An Asshole Idea Explained

Ever since I was a kid growing up a Polish neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago, I was imbibed with the hippy spirit.  The earliest of Halloween photo captured the essence of my siblings and me: my older sister, the neat freak, was Carol Burnett / The Cleaning Lady; my younger brother, whom you never know quite what he’s up to was The Devil; and I - wearing a poncho, donning green-lensed John Lenon-esk glasses, a long-haired wig and holding a poster with the peace symbol - The Hippy. 

 

As I grew, I retained an artistic and free spirit – painting poetry on my bedroom walls, ripping red and black tights apart so I can sew one red leg and one black together, dying my hair multiple colors (before it was the rage), imitating famous people, making people laugh, and changing from an econ to a theatre major (shocker!).  All dubbed “asshole ideas” by those that knew me best.  Soon those behaviors were expected of me and I seemed to have no problem living up to them. 

 

Now don’t get me wrong, the connotation of having “asshole ideas” doesn’t caste me in the best light.  But that depends how you look at it.  You see, in order to one-up other’s projections of me, I’ve learned to tweak my perspective. And like singer Jimmy Cliff said, “I could see clearly now the rain has gone./ I can see all obstacles in my way...I think I can make it now, the pain is gone… Here is the rainbow I've been prayin' for…It's gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright) [asshole idea day]!!

 

Hope you join me daily and feel this magic carpet ride! 

 

Whoosh!