The Side Effects of Endorphins

Reading is Sexy

When I was In The 10th grade, we had a Health class. One of the things we discussed in that class was how the human body works and sexuality. Our teacher was Mr. Mapes who was also my wrestling coach. I didn’t learn a thing about sexuality and I learned to hate wrestling. Sorry to throw a red hearing at you.

But in that class, there was a girl who sat next to me. We just happened to sit next to each other. When we first met, we had very little in common. I usually hung out with the athletes and she the party types. I found her so diametrically different than me that at first I found her unapproachable.

But health class was a farce so we spent much of our time talking. At first we mostly talked about music. It was a very easy common ground and an area that came naturally to me. Eventually we started telling each other stories. They were very simple stories of our families or adventures we had. I imagine my stories were every day and I found hers, adventurous and full of color.

Eventually

Eventually, she introduced me to her artwork. I was fascinated that somebody could create something so intricate and beautiful. This girl was so different for me, but she opened my mind that there were so many possibilities out there that were so different than my immediate world. There was art there was music, and there were stories to be told. I can still remember her telling a story about her mother making breakfast sandwiches. It was such a plain story, but filled with color and expression.

Alternative Ending

No, this is not a story of me, falling in love with this person and riding off end of the sunset set on a big white horse. As an aside, I’m against riding horses and the story of male saviors. Yes, I did have a crush on her. But I did learn that a crush can be about the mind and the spirit. And I also learned it was OK to be different than everybody else. It is probably preferable.

In The Most PecularWay

And in the most subtle way this had an influence in another way. Or maybe it’s fitting all the pieces together in a convenient form. I learned that everything doesn’t have to be wrapped up in a bow with the perfect ending. You can learn a lot from the people you meet. I learned that through heartbreak later in life. It is not easy, but it’s a unique experience where you take something positive out of it.

There is a certain beauty in this world if we keep our eyes and ears open. It will humble us and make us better.