shake and [break]

if you surround yourself with optimistic and creative people, your life will never be boring.

so far, this year has been somewhat dull. studying for architecture exams isn’t the adrenaline rush one might imagine. i have however been able to enjoy a few wonderful moments with friends and acquaintances at my newly appointed “home-away-from-home” public. enjoying dinner there last friday some very optimistic and creative people who work there asked if i would like to participate in a “harlem shake” video they were filming the next day. knowing i’d be spending most of saturday reading, i felt an hour off for a mental, social, and creative release would be fine, so i agreed. just like watching the videos, the filming was quick, easy, and provided a bit of humor.

now, i’m well aware everyone and their dog has made a “harlem shake” video. it’s a meme, and at this point maybe even a fad, and fads are supposed to be fun. they spread fast because they have the ability to spur the imagination of optimistic and creative people. fads have a quick and interesting cycle. they should be enjoyed, expanded upon, ridiculed, and eventually mocked. enjoyed and expanded upon because they’re a break from the mundane, and ridiculed and mocked because the novelty runs out and they become stale. however you can’t deny what fads do for us. they’re flashy mile markers on the monotonous highway of life giving us a sense of time and place. moments helping us recall when and where we were when something happened. bookmarks in our autobiographies allowing us to look back at our past and say, “crap, I can’t believe there’s video of me dancing around to a stupid song dressed in a teen wolf costume.”

here’s one of my bookmarks, brought to you by optimistic and creative people.