View From Afar

Get out of the desert and into the sun, even if it's alone

One of my defining characteristics, as evidenced by a myriad of sources and situations, is my ability to be level-headed and to stay above and apart from the fray. I'm always the last to know and least likely to care about workplace drama, and it seems no matter how closely I ally myself to the Evil Villian my part in the tyrrany is overlooked or seen as peripheral or unintentional at worst. I've had people turn to me for advice, as if this enviable power is a marketable skill, when really all I do is go about my life with an elevated level of perspective.

I described this phenomenon in reference to the AFA national tournament as "a zen-like state". Whether an event I loved died in preliminary rounds or I was thrown into a high-pressure national out-round, my level of excitement and disappointment remained the same. This could be chalked up to the fact that I don't let emotions into the ice box where my heart used to be. Or perhaps the massive amounts of Benedryl running through my veins deadened most sensations.

I'm taller than the average girl and loftier than the average mortal, so I view life events from a laboriously crafted pedestal. Mine is hot-pink and made from patience, priorities, pro/con lists, and a deep appreciation for irony. Being able to take a look at life from up here offers more fresh air and an ability to see the present in relation to both the past and the future. From up here, annoyances look smaller, pressures not as great, and harsh words as nothing more than hot air. It does lessen the impact of happy things as well, but being on a hot-pink even keel feels better than being thrown into the depths of petty drama.

Try building one for yourself. If you can't, wear heels.

Sail with me,
Cathi