If you've never seen The Perks of Being a Wallflower, this article may not make much sense to you without a little background. My favorite book and movie of all time, "Perks" follows the life of Charlie Kelmeckis, a quiet teen entering high school and searching for his place in the world. For the majority of his life, Charlie has struggled with anxiety and depression, but it isn't until he meets his best friends that he learns what happiness truly is. Sam, a carefree and rebellious senior, takes Charlie under her wing as he begins high school, and teaches him what it means to embrace being alive.
For me, my Sam's name is Rylee; A kind and radiant human being who has come to be both my best friend and my favorite person on the planet. When we first met, I was insecure beyond belief, unsure of who I was, and scared to find out, yet Rylee pushed me to embrace that. She was the kind of best friend that people base movies off of, and the kind of person I knew I wanted by my side from the moment we met.
She taught me that it was okay not to know what I was doing, and that although life can suck sometimes, there is always a bright side. Through making me laugh so hard my stomach hurt, building me up, and reminding me that I was worthy of embracing all of the insane and beautiful things that I am, Rylee laid the foundation for me to become the person that I am today. By being her friend, I learned the value of letting yourself go, and of embracing who I am rather than trying to change that.
In The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Sam and her brother Patrick perform a makeshift dance routine to the song "Come On Eileen" by Dexys Midnight Runners in the middle of their crowded homecoming dance floor. As the music pounds, the two flail their arms, spinning recklessly, and not giving a second thought to who may be watching what they're doing. They have completely let go of any and all cares in the world, embracing themselves for what they are, and living life the way it was designed to be lived.
The first time I saw "Perks," I was in eighth grade. I was pretty much friendless, anxiety-ridden, and lost beyond belief. Ever since that first time however, this scene has always stuck out in my head. Although it was simply a scene in a movie, this moment seemed so rich, so raw, and so real. I could feel the joy radiating off the characters as they laughed and danced without a second thought, and I longed to find a friendship with that much substance, that much joy.
A short year later, I had it. A girl who would scream at the top of her lungs with me, who always wanted to know about my day, and who would spin around a crowded gym with me to "Come on Eileen" at every high school dance. Come on Eileen is not just a song to me. It's a song that reminds me I'm alive, reminds me that I have a purpose and plan, and most importantly, that life is too short to be stuck sitting at a table rather than dancing your heart out with your best friend.
In those moments, I swear, we are infinite.
