Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Re-definition

Hello!

Cromy-Crom (the other XC coach) is back from vacation now. He's a bit concerned about me; not because I missed 8:30 practice yesterday, but my (explanation of) why.

You see, what happened was... I fell asleep at 6:45, which isn't a weird time for me to be going to sleep these days. I got up at 9.

Upon hearing this, he got That Look... the one of "fatherly concern". He drilled me about possible reasons why, which I sheepishly answered, promising to go to bed earlier. Not like it would help.

Anyway, I got more sleep last night, due to the fact that I went to bed earlier, when I felt sickly. I slept until noon today, putting me at a good 8-ish hours of sleep if you factor in my hour-long siesta.

While I was running today, I was thinking about the term "rebonjour". I learned this word when I read Words in a French Life by Kristin Espinasse, a book my dad had found at the used bookstore a few months ago and purchased.

In France, if you want to seem even more odd to the French, just say "Hello" one time too many. Les Français don't understand the Anglophone affinity for repeating "Hello" at another point in a twenty-four-hour time frame. The French say "Bonjour" once-- point final.
That said, the Frenchies have come up with a way to regree one another, using the ultrapopular term rebonjour.
~From Words in a French Life, pg 236

I was thinking about it because while Mixtape and I ran our four miles in the woods behind the college near the Gardens, we kept seeing this couple running with their unleashed dogs. I smiled and said "Hello!', and they apologized for their happy pups running up to us and excitedly greeting these sweaty barely-clothed high schoolers, and smiled and waved as they continued their own run. We saw them again a few miles later, and I greeted them, laughing, saying "Hello again!" They replied "Hiya!" and kept running. I wasn't feeling relating to French at that point, but now it strikes me; rebonjour.

Hello again.

Now that I think about it, we say "Hello again" to a lot of things. For many people, each day is a "hello again". As in, "hello again, world!", and then they do the same things they have already done.

I am one of these people right now, with the exception of Random Adventures. My life is in a "hello again" stage right now. I don't like it. I'm prone to periods of Urge-to-Flee, where I can't sit still, can't focus, and generally just want to elsewhere, doing something else with my time. I'm not unhappy with my life, per se, but I'm not entirely content with it, either.

This prompts me to ask: why not change?

When there's an issue in your life, something you aren't satisfied with; why not change it? Change your perspective. Change your interactions with people. Change your relationships. Change your activities. Change your focus, your priorities, your use of your time. It's better than saying "hello again" to whatever it is in your life that isn't giving you a fresh new day, EVERY day.

Elphaba is a brilliant person. She notices things about people and situations, and acts to correct problems. Yet, the boy she liked has been confusing her for a few days. She told him about her feelings a few days after he got a girlfriend, and he promised that, despite being unable to respond well to her confession (since he had a girlfriend and was graduating), the two of them would remain friends.

Recently, he broke up with his girlfriend. The two of them have been talking on FIM for a while, and for awhile, he's been pretty unresponsive. His intial reaction and response in contrast to his more recent emotions and behavior confused Elphaba. She disliked the change in the relationship, and missed his friendship. Finding her bravery, she sent him a message, saying:

"You say that you like me too much to let us not be friends, yet what we have right now isn't a friendship. A friendship isn't having a one-sided conversation or having to struggle to keep a conversation. It isn't awkward and random 'hi, how are you's'. If this relationship is too awkward for you please let me know because right now it isn't a friendship. I'm starting to regret ever telling you THAT I had a crush because I liked our friendship before and it's not the same without it."

After she shared that message with me, I realized something: my whatever with Dumbo is kinda like that recently. It's not a friendship. It's me, trying to hold on to a boy who has nothing to tie him to me, except the thin WHATEVER-this-relationship-is. It's me being pathetic, sending him an email at midnight and rambling about randomness, texting him when I feel like it, and not expecting an answer.

I think it's time to re-define.

Elphaba's on to something, there; that isn't friendship. What is it, then? Is there a word for a partial relationship? (one word. not two ;))

Re-defining, to me, seems like it is figuring out what is going on with your life, figuring out the reasons behind it, and fixing what you can.

I like the idea; I think I may try to re-define my life and relationships. How do I describe my days? Boring. I would like to say they are all worthwhile, fun, or just good. Am I happy? Not particularly. I'd like to be content, even happy. The problem is figuring out what I need to do to achieve that.

I have a pretty good idea what I need to start with, so I'm going to go do that now.

Best wishes!
-Aly

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