An Original Sentence and Saying Yes...(even when it hurts.)
While having an a wonderful dinner chez Anne and Christopher's this past Saturday night, two very interesting ideas came up at the dinner table.
Well, actually there were a lot more than two, but these two still have me intrigued on this fine Monday morning.
One was the idea of a completely original sentence.
While Mark was telling everyone about his secret desire to audition for the role of Soda Pop in the upcoming Paducah Community Theater's portrayal of The Outsiders,
he mentioned that we would probably have to wear a toupee during the try-outs to be physically suited for this particular character.
After a brief moment of thought, I replied,
"Yeah, you would probably make a great Soda Pop with a toupee."
Anne deemed this sentence as a, most likely, completely original sentence.
She has made a game of sorts trying to recognize such occurrences.
I like this idea and have started playing the game myself.
Yesterday, while driving home on the WK Parkway, I thought of an original sentence I made note of in high school.
It happened in 1986 or 87, I'd guess.
My friend Jon Singer and I were laying on the roof of his Grandmother's abandoned, crumbling, and majestic mansion on the hill....on the Osbourne's family farm in Scott County.
We were just laying up there, on the roof,
a million miles above the grass,
smoking cigarettes and staring at the stars
and passing another boring Scott County night by....
talking about cars and music
and who we had crushes on,
and generally harassing each other as friends do.
At some point during this memorable evening, he noticed the surprising lack of bird poop on the roof.
The surprisingly fabulous lack of bird poop, which enabled us to lay without blankets.
On the roof.
To which, I replied,
"Yeah, I'd bet the pigeons would get off pretty hard on this roof if they knew about it."
We laughed and thought...what a ridiculous thing to say.
Isn't it strange that I remember that?
That likely was an original sentence, as well.
Then Mark proceeded to tell us a story about a guy named Danny Wallace, who did an experiment for a length of time, in which he pretended the word "no" did not exist.
Meaning, he said yes to everything.
Wow.
Now he has written a book about his wild adventure as the "Yes Man"
and you wouldn't believe how his life took a tun for the better.
Here's a book description I lifted from Amazon, to give to a taste of his fantastic voyage:
"Imagine being completely open. Imagine a life in which we accept every single chance, offer, or challenge -- take every single risk. Thankfully, Danny Wallace has done it so we don't have to.
Recently single, Danny is alone and on a road to nowhere. One day on that road, a stranger on a bus tells him to say "yes" more. A months-long journey that changes not only Danny's life but perhaps the world ensues.
Soon after vowing to be more open, Danny wins $45,000 and becomes a television executive, far above his level of experience or ability ("just because I said 'yes' a lot in meetings I wasn't supposed to be in"). He becomes a minister. Falls afoul of psychotropic drugs. Gives spare change to anyone who asks. Invents things. Travels the globe. Vows to help the son of a murdered sultan escape Oman with forty million dollars ("It's not an Internet scam -- it's a cry for help"). But not every yes is an instant ticket to newfound wealth and happiness.
Just as Danny grows closer to a woman for whom he holds strong feelings, his ex-girlfriend asks if he would mind if she dated someone new. "Yes." Things get more complicated when he sees her and her new beau. Being polite, the man asks Danny if he'd like to join them for dinner. "Yes." At a night club, another man asks Danny if he wants a smack in the mouth for looking at his girlfriend: "Er, yes?"
Yes Man introduces a world where a bit of optimism can make a person a television personality. A simple trip to the record store can be rerouted to the center of the Social Acupuncture Peace Movement. An unwanted e-mail can lead to the creation of an undroppable spoon. Feeling hungry can result in eating curry down the street from Jesus. But perhaps most important, a little fearlessness can lead to a remarkably loving relationship.
Yes Man is more than one excitable man's ramblings of seemingly inconsequential events. It's more than even the most elegant of memoirs. It is proof that a little bit of openness and generosity can allow the human spirit to triumph."
Fabulous.
I think I'll buy the book....
Don't you want to, too?
I'll be the answer is "yes".
Well, actually there were a lot more than two, but these two still have me intrigued on this fine Monday morning.
One was the idea of a completely original sentence.
While Mark was telling everyone about his secret desire to audition for the role of Soda Pop in the upcoming Paducah Community Theater's portrayal of The Outsiders,
he mentioned that we would probably have to wear a toupee during the try-outs to be physically suited for this particular character.
After a brief moment of thought, I replied,
"Yeah, you would probably make a great Soda Pop with a toupee."
Anne deemed this sentence as a, most likely, completely original sentence.
She has made a game of sorts trying to recognize such occurrences.
I like this idea and have started playing the game myself.
Yesterday, while driving home on the WK Parkway, I thought of an original sentence I made note of in high school.
It happened in 1986 or 87, I'd guess.
My friend Jon Singer and I were laying on the roof of his Grandmother's abandoned, crumbling, and majestic mansion on the hill....on the Osbourne's family farm in Scott County.
We were just laying up there, on the roof,
a million miles above the grass,
smoking cigarettes and staring at the stars
and passing another boring Scott County night by....
talking about cars and music
and who we had crushes on,
and generally harassing each other as friends do.
At some point during this memorable evening, he noticed the surprising lack of bird poop on the roof.
The surprisingly fabulous lack of bird poop, which enabled us to lay without blankets.
On the roof.
To which, I replied,
"Yeah, I'd bet the pigeons would get off pretty hard on this roof if they knew about it."
We laughed and thought...what a ridiculous thing to say.
Isn't it strange that I remember that?
That likely was an original sentence, as well.
Then Mark proceeded to tell us a story about a guy named Danny Wallace, who did an experiment for a length of time, in which he pretended the word "no" did not exist.
Meaning, he said yes to everything.
Wow.
Now he has written a book about his wild adventure as the "Yes Man"
and you wouldn't believe how his life took a tun for the better.
Here's a book description I lifted from Amazon, to give to a taste of his fantastic voyage:
"Imagine being completely open. Imagine a life in which we accept every single chance, offer, or challenge -- take every single risk. Thankfully, Danny Wallace has done it so we don't have to.
Recently single, Danny is alone and on a road to nowhere. One day on that road, a stranger on a bus tells him to say "yes" more. A months-long journey that changes not only Danny's life but perhaps the world ensues.
Soon after vowing to be more open, Danny wins $45,000 and becomes a television executive, far above his level of experience or ability ("just because I said 'yes' a lot in meetings I wasn't supposed to be in"). He becomes a minister. Falls afoul of psychotropic drugs. Gives spare change to anyone who asks. Invents things. Travels the globe. Vows to help the son of a murdered sultan escape Oman with forty million dollars ("It's not an Internet scam -- it's a cry for help"). But not every yes is an instant ticket to newfound wealth and happiness.
Just as Danny grows closer to a woman for whom he holds strong feelings, his ex-girlfriend asks if he would mind if she dated someone new. "Yes." Things get more complicated when he sees her and her new beau. Being polite, the man asks Danny if he'd like to join them for dinner. "Yes." At a night club, another man asks Danny if he wants a smack in the mouth for looking at his girlfriend: "Er, yes?"
Yes Man introduces a world where a bit of optimism can make a person a television personality. A simple trip to the record store can be rerouted to the center of the Social Acupuncture Peace Movement. An unwanted e-mail can lead to the creation of an undroppable spoon. Feeling hungry can result in eating curry down the street from Jesus. But perhaps most important, a little fearlessness can lead to a remarkably loving relationship.
Yes Man is more than one excitable man's ramblings of seemingly inconsequential events. It's more than even the most elegant of memoirs. It is proof that a little bit of openness and generosity can allow the human spirit to triumph."
Fabulous.
I think I'll buy the book....
Don't you want to, too?
I'll be the answer is "yes".
posted by anessa arehart at 7/31/2005 07:33:00 PM
5 comments
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