The Writers' Avenue Issue 3: YOLO

Details

Klaudia Wiski

I left my mundane office job early this afternoon, hopped in my car and headed for my house. The clear skies outside of my fishtank of a car paint a smile on my face with their cloudless perfection. Latch by Disclosure comes on the radio and I roll my window down. 

I'm enjoying the wind in my hair and thinking about the wonderful day ahead. I take a hot shower, after which I take some time to myself as I search for a little bit of reassurance and maybe a slight confidence boost from my Facebook and Instagram feedback. I'm not proud.

I sit butt naked, phone in hand in my bed until it's time to get ready. I make myself half presentable and practically skip out the door. I'm bursting with excitement, and not only from the half of a pot of coffee I drank just a few short hours prior. My expectations for the afternoon are high and quickly fulfilled as I walk the hardwood floors of one of the cutest boutiques around. I talk to a coworker on the phone and continue to circle the jewelry stand as I wait for Charlotte to make her way to the mellow mushroom next door. We eat, drink, laugh and I walk away with a blue moon pint glass. With permission might I add.

Katie, Charlotte and I make our way back to Charlotte's place where we meet Brendan. For the first time in a while I'm in a room with four people and none of them want to sleep with me. None of us are the type of girls that really get along well with other girls so this little group we have recently formed is very promising. Katie and Brendan go over a wedding song list as Charlotte and I pack for her upcoming move. A little bit if sadness managed to consume me, but only for a moment.

Married at 20 and separated at 23 makes you grow up a little faster than you may want to. Living with your parents at 24 and starting practically from scratch will make you appreciate the little things. A seven year relationship that turns from burden to the most difficult decision you've ever made has the ability to make you almost numb to any sorts of emotions. When you give almost a third of your life to someone only to walk away with nothing to show for it other emotions flowing through become easy to disregard.

Now I have baggage and I don't cling. It freaks people out, makes them think I'm damaged. I completely understand why someone would jump to that conclusion based on the facts presented.

I have an odd belief about relationships. I'm an observer by nature. I sit, watch and listen. I pay attention to how people talk, their body language and how hard they're actually trying. It never seizes to amaze me how one sided most relationships tend to be. One person is always emotionally dependent on the other person and can hardly imagine their life alone. I never understood that.

Why would you put your happiness in someone else's hands? Who are they to decide when you smile? I think we should enjoy people for who they are when and how we can. When they move on, for whatever reason, we should let them go. Accept that we learned and grew from their presence in out lives. We then should take those lessons and being them into the lives of others along with the lessons we've learned from anyone else we've ever encountered.

People are the true doorways in life. Doorways to adventures, opportunities, relationships, lessons and experiences. Those doors will shape and mold us as we squeeze through and explore what's waiting on the other side. I have adapted a very positive outlook on life and I find it almost ironic that it is 11:53pm and I am wrapping this up while practically melting into Charlotte's couch. I stumbled upon this contest today and couldn't believe how much I could relate to the topic.

The idea's that you only live once and every moment should be enjoyed. It's so often that we pin little pleasures to our "inconveniences" list when we should be driving out to the lake just to watch the sunset. Moments like that should never be taken for granted. We are so quick to allow to day to day consume us.

Remember the people you surround yourself with will ultimately mold the future you so surround yourself with people you adore and admire, remind yourself that each day is a new opportunity to do whatever you want. One even said, "Today is the oldest you have ever been and the youngest you will ever be.”