Honestly, I can’t think of any cases where the kid deserves a slap. This is how we introduce violence to the society, not through movies or stupid computer games.
I have the same problem with people who treat their dogs that way. Or people who kick pigeons. Why must you enjoy someone else’s pain? Just let everyone be! Especially the animals and children. Ok, done lecturing.
Actually one more thing. As a dog person, I feel like all dog people should be nice and approachable humans. That’s what differentiates the dog people from the cat people. (Tho I admit to being both, I lean slightly more towards being a dog-person.) When I see an owner walking his puppy on the street and she gives me this don’t-you-dare-come-near-my-pet look, I feel peeved.
This time, I’m really done, I promise.
Cell phones might just be the most annoying instruments ever. In NY, everyone has to own at least one and it seems talking loudly while walking down the street is a requirement. Last week, Jake and I were sitting at a deli, munching on our sandwiches while this woman, at the table behind us, felt the need to share the intricate details of her latest blind date with the entire deli. Over the cell phone, she retold her date, moment by moment, to her friend, making sure her voice was loud enough to be heard several blocks down. What happened to the days when eavesdropping was rude? This woman’s loud voice almost dared us to ignore her.
The same scenario repeated itself today as I sat downstairs at Light Delights. Another woman, walking her dog, approached the Chase ATMs, hollering at the top of her voice. She spoke so loudly that another girl and I looked up from our books and caught each other’s eye. As this woman kept yelling, I got more and more agitated and almost felt like screaming at her to quiet down. I felt like saying, “You know what? I couldn’t give two fucks about your personal life and please shut up!” Being the calm and collected person that I am, I gritted my teeth and felt thankful that the machines responded quickly so that she could get her damn cash and leave. Just cause you have a phone doesn’t mean you own the streets and can speak loudly calling attention to yourself and disturbing all of us in the process.
I won’t even mention the rudeness of a cell phone ringing at a movie or theater cause I’m sure you’ve all had the pleasure of experiencing that before and if you have, you don’t need any explanation from me.
It amazes me how much Americans like to categorize. I wonder if it comes from the need to segregate or the need to belong. The idea of fitting into a compartment of some category pisses me off.
When I fist came to the US, I went to a campus Jewish organization that made me fill out an application. A section asked me what kind of Jew I was. Up until that moment, I didn’t even know that there were different kinds of Jews. In Turkey, I always knew myself as Jewish. Just Jewish. Isn’t that enough of a category? Why do they need to break it down more?
I am only comfortable with a few categories. Human. Female. Turkish. Jewish. That’s about it. I’m not willing to go any deeper and I challenge you to give me a sound reason as to why I should.
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projects for twenty twenty-four
projects for twenty twenty-three
projects for twenty twenty-two
projects for twenty twenty-one
projects for twenty nineteen
projects for twenty eighteen
projects from twenty seventeen
monthly projects from previous years
some of my previous projects
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