A scent laced with artistic expression and stress..

The semester has officially begun...

and the last week and a half hasn't counted, why? you ask?

Well, my dear friends, my hands are now stained with the delightful smell of film developer and fixer.

Yum. Not.

If you are unfamiliar with this aroma, I would invite you to take a long whiff of a tub of vinegar, dump it on your hands, then procees to dry them with dirty gym socks.

Go ahead, I will wait.

This putrid odor reeks not only of the ingredients listed above, but also of stress, fatigue, and seemingly outstretched artistic expression that is often seen not worth the pain, but generally ends with a beaming pride of self achievement when you can put that picture up in front of the class and say to yourself, "I made that."...and then the stench on my hands is no longer bitter, but sweet, and welcomed, if not for the few moments that it shines.

=HOOT=

How are you..?

How strange it is that we in our society feel that we must be chipper and happy people who love life all the time..at least for everyone else. Even on the most awful of days, when someone greets you with inquiry of how life is, we most always say "fine" or "good" or even "great". When some one asks how you are, if you honestly responded with a "life sucks" or an "I'm actually terrible at the moment" people don't know how to respond. They awkwardly pause a moment before apologizing to you..probably for not having anything to say or for expecting the common response of "I'm good". So either we are too guarded or we don't genuinely care enough about those around us. So.. when we ask someone how they are doing..are we really wondering how they are? Or has that greeting become an empty phrase? A filler?.. just to start a conversation..a substitute for hello...making a hard truthful answer hard to hear, because we weren't actually asking..? Is this why we feel guarded when on the other side?..because we realize its just an empty phrase and the asker is really asking the ask-ee?..so there is no use in being honest. It's easier to just put on a smile and spit out a singularly syllable-d word...fine...good..great..

It's easier..until the weight of the fake smile becomes too much..and even the word "fine" is so bitter it makes a lump in your throat and nearly brings you to tears because you wish so badly to be fine..or even OK..but you're not either. And nobody will know.