february is for lovers

All hail, the shortest month of the year! And, perhaps, what might prove to be my most challenging undertaking . . .

For the next 28 days, I will try to be a more loving person.

Don't think I'm buyin' in to all the Valentine's Day, hearts n' flowers, woe is me -- where is my soulmate? crap. My use of the term "love" is pretty loose here. Not glaring down old / crazy / rude people on the train . . . taking the initiative to converse with the whack-jobs in my office kitchen . . . actually giving my change to a homeless person occasionally -- or the dude who plays the guitar in the subway station who is actually kinda good . . . that's the type of lovin' I'm down for.

Does this make me sound like I go around kicking puppies on a regular basis? Because I don't. I mean . . . I don't go out of my way to scare babies -- but I don't go out of my way to smile at them either. I have never pushed anyone on the train, or called them an asshole (which I've seen happen) -- but sometimes I'll pretend to be studying my ipod so as "not to notice" the dude on crutches who probably wants my seat.

Oh, jesus. Maybe I am a bad person.

Well, whatever. This is my opportunity to make some positive change -- and maybe boost my karma points while I'm at it! Like everyone's favorite French ingenue, Amelie. An elfin fairy godmother who does secret good deeds and is in love with a mysterious photo-booth repairman . . . perhaps if I start doing good deeds for others, the Universe will throw me a frickin' bone.

I want to be more loving towards other people. Snarkiness has it's place, of course. Nothing short of a lobotomy could rob this girl of her cynical take on the world. But maybe if I stopped approaching everyone I meet like a plague sent from Above to ruin my life . . . life would be a little more cheery. And who knows -- maybe I'd make a new friend . . . or at least, not make an enemy?

It's a start, people!

So tomorrow, I vow to go out of my way to have one deliberately kind interaction with a stranger . . . which shouldn't be hard, since I only know the names of about 12 people in my office even though I've worked there for 3 years. Just because they're all a bunch of humorless robot freaks (i mean, "perfectly nice human beings like myself") doesn't mean they aren't worth a smile and some "how bout this crazy coffeemaker?" chitchat.

I am exaggerating my meanness here, of course. But bottom line -- my goal for this month is to romance the world with goodness! Take a positive attitude -- embrace what the Universe throws at me with grace and love.

And maybe, just maybe, the Universe will love me back.