THE BOUNCE Whether we admit it or not, we all want to be cool.
Unfortunately, some of us are born with it and some of us are not. I fall into the latter category. I am not one of those people who exudes cool or who effortlessly walks around spewing confidence as I naturally draw people to me.
How uncool am I, you ask? Well, there was the time I was a sophomore in high school and a senior girl found out who my older brother was and literally said, "Really? But he's hot."
There was also the time in seventh grade when a girl's ring fell onto the ground and rolled toward me. I saw this as an opportunity to be her hero, catch the ring and give it back to her, striking up an instant connection.
Instead, I tried to stop it with my foot, found out the ring was made of weak metal and smashed it under my fat sneaker. To the girl and her friends, it looked like I was just a jerk who stomped on her ring to be a jerk. She ran out of the lunchroom crying as her friends asked what was wrong with me. As you can see I am not naturally cool or suave, but boy did I try hard.
So, on one end of the spectrum you have me and on the other end, you have this 2-year-old who has more swagger in his little finger than I'll ever have in my entire life.
This kid's uncle caught the little dude casually bouncing around on the bounce house without a care in the world. The little fella is just kicking it with his hands in his pockets, leaving all of us to ask ourselves, "What is he thinking about? Should I be thinking it? Does he think I'm cool? Should I put my hands in my pockets? Think he'd hang out with me?"
These are all fair questions and this cool customer has all the answers. I hope to one day grow up to be as cool as this kid, but I know it's never going to happen.
Unfortunately, some of us are born with it and some of us are not. I fall into the latter category. I am not one of those people who exudes cool or who effortlessly walks around spewing confidence as I naturally draw people to me.
How uncool am I, you ask? Well, there was the time I was a sophomore in high school and a senior girl found out who my older brother was and literally said, "Really? But he's hot."
There was also the time in seventh grade when a girl's ring fell onto the ground and rolled toward me. I saw this as an opportunity to be her hero, catch the ring and give it back to her, striking up an instant connection.
Instead, I tried to stop it with my foot, found out the ring was made of weak metal and smashed it under my fat sneaker. To the girl and her friends, it looked like I was just a jerk who stomped on her ring to be a jerk. She ran out of the lunchroom crying as her friends asked what was wrong with me. As you can see I am not naturally cool or suave, but boy did I try hard.
So, on one end of the spectrum you have me and on the other end, you have this 2-year-old who has more swagger in his little finger than I'll ever have in my entire life.
This kid's uncle caught the little dude casually bouncing around on the bounce house without a care in the world. The little fella is just kicking it with his hands in his pockets, leaving all of us to ask ourselves, "What is he thinking about? Should I be thinking it? Does he think I'm cool? Should I put my hands in my pockets? Think he'd hang out with me?"
These are all fair questions and this cool customer has all the answers. I hope to one day grow up to be as cool as this kid, but I know it's never going to happen.
