The Reality of the Situation

Posted by Meg July 07, 2014

The Reality of the Situation

Dissed in my happy place.
Not the Zen I was hoping for. Wah-Wah

I've read articles in the past that say we shouldn't trust the smiling faces of social media because they make us feel like everyone else is leading amazing, glamorous, and blissfully happy lives. Instead, we should realize that, in fact, everyone has shitty days but they just don't write about them.

Yesterday, I was poised to live the dream. I had popsicles freezing away, a song in my heart, resolutions abound. With my laces all snug, I set out to run, breeze flowing through my hair, strength pumping through my legs.

Alas, dear reader, my social media glamorized life turned back into reality. And so, I am here to let you all know that it did not turn into the zen moment I had planned.

For my run, my legs felt like they weighed about 10,000 pounds. I ran maybe half a mile before I felt like I was going to pass out. My running buddy, who had just completed a 50-mile bike ride the day before, was ready to keep going and I didn't want to get in his way. I told him I would meet him on the other side of the Charles River, just as soon as the Esplanade stopped spinning. Off he went, as I tried to regain my balance.

As I was waiting, a gentlemen sitting on a dock of the Charles called out to me. "Man," I thought, "these new sneakers are really working it for me! Zen and love, here I come!" However, the young suitor proved to be either high or inebriated, and quite possibly both. As I started walking toward him, he stopped, stuck out his belly, checked me out up-and-down, and....licked his lips. Yes. He did that. In my state of shock, "Woah! That actually just happened!" were the only words that could come out of my mouth.

He proceeded to talk to me, lord knows why I continued this conversation, and then after a lovely chat concluded there was "no way possible" he would ever date a girl like me. When I asked if he was trying to make me upset, again, no idea why I was still standing there, he said, "I don't think a person like you could actually cry. You really don't give a shit about anything." He also laughed when I said I had been single for 3 year years claiming, "Woooah! That is a really long time!" All true. All in my happy place. All when I had just proclaimed on social media I was ready to let it go.

After that charming interaction, I walked home and was too tired from my attempt-at-a-run to even eat the damn popsicles. Oh, and the gentlemen upon whose texts I was awaiting...never texted. This is something I should be used to by now but it still makes my heart crumble.

So you see, dear reader, it ain't all that great. I did, however, try out one of the popsicles tonight and they were pretty freakin' awesome. And that is the for real truth.