Mattie

trying on shoes that I can't afford, giving bear hugs, running away from the edge of the ocean even though I'm barefoot, playing in soccer games where nobody keeps score, attempting to play in tune, arguing about Brahms, putting flowers in my hair, winking, trying to be ginger rogers, studying silly days of the week (i.e. slugs return to capistrano day) making weird faces at small children, singing opera in the car, humming opera on the street, dancing to anything until I simply can't dance anymore, reading existentialist plays, raising my right eyebrow, sight reading Haydn while tipsy, getting a really good rebound, swinging, quoting joni mitchell, counting to 12 sesame street style, shocking people with my punk getup, wearing my heart on my sleeve, learning the lyrics to obscure songs like they're pop songs, pronouncing food names correctly in Italian restaurants, indulging in chocolate the darker the better, feeling the footsteps of others on marble stairs, having my toes popped, idolizing miss piggy, wearing silly buttons, getting lost in the woods, yelling obscenities at Andre Rieu anytime I see him on the ARTS channel, flaunting a great haircut, elongating the life of any inside joke, (sunny! cloudy!!) popping my back, neck, and shoulders to feel free again, using pirate pick up lines, letting the wind whip up my skirt while riding my little red bicycle, wearing my mothers old clothing, softly kissing, giving inanimate objects names that nobody uses anymore, being inspired by This American Life, getting over it and letting myself just be rained on, baking bread, cupcakes, and waffles all at once, rolling my rrrrrs, making special requests, playing my ukulele upside down, doing the twist, loading the dishwasher correctly, finding different places where a scarf can be an accessory, eating hummus, being brought to tears by an amazing performance of any kind, doing tour jetes while bowling, screaming at referees when they miss offsides calls, hopping onstage whenever a backup singer is needed, drinking prosecco, being entranced by fireworks, inspiring children, stacking rocks, speaking to animals in Italian, throwing anything edible into cous cous, squealing with delight when lightening strikes just a little too close, sleeping past noon, making fun of how dutch sounds, writing about boys, attempting to keep up with my grandmother while hiking, knitting objects that nobody will actually wear, being the girl who is most on it in kickboxing class, crying so hard I start to laugh, wearing random hats, teaching people how to shimmy, taking pretentious photos of myself, flying kites, singing the viola part to dvorak's american quartet, attempting to perfect my 80s eye makeup, oh who am I kidding... really good sex to kind of blue, laughing at Shakespeare wit, dealing with perpetual unrequited love, looking up words I don't know the meaning of, making life changing decisions, eavesdropping, making smiley faces with eggs, analyzing strangers' sex lives, laughing so hard I start to sound like a donkey, stroking someones cheek when they are upset, stalking semi celebrities, HI DEMETRI!! walking in 3 and chewing my carrots in two, singing duets with gay men in karaoke bars, picking up free weights with authority, being a groupie, busking, contributing to the quote book, maintaining friendships, head banging to Shostakovich, playing fetch with my lab, flirting shamelessly, shopping in consignment stores, faking a southern accent, trying to learn more, trying to hear more, trying to experience more.