Pumpkin Prerequisites

I’m at Starbucks with my guy filling out apps for a second job this school year, and I keep making snippy remarks about all the Pumpkin Spice Latte banners and signs and pictures and GAH!- it’s too much. Every year I make a stink about premature pumpkin publicity and this year will be no different. Since I like to make lists for quite a few things in my life, I’ve quickly prepared here the prerequisites for consuming pumpkin ANYTHING according to Molly:

1. Real pumpkins must be fully in-season. I hope you didn’t forget that pumpkins are a real food, and that it’s not a flavor that exists only in coffee shops.

2. I should be able to walk out of my house in a pair of Gap’s ’69 perfect boot medium wash heavy faded any ol’ jeans, a light knit sweater and ankle booties without breaking a sweat.

3. If you can drink a hot pumpkin beverage, you can go to a pumpkin patch. Oh, those aren’t open yet? Huh.

4. Leaves should match pumpkin pigment.

5. If the backdrop of a pumpkin pie or latte pic is a fall scene, then the backdrop of you eating the pie or latte should be the same.

6. Bikinis should not be on sales racks anymore (OK, clearance rack is fine.)

7. If you wouldn’t dip into a pool before temps rose above 70, why would you dip into hot spicy drinks before temps dipped below 70?

8. Lastly and ultimately, before you consume a pumpkiny something the ONE thing that should be present is some real pumpkin! Think before you eat 

Listen, Lady!

OK, so before I begin my mini tantrum I'd like you all to know that I have this Monday morning off of work. So, because of my availability to do whatever I want, I have subsequently become a 30-something year old sipping coffee, writing out my grocery list, emailing Craigslist sellers, and watching The View. On the show they just interviewed a Duke college student who is paying her tuition through an income from pornography. An 18 year old selling her body to pay for college! I'll let you catch your breath. 

I was truly shocked even more (believe it or not) to hear her explain that a huge part of why she does what she does stems from a desire to speak out against the stigma of women watching pornography, and to support a movement for women to be more open and in control of their bodies. Further, she explained how she is sick of pornography being a taboo topic; she wants justice! This girl claims to have started watching inappropriate films at a young age, and justifies her career by saying that it pays the bills and keeps her out of debt.

After I wiped up the coffee I spit out everywhere, and after I was finished yelling sarcastic remarks and slightly comical replies to everything she was saying, I paused and mediated on what I just witnessed. First, I realized that this was being televised. This sensitive, controversial story was being played live for the whole country to see. Whether people agreed with it or not, millions of living rooms, kitchens, bedrooms, possibly coffee shops, were being exposed to this girl and her wild ways. Second, I was hurt for this lady. As one of the hosts said, "My heart hurts for you. It really hurts."  To know that there is a girl out there who is so desperate to sell her body for college money, and further try to popularize the career among society on a level similar to becoming a chef is completely discouraging. I'm her age, and know what it's like to worry about college bills, phone bills, insurance, rent, LIFE! But how low and insecure would one must be to consider selling their body and purity to make a pretty penny? Let me tell you something, that pretty penny is going to look rather tarnished, scratched, and unappealing in a few years when she has been used and devalued by so many men and can't detect the true void in her life.  And perhaps she wasn't insecure, maybe she was totally confident in her beauty and body. Maybe she truly does feel that the life she lives is honorable, and that she is making strides for the greater by openly supporting the pornographic industry. No one will ever really know the truth behind her motives. We can only speculate what she claims. Lawfully, she has the right to do whatever she wants. However, people should be living according to morals as much as laws. I don't mean to sound superior to her. I honestly do worry for the rest of her life. Actually, I worry for the lives of ALL the girls out there who use their bodies for attention, money, affection, and any other desire they have. I could go on for 30 more paragraphs on how the view of beauty is twisted among our society, but that will have to wait for another post on a day I don't have 53 things to do. All I know is that I have never heard of such a bizarre story on live TV involving such a young woman who holds an incredible amount of confidence in an incredibly shallow and truly invaluable lifestyle. 

Remember that you can't put a dollar sign on the purity of the human body and soul, no matter how high the cost of this life.

First Date

It’s late afternoon, I just left work, and I’ve planted my behind at a Starbucks table. I’ve got my steamy tea to my left, my bags and cords draped over a chair to my right. The same old indie rock soundtrack is playing, intertwined with the hissing steam coming from the espresso machine. There’s a bit of chatter coming from two girls talking about some TV show, some goofing around by the employees, and of course, the recitations of orders coming from the customers-the “regulars”- in line. Now, I intended to finish some training for work, check my emails, get distracted by facebook- you know, the typical “study” regimen. But what’s got my attention among the seemingly same hum-drum of a Starbucks lobby is a man and a woman sitting down at a table across from me. The man is actually not visible to me, nor is his voice audible; but the woman is entirely in my range of hearing and visibility. She’s sitting on her hands, slightly tense in her shoulders. She keeps shyly chuckling. As she talks, her eyes keep nervously shifting to every other direction away from the guy. She hasn’t touched her drink. This is totally a first date-Whoa! I’ve never experienced this before. Really, I don’t remember what my first “date” was, if I even had one. I knew Luke, my boyfriend, in high school as a friend. Even as things got more serious we were never really the “dating” type. I don’t particularly know what it’s like to go out with a “stranger” and discuss our personalities over a plate of tacos or, in this case for these two in front of me, a grande black bold roast and a tall iced passion tea. Sure, I know what it’s like to meet new people and make new friends; but what I’m witnessing is something I swear I’ve only watched on romantic comedies. And yes, I do mean comedies because the girl just asked “OK, I have to ask! How old are you??” …. Wait, I’m listening in…. Wowzers! Turns out she’s 36 and he’s 28. Anyways, I’m definitely moving off my original idea track. Watching these two introduce themselves, and sharing the basics of their life- job, previous partners, kids, family, hobbies- made me aware of how new I am to blogging and sharing my life with my readers, and how this is like my “first date.” It’s true. It took me longer than a week to formulate an “About Me” page. It’s like getting ready for the date- What do I say? How do I look? Too much make up? Not enough? Are these boot heels high enough? (Um, YES, to the woman right now.) I over thought what I would say, which is strange because how could I not know what to say about who I am or have been for the last 21 years, right? Hmm, wrong. It’s a difficult and scary thing to put yourself out there in any form- singing, speaking, blogging, dating, socializing. I do have an advantage, though. I’m behind a screen, and you’re all somewhere literally reading my mind. You won’t see me verbally struggling with a word to use or a story to share the way that this woman is tripping over her thoughts, and forgetting how long she’s been working at her current job. (I love how this analogy is unraveling in my mind and in front of my eyes. Who knew my first post would be handed to me in my favorite new work place?)

So, the place is clearing out now. The employees are sweeping the floor in the down time. It’s me and the couple. There’s a standing banner blocking the guy, so I still can’t see him. However, she’s loosened up a bit, she actually took a drink, and her leg is pulled up under her,and she’s leaning in closer to the table. Oh, the guy just got up from the table to “use the bathroom” AKA texting his buds to give the 411. She’s waiting at the table, checking her phone, and now looking around the lobby. She looks hopeful, excited almost. (Ha! She just looked over at me. I would too if some strange gal kept looking up from her laptop in my direction.) He hasn’t come back yet, so I think this is a good place to finish. I’ll stop creepin’ on their date and make up my own ending for their future. Meanwhile, I’ll be like that girl- excitedly hopeful. I’ll wish that you all enjoy what I share, and since I’m a newbie, that you’ll take it easy on me (like that woman should have done with the hair spray- YIKES. Was she trying to tame the fly-away’s or build an impenetrable nest?)

Well, tonight was fun! Nice to meet you. Let’s do this again. I had a great time! And whatever else you say at the end of a first date…

You can check out my main blog! mollydonegan.wordpress.com