wasabi_poptart | five from uglor

1. laughing. Some critic everyone was fond of name-dropping in grad school (Bahktihn? Derrida? Cixous? Oh, sweet Jesus, who gives a fuck?) wrote that laughing was the ultimate expression of subversion. All I can say is, at times when you don't want to laugh, and you would in fact be in big trouble if you did, it's impossible not to. So if there's any subversion going on, it's your id against your super-ego. But then, isn't it always?

2. silly art projects. I think the best kind of art brings a community together, and there's no better reason for this than the pursuit of silliness. This is why I love Baltimore so much. This city champions silly art as a community effort. Starting with the Kinetic Sculpture race in May and wrapping up with Tuba Christmas in December, the residents of this city enjoy a grand season of the silly, and we do it right.

3. secret georgia history. When I first got to Athens, I was enchanted by all the weird bits of eccentric folklore around the town, such as the Double-Barrelled Cannon and The Tree That Owns Itself. It was like a Flannery O'Connor story come to life. I loved finding out why things were fucked up the way they were, like why kudzu grew rampant, and why there were charming little gazebos atop ancient Cherokee burial mounds. It was as if nobody asked if anyone thought this was a good idea before they went ahead and did it, and then everyone accepted what was done and a hundred years later nobody ever thought to ask why they did it in the first place. It's why I enjoyed living in the South for as long as I did, but why I could never make my home there. I mean, I accept fucked up shit for what it is, but I have to know what was the thought process behind it in order to truly understand and appreciate it ... otherwise, you're not telling the story; you're just a part of it.

4. pets. I love, love, love my pets. As hard as it is to live with another person, to live without pets would be damned near impossible. On really bad days, they're the reason I get out of bed. I may not speak to or even see another human for days, but as long as Henry, Maggie, and Marley are here with me, the rest of the world can go to hell.

5. growing up. Childhood is an initiation. If you survive, you've earned the right to make your own decisions and not to have to answer to anyone else. This is why children have no rights ... they haven't earned them. Nobody just hands you autonomy. You have to out-maneuver it, trap it, wrestle it to the ground, and make it your bitch, then kill anyone who tries to take it away from you.