LJ Idol 04: Use Reusable Grocery Bags, Dammit!

[bewize]

Sometimes, I would like to be that person that finds a plastic bag floating in the air in front of a brick wall so beautiful that it takes my breath away. I can't help but think that the person who finds beauty in that scenario must be enlightened.

I will never be that person.

The only use I have for plastic grocery store bags is when I change the kitty litter. For the record, I really don't find beauty in that. And if someone tells you that they do, I would suggest backing away, smiling and nodding, and then phoning an authority to have that lunatic sectioned. (Seriously, there is nothing at all appealing about used cat litter. The end.)

Likewise, my tolerance for brick walls are fairly low. I tend to think of them, not as a backdrop to an instance of life altering awakening, but as the object against which I want to bash people's heads – ex-bosses, ex-boyfriends, people who cut you off in line, and people who talk in the theater, mostly.

The thought of a plastic bag being free to wreak havoc on the outside world also annoys me. What about the wildlife? What about the litter laws? What about the fact that the damn bag will be around about a bazillion years after I'm dead? That thought makes me want to bash my own head against a brick wall.

I don't do sentimentality well. I know, as a girl, I should and my ovaries berate me regularly – but I just don't. I don't take many photos. I don't keep cards. I don't keep crappy gifts just because someone gave them to me.

I prefer jeans and tees to high fashion. I like food simple and tasty rather than elegant and refined. I prefer beer to expensive wines.

Yet, there are so many beautiful moments in my life that I don't even know where to start.

Sometimes it's the jingling of a text message, which includes the inside joke of "I'm going to kick everyone's ass in this room!" It's not beautiful in the traditional sense, but it speaks of those moments when the cosmos align and someone, somewhere, not only knew how to make me laugh, but cared enough to do so.

Sometimes, it's the friend who drops everything when she gets a "Girl's Night Emergency" message and without knowing what exactly caused the commotion, shows up with ice cream, brownies, wine and nail polish. Nothing in that is beautiful in any sense, but hidden under the calories and fumes is genuine care and a desire to make a friend's life just a little bit better.

Sometimes, it's in the way the screaming baby who just kept me awake all night cutting a tooth, gives me a drooly smile. Or when the cat that just destroyed an entire roll of paper towels curls up at my knee on the sofa. Or the card in the mail addressed to me from a friend I haven't seen in years only says "POOP."

And once every long while it's the fact that the boss who fired me three years ago calls me to get him out of jail. But that doesn't happen very often and the only beautiful thing about it is the way I can't help but smugly find it ironic, even at it eats the free time that I'd planned to devote to other things.

The moments of devastating beauty – at least in my life – aren't really beautiful to anyone but me, I don't think. I'm never going to be the person who finds litter in the breeze beautiful, but I am the person who finds the sage green walls in my soon to be new room beautiful, because the person who painted them did it just because he thought it would make me happy. It does.

And that is beautiful.

This entry was written in response to the therealljidol Topic 04: Moments of Devastating Beauty. There will (probably) be voting for this week's entries. I will make sure to link to the poll once it is put up and I would appreciate it if you would vote for me if you enjoy my entry. As always, feedback is welcome and appreciated.

Comments

[stormkitty.livejournal.com]

I like this! So very true to find the beauty in the little things. And for each person, that will be different. :)

[rattsu.livejournal.com]

Heh, you make me glad we have biodegradable plastic bags here in sweden!

I like your take on this, beauty is such a very personal thing that it's hard to translate. I always trust people who find beauty in what I consider odd, rather than what is generally accepted. At least they are viewing the world the way they want it.

[cacophonesque.livejournal.com]

1. Beer is definitely better than wine.

2. I would be over the moon if any of my old friends sent me a POOP card.

[mstrobel.livejournal.com]

I also have a lot of things that are beautiful to me but wouldn't be to anyone else. It's an interesting thing to think about!

I love that card ;) I have a great one from a friend of mine that is dedicated on the front, to my husband. (We're both girls and would have been about 21 or 22 at the time.)

[java-fiend.livejournal.com]

This is truly awesome. Beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder. Loved this entry. So very much.

[shadowwolf13]

Lovely entry! :)

[onda-bianca.livejournal.com]

Haha, you are awesome. Although I tend to see brick walls as a place to be pushed up against for sexual activities...and there IS beauty in that.

Nice entry, great take, and definitely stands out over the other beauty entries!:)

[phoenixejc.livejournal.com]

Wonderful entry! I love the laid back style in which it is written. That drives home the point, I think. Excellent!

[catwomyn5.livejournal.com]

Awwww *sniff* this made me happy too!

[beeker121.livejournal.com]

I keep on my clipboard a drawing of a section of a brick wall to bang my head against when the need arises.

I really liked this, and the idea that it is the random little things that matter most.

[karmasoup.livejournal.com]

I have no idea what the inside joke is all about, but it actually made me giggle! You're my kinda gal... we're definitely cut from the same cloth... I don't go in for all that shee shee frou frou crap, either (including, I'm afraid, nail polish - oops!). You have some great goofy friends. I like how this felt different... one might even say beautiful. ;)

[baxaphobia.livejournal.com]

The simple things are often more beautiful than the grand gesture.

[walkertxkitty.livejournal.com]

Simple, modern acts of beauty are just as worthwhile as the surreal. While I'm the type who WOULD stare at the plastic bag fluttering in the wind, I would also chase it down and pocket it to make certain it doesn't hurt anything else.