“Angry Girl Inhales Waffle Cone”

By November 15, 2011October 5th, 2019Acceptance, Choice, Courage, Life, Why not?

Today’s headline might have read something like this in my world.  It was a rough day. After biking home, I took a swift walk to the park and unloaded my frustrations. My mom patiently listened on the phone, as I told her about everything going on in my world and then she said “I love you” and goodnight.

Haight Ashbury Ben & Jerry’s

On the walk back, I suddenly had a craving for a chocolate bar. I have managed to incorporate most “no” items back into my daily food cycle, but the sea salted almond chocolate bar has still eluded me. As I approached my neighborhood market, I noticed the Ben & Jerry’s store on the corner. I’ve only been there once in my 2 years of living in San Francisco, but the little girl inside me really wanted a waffle cone. The adult side of me protested momentarily and quickly relinquished saying, “Why the hell not?”

Like a Kid in an Ice Cream Store

I entered and there they were, all the flavors and the huge waffle cones, which came with my choice of sprinkles, Oreos, or plain chocolate. While ordering, I jokingly mentioned to the ice cream guy that the little girl inside me needed a waffle cone. He responded by saying, “Well, it’s good that you’re even in touch with that little girl and listening.”

After careful deliberation and sampling the pumpkin flavor, I went classic: large chocolate-covered waffle cone with sprinkles with 2 scoops of ice cream—chocolate chip cookie dough and mint chocolate chip. $7.25 later, I had my treat, which I ate before dinner.

So why waffle cones?

I write this post not to encourage everyone to go out to Ben & Jerry’s, although it is tasty but because we all have bad days. We all get frustrated. We all feel angry or discouraged at times. I’m an idealist, so I often focus on the positive in this blog and the make-it-happen attitude because I genuinely do believe that a positive mindset makes a drastic difference in life and that we are all capable of more than we ever imagined if we just give ourselves that chance, but some days just suck.

Illustration by Reese Kolar, 2nd Episode Guest

We’re also human. 6 Months to Live is not just about what we would do if we had 6 months to live, it’s about life.  And life can be tricky.  It can be difficult and deeply frustrating to know that we’re all trying our very best and maybe things turn out the way we’d like, and other times they don’t.

As a child, I thought adults had it together.  I thought they knew everything.  I thought, “When I’m an adult, I’ll know…”  Now that I am one, I look around me and realize that adults of all ages are still figuring it out and that there’s no one right way or approach to life.    At first, this seemed distressing. My inner voice kept crying out, “You’re 28, and you still are figuring out what you want to do with your life.  What’s wrong with you?”

There’s nothing wrong with me or with anyone.  When I got over my initial disillusionment that no one has it all figured out, I found this thought to be incredibly freeing.  Life is what we choose to make it.  There is no one right way.  It’s okay to not know.  It’s okay to be afraid.  Moreover, it’s okay to give voice to these feelings and doubts because we all have or have had them.

I was struck with a powerful image this past weekend.  We all have a light to shine.  There is no need to hide your light because you’re in a dark room.  Show your light and others will see that it’s okay to show theirs.

What are some of your funny tough day moments or revelations?

Join the discussion 14 Comments

  • I’m 51 and I still haven’t figure it out! Just keep going forward and keep feeding that little girl. 🙂

  • Hi Jacqueline – Cracking post – oh so true – all of it! It is nice to hear from someone else that we are all the same in these respects, because no-one usually talks about it openly, and we really should…and I’m 59 years young this month! I just love the photos of the cones and the candle, both very different but both equally stunning! Are they yours?

    Take care

    John

  • Okay, the cone sounds amazing. I’m sold.

    At the same time, be assured, I’m 49 and I still don’t know what I’m going to do when I grow up. So in my mind, you are ahead of the game–and wise enough to eat a waffle cone when you have the craving.

    Kudos to you————–

    Kathy

    • Jacqueline says:

      It really was delicious, Kathy! That’s a relief! Maybe it would be helpful as a society if we changed our focus from “What we want to be when we grow up” to “what we want to do at this point in our lives.” I think particularly in American society, there is a strong link between what we do and who we are. There are many positive aspects to this perspective such as really focusing on something that makes us happy, but life is also about exploring and what worked for us for 5 years may or may not work today. Thanks for posting, Kathy! 🙂

  • nrhatch says:

    Sometimes we must allow ourselves to “eat dessert first.” 😀

  • Currie Rose says:

    I often inhale my “treats” before dinner too. I used to think adults had this magic power to wait…. to ALWAYS have dessert AFTER dinner…. Now, that I’m 30, I still haven’t discovered how to keep my paws away from the chocolate before dinner….

    I too used to think adults just knew all the answers in life and STILL I look to other adults for knowing everything and often, I get this voice back, “YOU are an adult.” It still blows my mind that I am a grown up… when did that happen? And why don’t I have my direction yet and why can’t I wait till after dinner to have my cake and eat it too…. and why do I still avoid bed time when I am so tired????

    Great post.

    It’s okay not to have all the answers. 😉

    • Jacqueline says:

      Thanks Currie! I actually thought of you when I was writing this post. You’re always so honest and authentic in your blog posts. I so admire your ability to put it all out there, especially when you’re having a tough day. This was my step towards being more authentic in the world and on this site. The truth is life is wonderful, but it can also suck. Haha! And that’s okay too and of course, to not have all the answers. Why didn’t adults ever tell us that growing up??

      Can’t wait to write all about you and your journey on the blog!

  • Life is a series of stages and we all go through them at different times. The best we can do is learn to go with the flow! Honest post Jacqueline! Margie

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