Trying to be Amelie...

When my best friend growing up, Julia, and I saw the movie Amelie, I think we were in high school. She recently reminded me that we had the intention of doing random acts of kindness to strangers, like leaving notes in people's lockers that said "you're awesome." We even bought a journal to log our exploits. But it never really took off. We had the right intentions but didn't follow through.

"Without you, today's emotions would be the scurf of yesterday's."

I was thinking lately about my high school and college selves, respectively, and how I wish I could travel back in time and shake them very hard and say "Stop worrying about what other people think of you. And stop wasting time on boys--it's really not worth it." But I seriously doubt my advice from the future would resonate.

I once had a friend who said something along the lines of "I hope that someday you will be able to live your life free of men and applause." At the time, this comment stung, but I think perhaps I have enough perspective now to appreciate it somewhat.

After all, it is better to help people than garden gnomes...