Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun


I was sitting in a hamburger restaurant near Rockefeller Plaza in New York City when Shannon–one of the three high school newspaper staffers I was with–burst out with  “I want to be fun, but I just can’t.”

Everyone sort of stopped what they were doing—eating, chewing, drinking, thinking.

“At least you’re honest,” said Zina, a former student and current resident of NYC.

That little outburst sparked a similar discussion the next day while sitting at another restaurant just off Times Square. I along with the other two staffers went out for breakfast and a brief shopping excursion around Time Square while “I-want-to-be-fun-but-I-just-can’t” Shannon opted to remain sleeping.

I asked the other two if they had to fill in the "I-want-to-be" blank, what would they say?

“I want to be a party animal, but I just can’t,” said Maddee. “I’m too shy. I don’t dance. I can’t even two-step.”

After a moment or two, Abbie said, “I  want to be like Maddee and say whatever I want., but I just can't.”

But less than 30 seconds later, that was changed to “I want to like omelets, but I just can’t.  They always sound really good, but I never like them,” she said between bites of the western egg omelet she ordered.

Later, on the way to the airport, the topic came up again when I asked Shannon what she did for dinner for her last night in New York City.

“I ate a pop tart and slept,” she said.

To which the rest of replied in unison, “I want to be fun, but I just can’t.”

Shannon’s outburst sparked a wide array of potential uses particularly around deadline time. Now, we have an entire new arsenal of mottos. Things like…

 “I want to turn in my story, but I just can’t.”

“I want to turn in my centerspread, but I just can’t.”

“I want to be a good photographer, but I just can’t.”

Or my personal favorite:

“I want to call everyone a Big Fat Stupid Head, but I just can’t.”


1 comment:

Sarah Ebner said...

I wonder what you'd get if you asked adults this question - and how honest they would be. Great post!