Meme of the Day

First of all, this is true. I often have "bad days" that aren't really bad days. They're just not rad days.

I used to sometimes catch myself on days like this saying, "I'm depressed." Now I change that up and say, "I feel tired and overwhelmed." It's a small difference but it usually helps. It shifts my view a bit. And it's also generally the truth.

Before I return to expounding on this meme, let me tell you about writer/copy editor problems. I copy edit EVERYTHING. I can't help it. It's my job, and I do it when I'm not on the job.

I copy edit my Facebook posts and memes and anything that comes across my eyeballs. It bothers me that I can't have a good lol, or at least a moment of amusement, without noticing something glaring.

So, to the maker of the above meme, I say this, while wagging a metaphoric finger:  Every day is two words, not one! If you want to say something is an everyday occurrence, that's a whole other story.  The meme should read "If every day is a gift, then today was socks." I also added a comma, which I think is appropriate.

I recently had an epiphany: One of the main ways you can tell whether or not you are a writer is whether you spend a good portion of your day agonizing over the placement of commas.

But I digress.

Luckily every day is not a sock day. But I will say that I don't seem to have the knack for saying, "Gee I'm lucky. I mean, look at that poor bastard" when I'm in the doldrums. Seeing other people's problems doesn't give me perspective.

Spinal Tap visits Elvis' grave

The way I see it, it's like that moment when you first stub your toe. At that moment, it feels like the most painful thing in the world. Just like the moment when you lose a leg.

I will say that when I don't just think about someone's problem but help them--we're talking someone who wants and can benefit from my help—that can make me forget my problems. I went through a period of intense anxiety and depression when I was a young woman, before I was diagnosed with. . .you guessed it. . .anxiety and depression.

I ended up getting a job tutoring kids, and dealing with them, whether they were kindergartners needing a little nudge in the reading department or kids with learning disabilities, attention issues or even mental issues, helped pull me out of the unhappily egocentric mode that is engendered by having a bad headspace for too long.


My days went from sad to "not rad" to not too bad before you know it. There's more to it, believe me. I'm the last person to tell someone to "snap out" of depression.

Come to think of it, socks can be an awesome gift. I was just browsing through Etsy, a bustling online marketplace of handmade and vintage goods I'm obsessed with, because it has cool stuff, cool prices and represents a grassroots economy created by makers. Here's a few of my faves.

Here's a fun and sexy pair from the FreedomRaveWear shop.










And the following sweet socks, with a touch of flower power, are from mymomsshop1.

And here's a pair of socks featuring Drake rocking out to "Hotline Bling" from the FloridaSocks shop. These are a veritable hoot.

So in conclusion, with a little thought, socks can be an awesome present. So if every day is a gift, and if today is socks, then that's a good thing. 

I amend my whiny post. Hooray for today!