There is a saying I'd like to live by, that says, "go big, or go home."
There's always a limit to what we can do. There's a line between beautiful and tacky, between sweet and cliché, cool and wannabe. It's an unspoken rule, but there is ALWAYS a line at which one, or an activity, becomes "too much."
For example:
One time I've met this specimen of a man who had a green top hat (I kid you not, an actual leprechaun-esque top hat) and an olive suit with golden embroidery. When you'd look at the way that individual was carrying himself, you would say, "Oh gee whiz, that's so ✨extra✨," and send a surreptitiously taken photograph to your friends who'd respond with a lazy "lol" (not even in capital letters, come on!).
Or, for another example, sometimes, you'd come across a couple that is simply the epitome of being "extra" - they have some corny nickname for each other, text each other good night every night, and wear matching outfits on Tuesdays because it's a "two's day" or something infuriatingly unnecessary like so.
That's viewed as unusual in a way.
But, what's wrong with that? There's this almost Puritan idea of modesty that is rooted in social etiquette. Being too attentive about one's appearance is vain. Using big words besmirches one as sanctimonious. Being too specific about one's order at a restaurant is picky. At the same time, almost ironically, you can't be too modest or ordinary, as cliches are for some reason bad.
I could stir this article into something larger than being unique with one's aesthetic: in life we're told that we are too small to decide what we can or can't be. We're told things like this: "Oh, you can't be an actress, you aren't talented enough. Do you see so-and-so on television? Do you know why she is there and you aren't? Because she's this special and you aren't." Or on a smaller scale: "You don't have a chance with so-and-so because they are way out of your league." (Completely unrelated, but loving someone isn't a game, so stop using that expression like we're at a baseball stadium.) We're bombarded with ideas like that, directly or subliminally, day by night, and, eventually, we believe that we aren't special or good enough to do what we truly wish to do.
Was it a little extra to move into talking about people's dreams being shattered when all I wanted to do is tell people they shouldn't be afraid of being a little corny or cliche?
Yes, it was, but that's my point.
Don't be afraid to follow the designs of your mind, no matter how big or elaborate they are and don't listen to what other people think.
This is especially useful in relationships with other people. If you appreciate someone, let them know without a special occasion to. If you love someone, fill their room with a million reasons why. If you hate someone, never deny yourself the pleasure of being slightly petty. Why not make your life a telenovela and not a PowerPoint presentation?
It's good to be corny and extravagant and maybe a little cheesy at times. Life's too short to be boring.
And, if that wasn't dramatic enough for you to get, allow me to rephrase:
This pitiful hate pit of an icy world gives you seconds to live; life zooms by faster than you could make it out, and you're always alone in the dark. Why not make every fleeting second be filled with beauty and with wonder? Don't listen to what others think, the world is a lonely place and their words don't matter truly.
So, stay extra, my friends. ✨
