Maybe it’s a reaction to the stress of not knowing what’s next, even though I’ve had a full four months to suss the sucka out. Maybe it’s the Resistor whispering sweet uglies in my ear as I near some kind of (oh please oh please oh please) creative breakthrough.
Whatever flavor of fear is to blame, I have been horrified to note of late a creeping desire to trash-talk, whatever, whomever, whenever.
I know it’s no good for me: even if it wasn’t the #1 poison the Four Agreements warns against (which it is) and even if happiness handmaiden Gretchen Rubin hadn’t discussed the downside multiple times (which she has), I literally feel awful now when I gossip. Sick to my stomach, plus a little dizzy. And that’s on top of the self-loathing that kicks in.
Fortunately, my friend Dave Seah introduced me to the ultimate spell-breaker for lifting the hex and clearing the fog that a good, and by “good,” I mean “bad”, gossip session induces. I was at the end of a long jag of gnarly, personal posts to our Google Wave project, not gossipy blips, per se, but that kind of venting that’s just to the side of it. When I finally copped to overindulging and confessed to the weariness it had brought on, rather than batting back a similarly heavy reply, or a snarky joke, or just ignoring it entirely, as though it had never existed, Dave said the exact perfect thing:
“Okay, then, ice cream for everyone!”
I laughed out loud when I read it, the sticky ugliness vanished in a poof of delightful, and immediately, God was back in her heaven and all was right with the world.
Since that exchange, Dave and I have used it at least twice more in the Wave and I’ve found myself using it quite a bit in the course of my day to get myself back on track from all kinds of derailments: Accidentally read another horrible thing about racist fear-mongering while you were on the interwebs? Ice cream for everyone! Crabby friend on the phone attempting to launch a bitch-fest? Ice cream for everyone! Catch your own ungrateful self complaining again? Ice cream for everyone! It’s short, it’s easy to remember, and it doesn’t dangle loosely from my bony wrist.
So. Weekend over? Tough week ahead? Stupid guy cut you off in traffic on the way to work?
ICE CREAM FOR EVERYONE!
Unless you have a better one. Eh?
xxx
c
Image by Jelene via Flickr, used under a Creative Commons license.
Super funny.
I’m pregnant so no more wine to lean on. Now whenever things get dicey I literally say, “Ice Cream for everyone!” and run to local shoppe to chill us all out. Worked for 7 months so far
When the topics get depressing or ugly my boy friend and I now say “Let’s talk about kittens”. Our thinking being that nothing is lighter and happier to replace the thoughts of healthcare reform and salary cuts than the image of a spastic kitten.
Both of those are perfect – the thought of snarfing down a deliciously cool, creamy cone or remembering how kittens leap out from behind doors at my freshly painted toenails or bare ankles just brings a huge grin to my face! Thanks so much for this.
Today was a typical, suck-ass Monday at work so what did we do? We went for frozen yogurt with mini M&M’s thrown in…work day from hell be gone. I love everyone again!
Hi Colleen:
Yeah, I had one of those weeks last week where I had to sink $600 for auto repairs and then my wireless company mistakenly billed me an extra $60 after I had upped the minutes in my plan. I resisted the urge to Tweet the name of my company in anger. Thankfully today, after calming my blood pressure, I did get the overcharge taken care of. Yes, twas a tough week for someone in transition, but at least I’m sitting here in good health and relatively good spirits. It certainly could be worse. That being said, I love the whole “Ice cream for everyone” phrase and could have used it numerous times last week. Thanks for a funny, insightful post.
Thanks, I really needed that.
Nice to hear everyone is keeping their peckers up, one way or another. (And that hillary is doing it sans alcohol.)
“Kittens” is a great one, too—sort of the Internet/visual equivalent of the rough-and-ready, ultra-portable, multi-purpose, “Ice cream!” line.
I love it! The picture you used for the entry just made me grin ear-to-ear, too. So adorable, delightful, and happy-making.
Mine is “I have other choices.” My job sucks, and people are pissing me off! “I have other choices.” I’m grumpy, because it’s raining out. “I have other choices.” I’m stressed about my mom’s health. “I have other choices…” and so it goes.
Having an affirmation like yours or mine to break the stress and refocus is a great idea. I have my lovely boyfriend to thank for bringing this affirmation to my attention.
Rock on!
Jennifer Moore
JenniferLynn Productions, LLC
Yes! Kittens always work! LOL!
I like! Thanks to @lkr for tweeting this out just now.
Ice cream and kittens: the unicorns and rainbows for the 2010s!
Loving it! Ice cream and kittens, indeed.
Sunshine and lollypops also come to mind. But truth me told I think hugs work best for me. Though you can’t expect hugs through the internet to really come through. So ice cream it is! 
I’ve always relied on “well, at least we don’t have diarrhea” …but ice cream is definitely more uplifting. Love it.