2014-12-29

I Looked So Forward To This

Sometimes the anticipation of a thing is better than anything. Tom Petty says the waiting is the hardest part, but that is also the most exciting, especially certain events that we look forward to for SO LONG, and then...they go right by, so..... quickly. 

You hear how amazing an experience is supposed to be, an iconic event in everyone's life. A big deal, the biggest!

You look forward to it for a long time, sometimes years. You come close, but you know when you're older it will be even better. You'll be able to experience this right of passage in your own, in your own time, with someone who is very special to you.

You prepare, you ready yourself inside and out. I'm ready for this, I've waited long enough. I DESERVE this. You work on the outer appearance of everything as well. What should I wear? Something special. Something glamorous that says without saying that this night will be especially special. Something you would never wear on any ordinary non-red-letter day, that's for sure.

You do your best to make everything perfect. This is supposed to be magic, you want to remember everything being perfect. It's going to be great!

You have even purchased some props. You're not even totally sure what they're for, but you've seen the movies and read some things and everyone says you should have some basics, so you cave. They must be important. Maybe you'll figure out what all of that pomp and circumstance is for in the moment. Maybe someone else there will be kind and show you.

Everything is ready, you've made all the arrangements and taken all the precautions. You've imagined every possible scenario, so nothing could go wrong. A little nervous, but in that exciting anything-is-possible way!

Finally the day is here after what feels like fore-e-ever. You've added to the supplies, you know you have things you probably don't need but maybe someone else will need extras, who knows. You're ready for anything. Let's just do this already!

You meet up with that special someone, they're looking their best. There is something different about this, this will be special. All the preparation has been worth it. Everyone looks great, positively sparkling. This is to be a very special night indeed. You can feel it. 

Things get started, it seems like fun but you know the big event is looming. What did you forget, anything? No, couldn't have. What should you do now? Where do I put this? What about that? Whoa, the time is getting close, should we be doing something else? It feels like I should be doing something more to prepare, but what?! 

Before the BIG magic moment, you try to think. What else should we do? What else IS THERE even? Nothing. You can't think of a thing, but hey here it is, it's TIME! 

Anticipation mounts, a countdown begins, are those butterflies? You think everything is going to be so great, here we go! 

What should I be doing right now?

Shouldn't there be some sort of ... drum roll, or something? Should I actually do that, or should someone else? Or is it a subliminal thing? So...why is it not happening?

Wait, why are you kissing me?

Wait, what?!

You mean, that's IT???

Did I miss something?

Um.....Okay. 

So.....Now what?

There has to be something else to this. WAIT, what else can we do? Anything?

What do you mean that's it?

ALL of that preparation and excitement and THIS IS IT??

All there is now is to clean up this big mess?

That went by so quickly. And for what? I don't feel any different, just the same old me.

I looked forward to THAT?! 

That was so....so anti-climactic.

What a waste of time. 

Not to mention money, but I spent SO MUCH MONEY.

And folks, that's what New Year's Eve is like when you're a grown up.

Happy New Year! Here's to another year of looking forward to things,
sometimes being let down, 
being human, 
making mistakes, 
being shocked by others' mistakes,
learning the hard way, and 
looking forward to things that fly by in an unceremonious blink of an eye.

I've been suckered into the allure of New Year's, and prom, and so many things by people swearing I would regret it if I didn't go out and have that experience. I maintain I would not have missed anything, but glad I never again have to ride the roller coaster of anticipation to bottom out in disappointment.....and credit card debt.

It's okay to watch reruns of Law and Order in "give up on life pants" aka sweat pants and stay on your couch on New Year's Eve, and even MORE OKAY to make a huge deal out of Wednesday! Yay Wednesday, let's celebrate how stupid Tuesday is every week. Let's have a drink! Eeerrrr, cake.

It's a wonderful life. You can be disappointed, or you can work with what you've got. Look back briefly, look forward with reality, look around in the now, it's gone before you hear the drumroll. Don't wait for big moments, live the small ones. 

I was looking for a picture to sum up anticipation and found this. I have NO idea what is going on here, but it seems like the perfect 1,000 words (or 1 picture) to sum up celebrating every day. 
Yes! An OUTDOOR COUCH!
I guess don't knock it 'til you try it?

from 
www.newsandstar.co.uk

  


27 comments:

  1. This New Years I look forward to slapping on a pair of sweat pants, drinking a beer, and falling asleep on the couch at 9 PM. The real magic is waking up at 2 in the morning and realizing that you just time traveled into the New Year. Whoa, how'd he do that?

    Hope you have an awesome New Year! More specifically, a better one than I have planned!

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    1. I pretty much have the SAME thing planned. Except hopefully not waking up at 2a.m. Except maybe to go to the bathroom and go right back to sleep. Never gave a crap about New Year's. I got sucked into a bunch of different kinds of parties in my life, talked into it by friends, and a few times I DID spend a lot of money, and it's always lame and crowded and I always wish I stayed home. It's like Vegas or New Orleans during a major holiday, the rookies ruin it.
      Here's to another year of laughs!

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  2. It seems you and I were on similar wave lengths with our posts today!! This does not surprise me though.... COMFY VAGINA FOREVER!!! ;) Happy New Year Joy! I hope you and your beautiful family have an amazing 2015!!

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    1. hahaha I started reading yours in my email, until my now 3 yr old spilled bubbles ALL OVER the table, just missing my new tablet! I have to get back and finish it because YES! So much!
      Hope you and yours have a great New Year and 2015 as well! Here's to another year of laughs and SMDH's!

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  3. Last year, I got kissed by a man with no teeth and perspiration problems. This year, NO-ONE will be getting me out of my nightie...unless he's Nathan Fillion. Nightie, sofa, TV, junk food and Spawn. That's how I aim to spend the New Year.

    Have a Happy New Year!

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    1. That sounds like quite a story! I've always been of the "no kiss is a bad kiss" school of thought, but .....
      I like the sound of your sofa New Year, sounds SOFA KING COMFY! (say those 3 words together fast.)
      Have a great one, and here's to more laughs in 2015!

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  4. New Years is totally NOT my holiday. As long as Australia is still on the map, I'm good. The current town I live in has nearly ruined my faith in humanity and basic common sense. If the Mother Ship could just suck those folks right up, my faith might be restored. lol

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    1. Not mine either. You should write a story about a whole town being sucked up to space, the alients want to use them to like test out a new planet or something!
      hahahahaha I think the folks in your town are the norm, unforch. People are crazy.

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  5. Maybe it was the fact I was still waking up with coffee or maybe I'm just slow....you had me wondering, Joy LOL
    Well done:)
    Excellent pic to sum it all up! (Not sure about the outdoor couch thing)
    But this? This is perfect: "It's a wonderful life. You can be disappointed, or you can work with what you've got. Look back briefly, look forward with reality, look around in the now, it's gone before you hear the drumroll. Don't wait for big moments, live the small ones."
    Happy New Year Joy!

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    1. Happy New Year to you, beautiful lady! I was going for that, but I was half-asleep when I wrote it! Plus the one thing I just cannot write? Is naughty stuff. I know, it's weird but I go all 9 yr old girl blushing!
      Hope to see your face on vidchat soon! Or at least some time in 2015!

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    2. Hey! Thanks for that thought, Joy....will try writing "half asleep":) Something's got to get me writing again! LOL
      Not as weird as you think.
      Yes! Vidchats in 2015!

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    3. I'm with you, my writing has been like a tween's diary at the best of times, for months now.

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  6. Personally, I've always enjoyed New Year's Eve, but mostly because I use it as an excuse to be completely obnoxious in the middle of the night. It's expected that people are going to yell and be louder than necessary when the clock strikes 12. Most other times that I run around my house screeching like a rabid banshee that just stepped on a Lego while I bang a pot with a metal cooking spoon, the police get called by a neighbor and I end up owing the courts a bunch of money. On the plus side, I don't even need to explain myself to the local bail bondsman anymore. In fact, Rick is very nice, and has my paperwork mostly filled out this time of year.

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    1. Welp, that is a good point. That's probably why my son loves it so much. That, and for once I didn't nag him to go to bed every 5 minutes. It's nice you found Rick, and he you.

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  7. …the only New Years' Eve I felt that I was genuinely engaging in, was 1999… I started dialing telephone numbers at 11:59…you hoping to get the ball rolling, Y2k-istically speaking. But like so many other New Years Eves, things pretty much stayed the same.
    Not that I don't believe in trying to go with anticipectations… but like the old saying about sex, once you can recognize it, it's never quite as good.

    er…Happy New Year?

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    1. hahahaha I always thought 1999 was going to be so much fun, but NOPE. I had a 4 yr old boy, a failing horrible marriage and everyone was way too freaked out about the END OF THE WORLD to have any fun. It was one of THEE worst NYEs of my entire life. That's probably when I turned from not liking it, to full-on hating it I would imagine.
      Happy New Year indeed, Clark!

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  8. Loved the blog post - the Hitchcock quote and the outdoor couch. I went to the Family Circle cup once and did you know they provide living room couches courtside for the players? It was so bizarre.

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    1. That is amazing, the outdoor couches courtside. I walked past a couch on someone's driveway and uploaded it to Instagram with the hashtag #OutdoorCouch, it was awesome. There was a lot of couches at the curb, waiting for garbage trucks, and some fancy meant-to-be outdoors furniture, but also? A lot of random outdoor couches and drunk people having fun and indoor couches placed outside, on the porch, in the backyard, all kinds of shenanigans. Fun!
      Thanks for reading and commenting.

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  9. My partner and I have a Desperate Housewives marathon armed and ready to golfer tonight, we'll probably be too busy laughing at Bree Van den Kamp to notice midnight go by :)

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  10. 'Don't wait for the big moments, live the small ones' - what a superb mantra to live by.

    Wishing you well for 2015 and beyond.

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  11. Happy New Year Joy! Here's wishing you and yours a happy and healthy 2015!

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    1. Thanks, Phil. Happy New Year to you, and here's to another year of posting delicious food that makes me want to eat my laptop!

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  12. I agree! New Year's Eve celebrations are always so disappointing--and I attribute that to the fact that you pay to eat AND drink, so you feel you have to get your money's worth by eating a shitload, which leaves no room in your stomach for what you really want to do: Drink! I have loved NYE even more as I've gotten older. This year, we went to my sister-in-law's house. I wore my yoga pants (that double as jammies) and put my kids into comfy clothes that could do the same. The adults had a couple of drinks while the kids all played together excitedly because we knew we were spending the night. It was perfect. Happy New Year!!

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    1. That's a good point, Shay. Of course if I don't eat, the hangover is even worse the next day and I'm not really a person that can go without eating for long. You're a genius with the comfy clothes, I do that for my little ones and I don't OWN anything I can't sleep in, but I'll have to keep that in mind as my girls get older!

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  13. That IS the challenge, isn't it??

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