Ah, waiting. Sometimes, it’s way better than the actual thing you’re waiting for, like this enormous blob of putrefied ketchup that lands on this poor kid’s burger.
As fun as opening Christmas packages and then playing with the toys inside was, the waiting was simultaneously torturous and tantalizing. In other words, it was dramatic and exciting to anticipate something good coming your way.
Similarly, summer vacations were everything for me: complete freedom of what to do with my time, minus chores and some fairly wide boundaries my parents set for me. Yet we kids were at our most excited the week before school let out, not the week after.
The buildup is palpable. Whatever happens next will have a hard time living up to the anticipation.
On that note, I hope you weren’t anticipating a particularly long read from me this morning! If you were, I’d recommend this next:
The Totality of Frugality
My parents did a good job of making sure I had everything I needed growing up. This included material things like enough food and decent clothing to wear, but it also included a good education and an emphasis on following my curiosity around.
That ketchup jingle is derived from this tune by the one and only Carly Simon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BELWbkyOVPQ