finish

Overcoming hatred. I never thought it was something I’d need to possess, that ability.

I never hate. I don’t always love, that’s for sure. But hatred is a wasted emotion. I don’t like dealing with it and the things it does to one.

Lately, I’ve felt hatred for some things. Completely innocent fucking things. But they’re making me feel shitty. Making me feel anger. Making me hate. And it has nothing to do with those that are causing these feelings.


My neck hurts. Sitting in this shitty excuse for a couch, I wonder why.


“One day, you’ll want that,” she said.

“Why?”

“Because it’s so cool to look at. To touch.”

“Oh,”


“Have you ever failed?” she asked.

“How can you ask that? Of course I’ve failed. Failed quite often, actually.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“I fail every day. It seems every minute of every day.”


Veiled insults were tossed.

Many beers were drank.

Yet, no fucking.


Sell that shit on e-bay. Make a million bucks!

Shit in a commode that’s not hooked up.

Run in traffic.

Drive to a Burger King, just to honk your horn at it.

Take off your shirt in public. Take pictures of people’s reactions. Post them on the internet. Become famous.

Write a novel. But don’t let anyone read it.

Write a journal. Let everyone read it.

Kiss all the girls.

Kiss only one girl.

Start exercising. Drink Kool-Aid.

Lie to your boss. Take an extra day off every once in a while. Stop caring about your fucking job more than your life. Your sanity. Your girlfriend. Your health.

Let a fly live instead of killing it with a fly swatter.

Eat Brussel sprouts.

Watch a Michael Sera movie and not be bored.

Jump into a puddle when you’re wearing your best suit.

Wear a Scooby Doo tie to an interview.

Go look at houses you’ll never be able to afford.

Walk on the beach every morning.

Stop drinking soda. Start drinking lemonade.

Write down whatever comes to your mind. And never erase a word.

Say hello to a stranger. Say hello to a long lost friend.

Stop making excuses.

Go for a drive to somewhere you’ve never been, but wanted to go.

Go for a drive to somewhere you’ve been, and said you’d never go back.

Go for a drive somewhere other than your destination.

Write a letter.

Twiddle your thumbs when you’re bored.

Play tiddly winks with someone over the age of 70.

Throw a Frisbee for a dog to chase.

Pet a cat.

Squawk at birds in your yard.

Smell the grass after you cut it.

Find something to smile about every hour. Every half hour. Then every minute.

Eat more Pop Tarts and fewer tomatoes.

Aspire to be better than you were.

Laugh at monkeys.

Smile at babies.

Don’t be bitter about what happened, it wastes seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years. Hopefully, never decades.

Make up with friends who are mad at you. Even if it means swallowing your pride.

Find an excuse for old friends to come visit. Or if they won’t, go visit them. Sometimes you have to camp out in their back yard.

Wish upon a star.

Look for 4-leaf clovers. Even if you never find one.

Try not to get mad driving.

Find less faults and more beauty.

Wasting time can be a good thing, so get out there and waste some having fun.

Go to a baseball game or 10 during the summer.

Get drunk with strangers.

Get drunk with friends.

Don’t get drunk alone.

Watch your favorite movie for the 100th time.

Keep going to Lucero shows.

Find an excuse to go back to New Orleans and see if she’ll fall in love with it under better circumstances. But don’t be mad if it never happens.

Move out of the house you’re in by the end of the summer.

Find a new job.

A better job.

One that doesn’t stress you out for no reason.

One that gives back. Even a little.

Ask “How you’re doing?” and mean it.

Cook outdoors.

Remember that I could be, and has been worse.

Spend wisely.

Ask for help.

Find a new way to get there, wherever there is.

Take her where she wants to go.

Give the dogs an extra treat.

Stop worrying about it so much.

Listen to the Rolling Stones.

Try to play Q*bert again.

Stare at the sun too long.

Wish you were on the moon.

Walk barefoot on the road after it rains.

Start.

Then finish.