Photo of my friend Chelsea as Edie taken by Lisa.
I do, sometimes. (I’m quoting Katy Perry who sings, “Do you ever feel like a plastic bag drifting through the wind wanting to start again?”). I cringed at first with this simple “American Beauty” inspired lyric, but now when I’m feeling down all I have to say is, “I feel like a plastic bag” and my friends just get it.
Things are pretty much super in my life right now, so of course I wish it was different.
You want a rocket ship and then you get a rocket ship and suddenly you panic and think, no I don’t want this fucking rocket ship I want a boat. It’s something like that. It’s the feeling you get when everything is going right.
Contrary to what you’d think, it rarely feels good to feel right.
It’s like, this is not my beautiful house. This is not my beautiful wife. How did I get here? Where are my keys? I lost my phone.
The easiest thing to do in this situation is to take a deep breath and say, happily, “I don’t give a fuck.” Look at your watch and realize that it’s I Don’t Care O’clock. It’s freeing. I’ve also found that it actually really helps to listen to the Katy Perry song (“Firework”). When I’m stuck in traffic on the drive home I blast it 4 times in a row. My drive home is an hour and a half. If anyone wants to make me a mix and post it/has a mix already made, please link me. It would make my days. It’s in bold because it’s really important.
So what’s my problem? If everything is so good why does it feel so weird?
apocalypstick
apocalypstick
apocalypstick
apocalypstick
{ 25 comments… read them below or add one }
I love you so much seamlessly transitioning an “American beauty” reference into a Lady Gaga lyric.
Honestly, I was kind of proud of that. It’s T-shirt worthy.
I saw a black plastic bag floating around my lawn this morning and I immediately went to American Beauty. Soulmates much?
“Don’t give up on me dad.”
I really love it when I’m out with friends and we see a plastic bag and I start moaning, “It’s…just…so…beautiful…” and they get it. DOESN’T HAPPEN OFTEN ENOUGH, IMHO.
How does no one get it? I may have to mail you a plastic bag, out of solidarity.
I should make Apocalypstick plastic bags.
I tell my friends I feel like meatloaf. Not the singer, the dinner that my dad makes once a week that I never want to eat because…well, it’s yucky.
A few days ago my mom shocked us all by making the most delicious meatloaf ever made. My brother and I were in shock. I can’t even describe how amazing it was. So I’m not going to try, just trust me on this.
Thank you for this!! These mixes might be too cool for me though.
Mixes as per your request…
Music for Battling the Zombie Hordes:
http://8tracks.com/kissesandchaos/music-for-battling-the-zombie-hordes
Love Is a Curious Thing: Songs To Make Your Heart Sing:
http://8tracks.com/kissesandchaos/love-is-a-curious-thing-songs-to-make-your-heart-sing
Thank you thank you thank you!! For some reason my blog made me “approve” this, it didn’t post automatically.
my pleasure.
There are more on the way.
Enjoy.
Here’s a mix I made recently. http://www.mediafire.com/?ab8lcfz9t62j33x I built it around this Sandwitches song that I still can’t stop listening to. Hope you like it!
The list is over here: http://orallymupright.tumblr.com/post/12818332223/i-hereby-name-this-sandwitches-song-the-song-of
Thank you thank you thank you!! Like with the comment above, my blog made me “approve” this, it didn’t post automatically.
Hold that thought while I make you a Dancing With Myself mix
Please don’t be joking. I want this!
I get this way when things are going well in my life, too. I think it’s because I like having something to work for, so when I achieve whatever my goal has been, I start creating problems for myself.
This makes sense to me. So what do you do to get yourself out of it?
I try to stop focusing on whatever area of my life is going well, and make a different project for myself. Like, I just got a promotion, time to re-organize my apartment! I’ll start crafty projects too, because I enjoy that stuff, and I really enjoy the sense of accomplishment that comes from finishing them.
possibly this is not your thing in which case, ignore and I’m sorry I’m not cool enough to suggest cool music but: podcasts! Become a podcast person. I’m currently obsessed with about a dozen podcasts (highly recommended: all of Slate’s offerings) and now I resent not having a long commute.
I LOVE this. So true. Fear creeps in no matter where we are. fucking plastic bags! Fuck you, fear!
but now when I’m feeling down all I have to say is, “I feel like a plastic bag” and my friends just get it.
LMAO
maybe listening to britney’s “lucky” will give you some clarity
Okay Almie I’m devastatingly behind on your blog AGAIN but I just want to say THANK YOU for loving “Firework” as much as I do. I listen to it at least once a day, usually while dancing around my apartment mostly naked/subtly weeping on the bus, and it…I mean like…it’s like…I like…she like…ugh, just GETS me. You know? You know. I know you know.
I also think “Do you ever feel like a plastic bag?” sounds like a really desperate attempt to keep a first date conversation going but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s the BEST SONG EVER.
I feel like we have to do something about this. I’m not sure what. I’m thinking.
All I can say is ALL THE TIME.
I think we all do. Actually I think “Firework” is my personal theme song as of late. After I read this post, I went for a walk, the song came on my iPod and I thought of you.
I’d love to make you a mix! You totally need a “feeling like a plastic bag” antidote.