I have the best friends

My friend sent this to me through facebook, and I absolutely love it.

How twitter enriched my life

I've always been a skeptic at heart. I'm never one to jump on the bandwagon, and in fact, I usually resist until someone (or something) convinces me otherwise.

This was the case with twitter.

After livejournal, friendster, myspace, facebook, linkedin, and some other networking websites I had joined, I had enough. I didn't want another user name. I didn't want another password. I didn't want another addiction.

No, I will not get a twitter account.

Then I accompanied Nathan to a "tweet-up" where local twitter users met one another at a local restaurant and hung out.

Everyone busted out name tags and wrote their twitter names on them. I didn't have a twitter so my name tag lacked the @ sign. I felt left out and out of place. I was on my break from work (I was a copy editor at the time) so I had to leave early, but I left with the deep desire to get to know these people. The energy these people were exuding was addicting, and I wanted to infiltrate the group and be around that energy. Within the hour I sat with these strangers, I was determined to make them my friends.

So I got myself a Twitter account.

A year has passed since I've signed up and the people I have met through twitter have enriched my life to such an unimaginable degree. I thought moving back home was going to suck the soul outta me and I would hate my life. Instead, I have found a core group of people who have added such flavor to SCV that I have a hard time imagining leaving it now.

Without the friends I've made through twitter, I wouldn't have ...

... become a coffee snob.
... started my side business.
... known where to start when it comes to buying/leasing cars.
... become a food truck junkie.
... experienced a Sandwich Train.
... seen free concerts and theatre plays.
... become interested in biking.
... joined the Apple cult.
... gained so much random knowledge through Trivia nights.
... taste tested a variety of goodies from local businesses.
... received all the free shit I got through Yelp.

There is so much more; these are just the ones that come to mind at the moment.

The best part? I get to create more memories with these people in the near future. Sandwich train part two is this weekend. We have a hockey night planned in December. We're even considering a Thanksgiving Pot Luck because... well... because we're family.

I guess I owe twitter a thank you card for introducing me to some of the most loving, caring, genuine, and interesting people I've ever met.

Thanks, twitter. I owe ya.

Life is funny. People are funny.

I hate competition.

I don't care for it. It makes me feel like an awkward turtle.

That's why sports don't really interest me. I always feel bad for the losing team.

As soon as I feel someone is competing with me, I usually lose on purpose. I'd rather be the loser so that the true loser feels good about themselves.

And it's not like I'm being noble, either. I'm being apathetic.

I also know my self-worth, and I don't need to win a competition to make me feel "good" or "better" or "awesome." I already feel good. I know I'm better. And, I'm super awesome.

Don't get me wrong, I understand the significance in competition. I understand it could be healthy is certain ways. It could push you to be the best you can be, especially if you're competing against someone/something you don't like.

What I don't understand is why you have to compare yourself to someone close, someone you call a friend, in order to make a goal for yourself.

Shouldn't you be making goals for your own self gratification?

Does it really bring so much pleasure to be "better" than a friend? Is that person really a friend if you're competing with them?

Life is funny. People are funny.

And by funny I mean fucked up.

And another thing, why do you care so much about the opinion of others?

I think you are scared of being labeled selfish. Why? It's not a bad thing.

I think you're also scared of not being accepted, and hence look to others for approval.

A friend of mine the other day had a bit of a dilemma and asked me for advice.

She has a tattoo. Her friends think it's awesome. Her girlfriend absolutely hates it. The opportunity to get some ink done (for cheap) presented itself, and my friend didn't know what to do.

That's all she told me.

The first thing that popped into my head was the fact that she didn't mention her own opinion of her tattoo. Did she like it? Did she hate it? (I still have no idea.)

I told her she shouldn't care what other people thought. It's her body. Her tattoo. I also told her that getting work done just because it's cheap isn't a good idea, but that's just my opinion (of which she could discard if she so chooses).

I just find it funny that most people make their decisions solely based off of the opinions of others.

Know yourself. Know what you want, and go for it. Listen to the opinions of others to get a new perspective, but don't let them solely dictate your actions.

And most importantly, be heppy. God is the only one who'll judge you in the end. Fuck everyone else in the meantime.