Don't you just hate it when you prove yourself wrong? Or those times when, mid−sentence, you realize that you're only going to contradict yourself if you keep talking? Well, readers, this is my last column, and all I'm going to say is that this entire semester of column−writing has made me realize that I've done both of those things. This may sound extremely cheesy, but I have proven myself wrong. Turns out I didn't really hate that many things, after all.
I mean, for the first few weeks I was golden. I had topics coming out my ears and was certainly more frustrated with mundane events of daily life than the average person. Everything was unnecessarily obnoxious! This column has been a nifty little soapbox for me. Taking into account, however, that at times my subject matter was definitely not serious and, really, not practical (although a ski lift would definitely be cool), I think this has definitely been a fulfilling semester.
And it's made me realize that I'm not really as much of a "debbie downer" as I thought I was all these years — who knew? To be sure, I'm picky, conscientious and probably overly critical. Now, though, I'm using these attributes less "for evil" and more "for good." Or, I've found that they've diminished and, in certain cases, disappeared completely. I'm just not in "that" mood any more! Rather than seething to myself about how much I hate this or that, or what this person said or what that person is wearing, I say something about it — right then and there. Or I just ignore it and keep going on my merry way. I'll have to get back to all of you after a few months and let you know whether or not I've become such an improved citizen as a result of growing up or as a result of having a weekly soapbox to shout from.
But, for now, I'm going to have to just suck it up and say that my parents, close friends and probably some of you readers were right. I do like some things. I like a lot of things, actually. And though it's important to me to be able to talk about the things I don't like — how else can you bring about change? — I've come to realize that it's just as important to talk about the things I do like. Puppies, for instance. Seriously, who doesn't like puppies?
But an entire column about random things someone likes would be just plain boring, unless the writer has some seriously eclectic interests — that is not me. It's easy to talk about things that irritate you. It gets people all fired up and sometimes makes them laugh. And that's something I like. I like pushing buttons, and I like seeing how far I can push somebody before they get angry. Call me annoying, but it's just plain fun. Try it sometime, maybe to a friend who has done the same thing to you. It's very much like the "I'm not touching you" game I'm pretty sure we all played as young kids. And it's just as satisfying when the unlucky subject of such abuse either breaks down laughing or explodes out of frustration. The way you react might even tell you something about yourself!
Anyway, readers, it's been real. Maybe I'll catch you all again some time in the future. For now, though, just know that although I don't have much else in the way of new things to gripe about, I still feel the same way about leggings as pants.
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Kacey Rayder is a junior who is majoring in English. She can be reached at Kacey.Rayder@tufts.edu.
