Odyssey writer Jacob Godbey and I write letters to each other. Not just any letters. Letters for advice. Here's Jacob's letter to me, and my responses.
Dear Bree,
I like this girl at my work but I only see her at work and I don't want to ask her out on company time. What's a boy to do?
I like to do this sweet move called the "clock-out ask-out." It's simple. You clock out at work, and then you ask her out. A great line would be, "Now that we're off work, let's discuss our personal schedules and do something together." It's casual, effective, and you're not being paid. Hope she says yes!
My attitude lately has been very dispassionate. How can I return the spark to the things I enjoy?
Take a moment to breathe and appreciate what's around you. Make your own b-roll, guitar-playing appreciation scene that they have in movies. Take this scene for example:
Or you should just be Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Whenever you have the chance, always be Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
My back is killing me lately. Should I go get a massage?
That might be helpful.
This fall weather drives me insane. I leave my house in the morning in shorts and it is 32 degrees out. I get cold, but I like my shorts for when it reaches 75 in the afternoon. Do you have an end-all be-all outfit to recommend?
Zip-off pants, my friend. Zip-off pants. At first they're pants. Then they're a pant leg and a short leg. And then they're shorts. It's a three in one look for the modern casual person diagnosed with Autumn.
A lot of my classes are online and I don't like it. Is there any way to rebel against the system and retool the Media Arts program?
Log on to every computer in the Media Arts department and infect it with the Trojan virus. They can't teach online classes when they can't do anything on a computer. In fact, they wouldn't be able to teach a class in person in the Media Arts department if they don't have computers. Computers are essential to that program. Actually, just switch your major to Journalism. It's cool. You can learn how to edit videos and you can actually meet your professor in person.
Why are girls so hard?
Girls aren't Media Arts classes. They aren't hard. They're just complicated people like you and me. Every girl is different and has strange ways of going about things, just like you. Don't treat every girl as if they have the same tendencies. I wouldn't treat you and Hulk Hogan the same. Because you and Hulk Hogan are very, very different people.
Girls may seem hard because you can't classify them all in one group. Try to get to know each of their tendencies and why they might think that. We learn from our experiences, not our gender.
