Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Habitual

Think Kit Day 10:

What habits did you start this year that you want to continue? What inspired you to get in a new groove? Will you continue into 2014?

I actually had to get help with this prompt. I'm going to blame my sluggish brain on the cold (27 degrees; feels like AIIIEEE) and the ebb of blogging adrenaline. (Week one: Easy! Done! Week two: Uhhh...)

Even though I can only point to a few fairly recent examples, my habit this year has been to change my language. (I initially referenced this change in this post.) It's a sly little goal in which I learn to treat myself better. Mental putdowns shant be tolerated. Once, they're, uh, discovered.

Earlier today, I was chatting with a friend about Hannah Hart, the host of a popular YouTube series called My Drunk Kitchen. The premise is simple: Hart gets drunk and tries to cook something. Hilarity generally ensues as ingredients are spilled on the floor, recipes aren't followed, and maybe she freaks out about touching a raw chicken.

Sometimes the videos are a bit worrisome to watch because her drinking seems to step beyond 'a couple glasses of wine' and head towards 'You... might want to call a therapist.' Her Christmas cupcake video is an example of this, and not just because she mixed dry and wet ingredients in a cardboard box before transferring them to a bowl. I worry there's a problem afoot, but have to reason I don't drink that much and I'm not in my 20s. What seems excessive to me might be perfectly normal for someone for whom a hangover is not, well, just about the worst thing ever.

After sending a long text to a friend about Hart's maybe-alcoholism, I inadvertently popped my own balloon by referring to myself as overly invested and a social worker. I immediately felt ill and made the decision to recant my statement. My next text, in part, read:

Fuck it. I take that back. I reserve every right to be concerned about her, even if I don't know her. The world would be a different place if no one gave a shit about other people's welfare. SO THERE.

The sick feeling went away. Huzzah! Ideally this call-myself-on-my-own-crap trend will continue. It feels good.

I don't have a neat and tidy ending for this post, so here's one of my favorite episodes of My Drunk Kitchen:

4 comments:

Steph Mineart said...

Yeah, I gotta say, that Cupcake Episode was a bit less "fun drunk" and a little more "concern drunk" for me, too. Like, seriously, you had a bowl right there; why not use it instead of the box? I guess she has to find new and exciting ways to mess up cooking simple stuff after all this time, but... still.

In short; my inner social worker approves of your inner social worker.

Unknown said...

SOLIDARITY! :)

Kerry said...

Definitely talk nicer to yourself! We tear ourselves down so badly and it's awful. And I agree- the world would be a terrible place if nobody cared about other people.

Jennifer Adams said...

Well said! It is a lesson we all need to learn - our self speak, that is. Plus, you already know that I'm concerned about that girl. Just doesn't seem a wise career choice.

Keep writing, beautiful lady.