Dislikes and Probably-shouldn't-likes

Things I don't like

Brow furling: Everywhere you go people are, to use the scientific terms, furling their brows or crinkling their noses. It's mostly habitual, and almost always out of place. I might argue that it's not good for your skin and that it can cause premature wrinkling, but it goes a lot further than that. When people furl their brows, it denotes a high level of stress, surprise, or worry. When one crinkles his or her nose, it suggests confusion, extreme concentration, or uncertainty. So, if you are in the testing center with 10 minutes left before your midterm ends and you are only half way through, or if you are performing open heart surgery, go for it. Furl and crinkly away. But when you are walking down the sidewalk, reading a book, or having a casual conversation, maybe you could try expressing contentment or smiling instead.

Grocery carts being left everywhere: I always hate parking at a grocery store right next to a bunch of carts because people decided to use them, but not to return them to any of the conveniently located cart stalls that have been placed around the parking lot. It doesn't take much effort to put the cart away, and it will save a lot of cars from being dinged up. Besides, if someone uses a cart, they should be able to be responsible. Most of us are adults, right? I mean, technically? Or at least legally?
The last time I went to get groceries, as I was parking my car, the lady in the parking spot next to me unloaded her groceries, then pushed her cart to the side and got in her car to drive away. I got out of my car and pushed her cart to the stall two spaces down while she was watching, then walked into the store. I didn't want to make her feel embarrassed, but I do want to her realize how easy it is to put her cart away and maybe start doing it in the future.

Midterms always being on the same week: I think this one is pretty self-explanatory. It would be nice if professors realized that almost everyone plans their tests for the same week, then mixed it up a bit.


Things I like that I probably shouldn't

Being turned down for dates: The last time I got turned down for a date, the girl had just gotten into a serious relationship and tried to politely side-step the issue. I realized what was happening, and decided that I get an answer before I left. I knew what she was going to say at that point, but I just wanted to hear her say "no." I'm not sure what it is, but I'm guessing that I just enjoy the shear honesty. Besides, any time I ask a girl out, I realize that there is a chance she will decline (otherwise it would be demanding a girl out and not asking a girl out, right?), and I wouldn't ask if I wasn't prepared to face the consequences.

Sticking my hands in scalding hot water: I don't really care for getting burnt or using water that is far too hot, but when it happens I usually go back for more, thrusting my hands through the extremely hot water for a split second just to feel the shocking sensation of the painful heat.

I like eating strange and foreign things. If I go to a restaurant and they have something odd or exotic, there's a good chance that I'll order it. As far as the strangest thing that I've eaten so far, I'm not really sure. Not much comes to mind at the moment. Let's see... I've eaten kidney (though I don't know from what animal), a bowl of chicken livers, cow tongue, octopus, bear (You know what would be cool? Watching a bear and a big octopus fight... Or maybe a superhero who gets his powers by having his DNA crossed with bear and octopus DNA... The Adventures of Octobear! I foresee a new comic strip!). Come to think of it, clams are pretty freaky, although fairly common in the U.S.

Life...

For all of my dedicated fans who have been staring at their computer screens for the past three weeks, hitting the refresh button over and over again, I have broken the silence! Actually, that would be kind of creepy... Anyway, I just had a thought re-emerge and decided to take a break from studying to put it to words.

It seems that most people want nothing more in life than to fall in love, start a career, buy a house, raise children, and grow old. I admit that a lot of these things are appealing to me and I expect to do all of them at some point (except grow old. I decided long ago to never get fat, go bald, or grow old), but for me the world is far too vast. There are too many things to learn, too many things to do, and too many places to see.

Right now I am constrained by work and school to stay where I am, but I'm still traveling and expanding myself through other means. When I somehow find myself with a few minutes of spare time, I like to pick up one of my instruments and play or write a song and develop my musical abilities. At school I am studying things that increase my opportunities in life, both professionally and recreationally. This summer when I actually have some time, I plan to see a bit of the world (Mexico or NYC, anyone?), perhaps buy a motorcycle and go on a few road trips, and I'm still planning on the sky diving that I somehow missed last summer.

After I graduate I would like to see more of the world. I'm considering some of the classics (like a huge road trip or backpacking through Europe), but I would also love to live in some more tropical places and maybe in Europe for awhile. England might be a good option since it wouldn't be too foreign to be called home and yet has easy access to many other countries and cultures...

At any rate, I can't see myself just settling down very easily. I have too much thirst for adventure and too much desire to try new things. While I don't have any phobias or intense fears, if I had to list my 3 biggest fears (while quite small) I might say something along the lines of getting hit in the eye with something, being 30+ and single (no offense anyone), and ending up with a stagnant life. Anyway, life is meant for living.

Am I missing something here? Am I not giving the traditional life enough credit? Or maybe it's to each his (or her) own?