I think up on the list of all the things that suck in the
world, rejection probably makes the top ten. Sitting alongside it would
probably be: death, death of a loved one, poverty and cheesecake. Rejection
comes in many forms: dumping and ignoring, or as it came for me, in an email. You
know things aren’t great when it starts with, ‘This must come as a disappointment
for you, but…’
But.
Now there are many ways of dealing with rejection. You
could sit and smother yourself in ice cream whilst howling about how unfair the
world is, and how much you hate everyone and how rubbish you are at everything
(this one seems favourable for many people) or you could do what I did, go on
an angry bike ride whilst listening to ‘Heavyweight Champion of the World’ by
Reverend and the Makers, frighten a man on a horse by doing a skid-turn that
doesn’t seem physically possible (or safe) crying angry tears and then blogging
about it. But hey, each to their own.
It’s funny, because sometimes you kid yourself into
thinking you’ve done well, and that just makes it all the more worse when
things don’t turn out how you want them to. For instance, I was over the moon
yesterday, I was proud of myself, I felt like I really had a chance, and then
it all came crashing down this morning because of a stupid email.
And here’s the mistake I made. I let myself believe that
this email was the end. I was rubbish, and I’d never be good at anything ever
again. Of course, it’s perfectly reasonable to be upset about things, but you
shouldn’t let it hang around you like a bad smell. There’s always next year. I
can try again. I can pull through, and in the meantime, I can be kicking the
living crap out of every other thing I put my mind to.
What’s that thing? If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again?
If at first you don’t succeed, cry for a bit (only a
bit), get positive, prove yourself, and try again.
So this is me, saying that rejection isn’t the end of the
world. That it’s ok to be upset. Now get off your arse and do something about
yourself.
Which is why today's song of the day is *drumroll*
This weekend, the place in which I reside reached the average temperatures that we normally get in June. Some may blame this on Global Warming, but I think we should stop pointing fingers and just enjoy it whilst it lasts.
I have decided to Christen weekends such as this as 'make your own fun' weekends. This means to fill the day with stuff (preferably enjoyable stuff, but it's not exactly a necessity) that you can do by your self- fun made by you.
So yesterday I went out for a run.
I may need to reiterate this sentence for those who know me:
Yesterday I went outside and ran in short bursts, it was mostly a walk with intermittent moments of feeling sick. Is it normal to be able to taste yesterday's Garlic Bread after exercise? Well, I felt better for it anyway.
I also painted a poster, the bottom half of which looks like this:
'To The Lab' is a bit of an inside joke, I'm afraid.
I also made a broach which looks like this:
(If my brother asks, the felt isn't backed onto a piece of his old tweed jacket.)
Speaking of my brother, I went to see a play at his school which he is on the lighting team for. It was Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream and it was truly fantastic. The ensemble were amazing- they were all the goblin and were dressed in white so when under the UV light they glowed. During the interval they ran around causing mischief- stealing people's drinks and untying shoelaces. The music was sort of fast techno, and there was a brilliant fight scene between the goblins tending to Oberon and those to Titania. It was done in dark, so all you could see was these glowing shapes writhing and twisting in the darkness. Puck was outstanding, his take on the character was very original and a lot darker than some of the interpretations you get nowadays. Puck is actually a very evil character, and the way the actor portrayed him was stunning, spine-chilling. And there was (what my mother referred to) as a 'Freudian-twist' to the end. Let's just say Oberon didn't make it through he entire final speech whilst Puck was around. The goblins have a new king and Titania didn't look that bothered... Lucky Puck...
I also bought some new clothes because retail therapy is the best kind. I find shopping a strange affair. The changing rooms is always a tricky one. 'Just two items then?' 'Well unless I'm hiding one in my trousers, then yes, two items.' Ah, English customer service.
My song of the day (is this a new thing? Should it be a thing?) is this:
A couple of days ago I returned home from school in high spirits.
I know what you're thinking, this story's unbelievable already. Youths being happy?!
Anyway, I met my mother and exchanged the pleasantries, the 'how was your day?'s and the 'mine was pretty boring too's. And then, out of nowhere she says, 'by the way, I've booked you an appointment for the Doctor's.'
Hold on, I think. Going to the doctor, a medical professional, usually constitutes some form of defect in the normal functioning of the body. I thought for a moment before coming to conclusion that I was not aware that I was in possession of a defect such as this. Therefore, my response to the comment was, 'why?'
'Because you have weird feet.'
Now, I'd like to pretend that I've got brilliant feet, that they are the most beautiful things a person's weight has ever been carried on. But I haven't, but then again, nor has anyone else. Frankly, I have never understood the appeal of feet. 'You have sexy feet'? Feet are in no way sexy. They get you from A to B, and that's all they need to do.
Sorry, tangent alert I know.
Today I arrived at the Doctor's in trepidation. I've never liked the Doctor's. It's full of ill people. Ill people who I'm sure are just determined to infect other people. It's like they're hell-bent on coughing on you. After valiantly fighting off the germs of a young woman whose eyes were streaming as much as her nose, I was called in to room 4.
I was used to Dr Pickles (yes, genuine name) but today I was met by Dr Holmes. She was a nice young woman, short, pretty- the kind of woman I imagine bakes as a hobby. I could picture her smiling over her Nigella Lawson book whilst in conversation about her day with her boyfriend (who I could imagine being some kind of media employee, or something arty farty.) We exchanged pleasantries. Which at a doctor's seems somewhat futile. 'How are you?' Take a look at our surroundings and I'll give you three guesses.
She asked me to remove my shoes and socks, and then told me to stand up, and then nodded and declared I have got something wrong with my feet. To which my reply was, 'Neurrrghhh' because that's what teenagers say to express frustration. So yeah, my big toe joint is messed up which means my toes go in a weird direction, and although it won't cause me any pain, there's not much we can do about it. I could have surgery, but apparently it isn't really worth it at my age.
In short, high heels will hurt me.
Which I'm not that bothered about seeing as I don't own any, and am sort of planning on wearing Converse for the rest of my life.
There are some things you just don't want to hear adults say. I have heard two of them this week. The first being, 'it's very unusual to see this problem in teens' the second being about to enter the toilet after my grandfather has just come out, and him saying 'you're brave.'
Today I thought I would talk about music videos. A good music video can really make a song stand out, and it's always important to make your song stand out. Nowadays music videos all seem to be the same: sexy girls rolling around in ludicrous places (playgrounds, fields etc) not wearing much and men wearing their trousers around their ankles whilst getting angry at the camera. I like music videos that are clever, and so, continuing with the theme of lists, I thought I would present you with a list of my favourite music videos.
So, without further ado, I am cutting the invisible red ribbon on
'Elbows on the Table's Official List of Good Music Videos (minus shouty rappers getting angry at inanimate objects) '
In no particular order:
1) 'Sophie' by Goodshirt
Goodshirt are a little kiwi band I discovered a couple of years ago, and much to my dismay they do not seem to be on iTunes, so I'm left listening to their stuff on YouTube. I'm not actually sure if they're together anymore, but that wouldn't stop this video being genius. It's a simple concept- girl sits down to listen to music with large headphones so she can't hear a thing (headphone deafness is something I have experienced often) and a load of blokes dressed in black come in and nick all of her stuff. It's funny, and it really *ahem* takes the cake.
2) 'Here It Goes Again' by OKGO
It is near impossible to talk about brilliant music videos without mentioning this one. It is possibly the most famous music video, I think everyone has seen it, but it is amazing. It is what we call a 'one take wonder' and half the wonder of it is the thought of how much practice must have gone into creating it. No matter how many times you watch it, it still makes you smile. It has been replicated so many times, but nothing beats the original. The only slip up is a tiny one by the guy in the red pants- see if you can spot it. The Treadmill Dance is right up there with the funky chicken and the YMCA.
3) 'Just' by Radiohead
You have to watch this one all the way through to get why it's so fantastic. The surprise at the end makes watching the whole thing through worth every second of it. It has a kind of story, and that's what separates it from most modern music videos. You get completely and utterly besotted and engaged with it as it develops, and by the end you're hanging on every last subtitle like your life depends on it. You can also get a kick out of reading the comments on the video on YouTube.
4) 'Weapon Of Choice' by Fatboy Slim
The thing that makes this one is Christopher Walken. His hangdog expression at the start, the build-up, the anticipation, and suddenly he just bursts into this mad dance and it's just spectacular. The fact that he seems to be totally alone in this massive hotel just busting moves that wouldn't look right on anyone else is like a recipe for the perfect music video. And then he starts flying? What is this delicious lunacy!?
5) 'Fluorescent Adolescent' by the Arctic Monkeys
I'm not sure if this is good so much as slightly terrifying. On paper, it's clowns beating people up. In reality, it's like being high at a murderous clown convention that has just been just let loose into the high street. It's also a really good song, so thumbs up for that, but otherwise, I'm not sure if I want to join in or run for the hills.
6) 'This Too Shall Pass' by OKGO
Let's face it, OKGO are just very good at making music videos. They're ambitious with it, and everybody loves a Rube Goldberg machine. It pains me to think about how many times this had to be done, and how frustrated the director got (I imagine much tea and coffee was needed in the creation of this video) but they must have been pleased with the final product. OKGO once again wins the prize for the 'lots of sleepless nights but it was worth it in the end' video.
7) 'He Said He Loved Me' by Reverend and the Makers
I've kind of cheated a bit on this one, because I've interpreted 'good' as 'mind meltingly strange'. The first person who manages to explain the presence of the fish deserves a medal, because I have absolutely no idea. At least the rest of it makes some sense, it's just put against a random backdrop with a scary woman and a pram. (Oh, and a pair dancing legs- scratch that, several pairs).
There you have it! Why do all my lists seem to come in sevens? I like the number seven... Seven is a good number. Feel free to share your favourites in the comments, and I hope you enjoy the rest of your day!
As loosely promised, I am presenting a follow up to my last blog: 'A List of Seven of the Best Things.' Kindly note these lists, whilst important (they are lists, after all) are what I would like to call 'Meus own sententia quod fides , operor non infligo lemma' which I believe is Latin for, 'my own thoughts and beliefs, do not knock them.'
In short, take it with a pinch of salt.
So, for all eyes to see: Elbows on the Table's Official List of Seven of the Worst Things
1) People who walk really slowly in front of you This is something that drives me insane. I always seem to find them. They're like a special breed of people who have to walk at a snails pace right in front of you. Does it never occur to them that you may have somewhere you need to be? And why do they always seem to have company? Why does their company walk equally as slowly and obstruct the corridor so you can't do an uncomfortably fast walk to overtake them? They need their own lane in the corridor. It can be labelled, 'people so socially savvy that they need to text constantly as they stroll leisurely in front of you'.
2) Vinegar
The smell. The smell. It makes me shiver and quake in my proverbial boots. I think my dislike for it comes from my brothers complete fixation with it. He puts it on everything. No food is safe. Lasagne, peas, shepherds pie- everything. He even has a habit of pouring it on ready salted crisps- when we have salt and vinegar in the house! The logic is undeniable.
3) Branded and Packaged Youthful Boybands We're not talking Take That. We're talking guys barely out of their teens with boyish cheeky grins and ridiculous hairstyles. I cannot even begin to fathom them. Or their fans. Auto-tuned to within an inch of their lives (a large portion of them can't sing) they become less of a band, more of a brand. Every song is teh same. With the target market of teenage girls, the only subject of their music is how beautiful a girl is (although she never seems to realise). What is almost as irritating as the bands themselves, are the people whos ay 'I WISH TO KILL THEM.' I may not be their biggest fans, but I respect other people's tastes in music, and I'm not a murderous rampaging psychopath.
4) Tabloid Magazines OK! No not, OK! (I apologise profoundly, I'll never do anything of that nature again). A lot of people in them are irritating, sure (they are of the 'famous for being famous' genre) but who cares what they had for lunch? Why do I want to know about someone some paparazzi has spotted with their ribs showing? They're probably so stinking thin because in your last issue you were parading around about how fat they were!
5) Revision I understand why it's necessary, and how it will help me get good grades and therefore a good job and as a result cash, but it will forever remain totally boring. I have, on more than one occasion, considered the power revision could have if used as a weapon of mass destruction. I am very thankful that Capital Punishment is illegal in this country- death by revision is not a good way to go.
6) Advertisement Jargon
Buy our product! It's got this made up thing that will do a made up activity to a made up part of your face. A lot of people just think, 'that sounds scientific, I must buy their product' without actually knowing what any of it means.
So yes, you should certainly purchase some Parfait du Geshichte, it contains natural occurring zetahancers that will polydise your cryofilate system. Only £609!
7) The Out Crowd
Just as irritating as the In Crowd. The Out Crowd are those amongst us who sit around discussing how rubbish their lives are, how everyone hates them, how they do everything wrong, how they'll never be loved, how they ruin everything, how the whole world's against them- when this isn't the case. Can't people just cheer up? Can't they, for just five minutes, look at themselves and think, 'I can get attention in other ways.' There are people with real self esteem issues, who have actual problems, who genuinely believe they are worthless- but they don't talk about it twenty four seven- they want their problems to be solved, and I, as well as many others, would be happy to help them. The people who don't want their problems to be solved, or don't actually have problems, are the ones who will happily sit next to you and talk to you solidly for an hour about how the fact that they didn't get full marks on a test means that the teacher must have some kind of deep set hatred for them.
Well, I hope I've enlightened you, but I fear I may have just thoroughly depressed you instead...
