“Hey A, you know what you should really do this summer? Catch up on Vampire Diaries on Netflix?”
“Hey Boyfriend, do you mind if we watch the latest episode of Teen Wolf before bed?”
“ Breaking Bad? Mad Men? You know what you should really watch? Awkward. It’s so funny!”
If after reading those quotes you haven’t figured it out yet, let me spell it out for you. I’m a 28 year old teenager basically. It should be an embarrassing problem. I know this because I keep telling myself to make sure no one ever finds out. Like the time I threw my remote across my living room and sat seething over one character choosing the person I didn’t like*. This lasts approximately until I see a commercial, a tweet, or overhear anyone say something that sounds remotely like one of my shows. For example, a patient at the end of her visit once asked me to explain more about std’s**. My answer: “ oh my goodness! You watch TVD?? Who do you like better Stefan or Damon? Stefan right?”
See.Problem.
So why did I decide to go public with this deep dark secret? To be honest, because the last couple of months I’ve been going through a hard time. I couldn’t look at the glass as half full because all I thought was “everything sucks! and clichés are stupid, Larissa.” Those thoughts just made everything worse until I realized the only way to get out of a funk is to actively do things that move you from that dark space. It’s easier to get down on yourself and sulk than it is to focus on the things that make you great and the things that make you smile. I decided to start with the small things that make me happy which was a Vampire Diaries marathon on Netflix, followed by catching up on Teen Wolf and Awkward. before their summer premieres. Did it make everything better? No, but I was in a much better mood and frame of mind when I buckled up and started taking steps to solve my problems. That’s reason enough to make my guilty pleasures a little more desirable (except no less embarrassing admitting them. Please don’t judge me).
What secret things make you happy?
Ps. If anyone out there enjoys these teen shows too find me on twitter! All my friends judge me for it and sometimes I need to discuss things. I’m very serious.
* I told myself I wasn’t watching those stupid teen shows anymore and I was right back at it the following week.
**in my non writing life I worked at a women’s clinic