As the year comes to a close, it's very common for people to recollect all the experiences they've had in the past twelve months (give or take for those lucky few who fly through measurements of time). 2009 was the hostile cousin of 2008, not as bad, but still pretty unfortunate with chainsmokers, brain tumors, and vomiting my way out of job interview. In sharp contrast, there has been more things to save me from anxiety-filled nights than there was in 2008.Not to be outdone by blogs that are frequently read and their top ten list of everything-ish, I'd like to introduce the new year with my top ten list of things that saved my life over the past year.
10.) The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack
There's nothing that reflected the internal structure of my mind better than Flapjack. In fact, there isn't anything at all, because my body is a sophisticated system of pulleys and counter-weights accessed by a food hole.
9.) Kickball
Hailing from Portland/Olympia, Washington, this three-piece group brings together an entirely new genre of music with every new release. The last six months I've spent in my car attempting to impress passengers to three minute long songs of abstraction and adolescent melodies I should've written as a child. Oh my god.
8.) Street Fighter IV
From '03 to early '08, I was an avid Smash Bros player and went to a few tournaments to play on a professional level. Then around my freshman semester, I migrated to a more elite fighting game (according to the fighting game community) with Street Fighter III: Third Strike. 3S was like nothing I'd ever played before, although I was a good eight years behind the rest of the community. Fortunately, I'd gotten into the series just before the upcoming installment, SFIV, which is probably one of the more significant things of 2009 that saved my life. It's very difficult for someone to put an exact image on the stereotypical gamer for fighting games, and the truth is not far off from that. The community is much different from any other community I've been a part of. Each person seems to play a part, representing their coasts, striving for an unrivaled perfection, yet there is absolutely no bad blood. The intensity all comes out when a match begins, and when the match ends, so does the rivalry. Teamwork!
7.) Michigan
I ran away to Michigan on my spring break to escape the monotony of New Jersey with it's long lines, it's polluted metropolis, starless skies, and drug-driven texts. No where to go, nothing to do, so I went to Michigan, where there was no where to go and nothing to do. I stayed at a Doubletree in the middle of a highway with nothing in walking distance to eat but Wendy's and Red Robin.
And it was quite possibly the best trip I've ever had in my life. I got on a plane at eight in the morning with nothing but a PSP and the newest album by Trophy Scars, and I landed in a hyperbolic time chamber of settlement and acceptance. When I came back to Jersey, I developed a fever, and sweated it all out. All the texts that crawled under my skin, all that second-hand smoke, I relapsed from 2008 and got out of bed the next day. Strong. Rested. Stitched at the seams. But I never would have made it to Michigan if it weren't for
6.) Ashley Rust
I've been friends with Ashley for a pretty long time, maybe three years or so. We met on last.fm, and I've never met someone I've been able to consistently enjoy and enjoy myself with since I met Steven, my best friend for thirteen years. My entire time at Michigan, I spent it with Ashley. She's got the most selfless and amazing personality I've ever seen in anyone, and it's 100% genuine. If it were not for her, I don't think I would've been around long enough to even make Pistachio for a Day, and this year in it's near-entirety has been great because of her, and I can't express to her enough how grateful and indebted I am.
5.) Hot Chocolate
2009 was definitely the year of hot chocolate. I tried so hard to get everyone I know into drinking hot chocolate, and to much success. I found every excuse possible to drink hot chocolate. And being that the diner down the block from me is open all night long, I'm certain I've more artificial chocolate dust and milk in my system than any other substance.
I think it stemmed from my childhood, and how my fondest memories are of my grandfather and I drinking hot chocolate or staring at the star, when there were stars.
Ihhh...
4.) 24-Hour Diners
Actually, scratch that. All diners in general were so great. No one lies to you for that extra tip, and if you want to go at 2am and have your iPod on while doing end-of-the-semester final work, they won't hassle you. If I didn't have diners for 2009, I'd probably be eating real food given by fake people. "Champagne for my real friends, and real pain for my sham friends."
3.) Paul Mindell
The father you were envious of your cousin, best friend, or step-sister for. Paul Mindell was my painting teacher who I wish would adopt me. I've taken three semesters straight with him because I just don't want to let him go. He's got a serene voice, a witty sense of humor, experienced wisdom, and a delicate touch of the mind. I openly dismiss any other teacher or no-related father figure. Any talent I have now, if at all, is a result of his aid, and I love him to pieces.
2.) Dermaphoria
I don't even remember when exactly I read this, but I do remember the sun burning the back of my neck while I was seated improperly on the bus reading page to page. Last year it was The Boy Detective Fails by Joe Meno, this year it's an entirely different kind of literature as Dermaphoria explores the birth child of Murakami and drug-lit. If I could have one book that means this much to me, I'd be a very happy person, but this isn't always the case. Understand though that if Amazon recommends anything (not movies), then there's a near 100% chance that it will be more than relevant to your interests, and you have to remember that your gut feeling is always the right one.
1.) Art (and what lack of)
I think if there were anything that I couldn't live without in 2009, it would be art. Not to be limited to just the things in sketchbooks and canvases, I find that everything I've worked on has some form of artistic foundation to it. All the characters and stories I've written up and thrown away and rehashed from the back of my mind, the necessities of driving around at 4am with only a few dollars, the beds I've slept in, the people I've kicked out and those I didn't, the lies, the cd mixes, the summer days I spent with Ashley Rust. I feel all my experiences this past year was a direct result of art's effect on me. Had it not been for my lack of talent and striving attitude, I might be less of a sentimental, pretentious, elitist than I already am. But I feel I can confidently admit that the past year has humbled me a little more, I'm still an asshole, I'm still unsure and unstable, I'm still not a boy to take home to your mom, but I hope 2010 doesn't change any of that.
Maybe I'm two days late than those other sites aforementioned, but I'm entirely grateful to all of 2009, from the hanging stars of Michigan to the rising sun that woke me up every day I slept in a parking lot. 2010. 2010. 2010.
