Earlier today I saw an inspiring TED talk by Sarah Kay, a 22 year-old spoken-word poet. As an aside, am I the only person who watches TED with an almost religious devotion? TED speakers remind me of the good and the bad in the world, the divine and the base, the thought-provoking and the the boring. And if that's not church, I don't know what is. And it's so much more relaxing to hear the sermons in the comfort of my living room.
In any case, one of the things Kay discusses is an exercise she uses to get teenagers over the hump of believing they are capable of poetry: making a list of 10 things based on an assigned topic. I love this exercise because at its heart is the idea we can experiment with our self-image without repercussions. Am I poet? I'd venture no. Emphatically. But can I write a list? Yes.
10 Things I Wish I Had Learned By Now
- Quality over quantity.
- People do not come in black and white.
- Envy and grudges are the emotional equivalent of drinking poison and expecting someone else to die.
- The better the cheese, the more important the lactaid.
- Telling myself I should do something is the fastest way to kill any desire to do it. Frankly, I'm 33 - there's very little I have to do.
- Stereotypes are more fun to apply than to accommodate.
- It is ok to be sad. Not angry, not indignant, sad.
- My worth is not comparative or conditional.
- Mascara and cleavage, not concealer, is the best way to hide a zit.
- Looking bedraggled at the summit does not make the climb itself any more or less impressive.
What are your ten things?
