One Moment

It's Valentines Day and whether you're head-over-heels, annoying-everyone-around-you lovesick puppy or the classic cynic who looks in disdain at the absurd amounts of flower and chocolate sales, take a moment to let someone know happy V-day. It'll only take one second.

Dr. Pepper

Dr. Pepper is a mystery in my life. I have never tasted it, nor do I plan to. This irks many of colleagues who claim that my life is "deprived" and "incomplete" because I have not beheld 23-flavor fiesta that is Dr. Pepper. A friend of mine once told me that Dr. Pepper fills her "with a tingle of happiness." I personally have nothing against Dr. Pepper. I do drink other carbonated drinks on occasion, although I am a tad anal about melting away my enamel. I also call carbonated drinks "pop" which also irks many of my colleagues down here in the South, but I digress.

When my friends shout, "What? No! You've never. . Wait, NEVER, oh my god, NEVER had Dr. Pepper? Dude, you have to try some!" I explain that I like to keep a "little mystery in my life." It's a difficult concept to explain because I don't think it's the real reason I don't drink Dr. Pepper. The real reason is that I have spent almost two decades without it and finally giving in after so many years kind of feels like losing a game, and I hate to lose games.

Charlie

Chaplin once said:

"Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in the long shot."

I thought this was rather clever. In a similar spirit, I think the following is also true:

"Life is a comedy when seen in close-up, but a tragedy in the long shot."

And so it goes.

Tip #1

I know you were just dying to know what tip #1 was, right? Well, the chances are you don't even know what I'm talking about so I'm going to refer you back to the previous post (read the last line).

Tip #1 in my self-help book is this: Buy a dog.

They're freaking awesome. Not to mention, absolutely adorable. If you have a choice, definitely get yourself a miniature goldendoodle.

Say what now? Yes. A miniature goldendoodle. It's a mix between a golden retriever and a miniature poodle.

Say what now? Yes. A golden retriever and a miniature poodle. They do it by artificial insemination. The result is this totally adorably fluffy dog that will love you forever and ever.

Life, Liberty . . .

And the pursuit of happiness. Those are the words in the ever famous, oft quoted Declaration of Independence.

Now, I'm not going to hide it. I used to be one of those kids who should shake their fists at the world because dear god, why were my parents not born with mind-blowing connections? Why wasn't I born with a 8792 IQ? Why don't I find big sacks of money everywhere? Why am I not as pretty as that girl over there? Isn't there something in the Declaration of Independence that guarantees me happiness or success or something? What a load of bologna! I came to the only plausible, reasonable conclusion: America sucked, my life sucked, and it was not my fault.

In a moment of lucidity sometime later, I actually thought to look up the Declaration of independence. To my surprise, I realized that my brain had so conveniently left out a word. The Declaration did not say, "Life, liberty, and happiness" but "Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

Now, as a decently educated young woman, of course I knew that "Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" was the correct version. But, I had to failed to realize exactly what those words entailed. Plainly stated, I was looking for luck. I wanted things to be easier/faster/better/just cooler in general.

I still do. It's a very human sort of sentiment.

But, I now have the words "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness" hanging on a small Post-It on my bed frame. The word "pursuit" is underlined several times , highlighted, and surrounded by a small group of lopsided stars. It's a silly sort of note, and my friends just think I'm being a history geek, but it keeps me decently happy and upbeat.

If I ever write a self help book, I'm pretty sure this will be tip #2.

6.0

It seems that earthquakes know just how to aggravate already open wounds. As death tolls mount ever higher, Haiti was hit by an aftershock rating 6.0 on the scale this morning, and aid is perhaps more crucial than ever.

Please see Saturday's post for links to the American Red Cross and UNICEF. I am also including a link to a Huffington Post article that also suggests several ways to support relief efforts in Haiti.

WAYS TO HELP

Saturday Post

I normally don't post on Saturdays, but sometimes things happen in the world that do not necessarily feel the desire to match my update schedule.

As most people are already aware, Haiti was recently hit by one of the most devastating earthquakes in history. Hospitals and shelters are just as likely as any other building to be destroyed in an earthquake, making relief efforts ever more difficult and frustrating.

I'm encouraging everybody to donate and help out with the relief efforts. The Red Cross and UNICEF are taking donations through their Haiti Earthquake Relief Funds. Here are the links:

American Red Cross
UNICEF

Some quick steps you can take to help out with the relief efforts:

1. Tell your friends. Sometimes disasters happen so often and so far away that we write many of them off as just another one. Take notice. Make your friends and family take notice.

2. Donate. I included the Red Cross and UNICEF links on this post because most people are familiar with these organizations. There are certainly several other organizations collecting and holding programs for relief. Money tends to be the most useful in times of crises, but make sure that you know where your money is going. Although disasters strike in many people's hearts a chord of sympathy, many people see earthquakes as just another opportunity to scam you. If you are donating, make sure you are doing so to a reputable organization.

3. Start a fundraiser at your school/company. More people contributing = more aid. Simple enough.

4. If you are religious, keep the victims and their families in your prayers, and if you are not, keep them in your thoughts. A moment of positive thinking will only take 30 seconds of your time, and it certainly can't hurt anyone.