MORE ARMPITS

There's an 80 year old woman who's shorter than my armpit. She's sometimes on the same morning train as me and I know for a fact she's shorter than my armpit because on one particularly packed-train day I had to reach over her to hold onto one of those stability poles. I wasn't reaching over her shoulder, I was reaching over her head and it wasn't hard. I suppose for this to having the surprising mental impact I would like to punch, I should point out that it didn't look like she had dwarfism––is that what it's called?––she was just really petite. More so than LaQuina's abuela, an amazing Spanish/Galecian woman who would tell me to make up boyfriends.

This system of measurement is my new fascination. As I walk around Paris I take note of everything around me: // that fence is taller than my armpit and so is he. That bush is shorter than my armpit and so is that bench. // I like stating obvious things, I find it really relaxing. // I am ironing now. // I'm walking to the train station now. // I'm riding the bus from a failed attempt at finding the restaurant I wanted to go to.

Stating the obvious lets out all the pressure of something, though heaven knows what. // I am sad now // is said and suddenly a weight is lifted from my chest and I can admit to being sad and stop frantically clawing for an escape that never comes. The immediate relief can be so great sad almost feels happy. With the weight is gone I can try on sad, walk around in it, and at some point later sense it dissolve as some other feeling comes to take it's place.

Perhaps this allows me to let go of the feeling I need to be (doing) something other than what I am, something very amazing and clever with the finesse of a meme-generator-who-gets-a-book-deal. I don't need to find everything I'm looking for, looking was a good thing. I don't need to be having a wild adventure, walking to the train station is enough. I don't need to be happy, not all the time anyway. It's like that feeling of returning home and being really comfortable but taking that feeling out of doors, into the expanse of the universe and yelling, "I'm just going to be me now!"

Stating the obvious also works to focus your brain and keep you from tripping and dropping glasses.



What are some obvious statements you make? What are your thoughts on Dante's Inferno? Would you like to be in a Muppet musical?