The essence of perfection

The essence of perfection

I know a lot of people who call themselves perfectionists. Yet they try to perfect things that don’t matter.

I’ve worked in advertising, sales and marketing for a while now. One of the things we have to do quite often are presentations. I can’t tell you how many weekends, evenings and special occasions have been ruined, when I’m at a party or a social gathering of some kind, because I end up listening to some boor tell me at length about a work-related presentation . . . either one they heard, developed, stole, are still working on. They’re trying to get it perfect. I admit, I’ve been the boor myself on occasion, but I can’t imagine why it might have ever been that important; that I spent that much time on it.

Because truly, when you’re looking for perfection, you spend a lot of time doing it. Hunting it down seems to encompass large blocks of time, entire days or weeks or even years. But it doesn’t have to. Perfection has to have the perfect environment in which to happen. Much of the time it eludes us because it can’t be created. It just IS.

Perfection is just being with your friends and not having a time limit on hanging out together. For example, when I’m going out for the evening with some girlfriends. While we’re getting ready, we’re talking about the best moisturizer, the perfect outfit, the greatest shoes etc. But none of that is what the evening is about; we don’t talk about what the evening is really for. Even the process of getting ready is what the point is -- we’re spending time together. If anyone asked what we were doing Friday night, we’d say “We’re going out to have a few drinks and get loose. We’re going to have girl time, go dancing, eat food that normally we would shun during the week, check out some men.” But what we’re really doing is pursuing perfection. Perfection in that environment is having something funny happen or said that night that we remember always and retell the story of, for many years.

Perfection is a smile or laughter shared with a stranger and the uplifting feeling you get from it the rest of the day.

Perfection is entwining yourself in your lover’s arms, finding that exact place to lay and utterly relaxing into sleep without the benefit of alcohol, drugs, or any limbs going numb.

Perfection is music that gives you chills every single time you hear it, even if it’s a song you’ve heard for years.

Perfection is finding something unexpected – the leaf that falls on your car’s window when you’re parked nowhere near a tree.

Perfection is an innocent question from a child. Or an astute observation from them.

Perfection is that inner feeling of “yes, all is right with the world.” Meaning the world you live in; not the entire earth. It’s all fitting into place, it’s all happening the way it should. It’s the disappearance of that gut-wrenching “this isn’t right” in the stomach feeling, replaced with the feeling of excited butterflies, because good things are coming

Perfection is a great first date – conversation flows, you feel sexy, you look good, laughter flows without being forced, there’s mental and physical attraction, but you don’t feel any pressure to make any move. And you don’t want to go home, you just want to spend more time together.

Perfection is waking up in the morning and actually feeling rested and refreshed.

Perfection is finally removing something toxic from your life and having that first-time-in-a-long-time clean feeling. From the soul out.

Perfection is checking in with your friends and hearing that nothing out of the ordinary is happening to them.

Perfection is spending an entire day without working at anything at all. Just doing what you like, being who you are. Without any justification to anyone.

Perfection is hearing from a customer or a friend or a salesperson: “Your timing couldn’t be better.”

Perfection is giving something to someone as a surprise, and seeing the grateful look on their face before they say the words, “Thank you.”

Merry Christmas.

Second and third poem posting

I didn't post further poetry this weekend as promised, so here are two of my poems today. Enjoy, comment, post your own stuff, whatever! - Shannon
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Grandfather Tree

Wrinkled leathery skin and reaching arms
Stooped over in the twilight
Bent towards the slick road
Patting my rear windshield
Cautioning me to be well and happy
-12/5/92

Children

That’s the color you are when you walk on it.
Hello, friend for today.
They said, “Goddamn snow Lutherans up on the hill.”
Unencumbered.

Strata of sedimentary ice cream.
Tap dancing slowly on the stone decorator steps.
Rubber boots with decals.
Green tile.
Unstable stables, horsing around.
Spinning off, and away.

But?
When you look at it with one eye squinted, it’s much nicer.
- 1/21/92

Travel mug gripe

Can someone please, please please, invent a travel mug that:

• does not get screwed up in the dishwasher
• actually keeps hot things hot for a while
• doesn't leak after owning it for like, six months
• actually holds more than one 6 oz. cup of beverage?

Seriously, people.

More cool websites to visit

Not that I want you to stay away from my Blog. But these are some neat things I've found, out on that Wacky World Wide Web.

www.AMFJ.com - This is my "baby" brother's website. He keeps it updated each week and usually has some pretty hilarious stuff on it. Go ahead, ask him what AMFJ means. And ask him what color his mohawk is this week.

http://snltranscripts.jt.org - This is the unofficial Saturday Night Live transcripts website. If you miss the show, you can read all about it here. Usually takes 3-4 days to update from the previous week's show.

www.imdb.com/title/tt00933779/quotes - This is the Memorable Quotes from The Princess Bride movie website - totally unofficial of course. Deadly accurate and brings back lots of funny memories of the movie.

www.uppityblueswomen.com - This is the site of one of my favorite bands of all time. Saffire, The Uppity Blues Women will rock you, if you're ever at one of their many gigs around the east part of the country. Buy one of their CDs if they aren't coming to your neighborhood, I promise you won't be disappointed.

I promise some more poetry before the weekend!

"These are a few of my favorite links...la la la"

I'm trying to do my best Julie Andrews impersonation...anyway. Here's a few websites I visit quite often.

Amazon - great used books in good condition. www.amazon.com
Ebay - great everything for sale, used, new - you can't find it here, make it and sell it yourself. www.ebay.com
Famous Footwear - nice shoes, prices can be a little higher but good quality stuff. www.famousfootwear.com
Sierra Trading Post - great deals and nice gifts too - www.sierratradingpost.com
Petfinder - though I am petless for now, I visit this and its local links to oooh and awww. They've done a fantastic job helping out with lost or abandoned Hurricane Katrina pets. www.petfinder.com
Doug FM - this is not an online station but a local one; I listen to most of the time to this. Their slogan is "We Play Everything" and they ain't lyin'. www.931dougfm.com
Mlive - a very busy site with all things Michigan on it, local and state stories. www.mlive.com

First poem posted

This is one I wrote in March 1995, not sure where I was in life emotionally. I think this just reflects a play on words more than anything.

THAT’S IT THEN
The sky was gray white that day
No difference between the sky and the ground
It seemed like it
And that seemed like that
But nothing is what it seems
Nothing can be everything
Nothingness is everything-ness
When all is lost
One for all, all for one
It’s all over now
Over and done with
Well done
Well, here we are
Here and there
Over there
Over and over
Overall

Best Hallmark card I've seen in a while

Seen in the local Rite-Aid:

Front of card shows a woman walking through the grocery store, full cart. A flasher stops in front of her and opens his trenchcoat. Her response: "Thank you for reminding me, I need to get baby carrots."

First posting

Hello world.
I've finally entered the world of the Blog, took me long enough. I guess I was just too lazy to maintain my own website before.

Any-hoo, here I am, my writing will be posted regularly (probably once a week or so) and anyone is free to comment, suggest, ask questions, tell me good blonde jokes or what have you.

You can also email me privately at sjwriter@yahoo.com if you don't want to post things for other people to read. But know that if it's a really good email, I might post your email to the blog (with permission).

Thanks,
Shannon