“And how much is this?” I asked, thumbing through the packet labeled “aura reading”.

There were numerous pages explaining the chakras and showing some random soul with his face blacked out, surrounding by blurry orange halo.

PDF files. Charts. Graphs. Who knew you could turn spirituality into a piece worthy of PubMed status?

“A hundred,” the shop owner replied.

I actively tried to force my eyes from doing that thing where they constrict in disapproval while my whole face retracts like someone’s just thrown acid in it. I failed. And I’m glad I grabbed a brochure before leaving this reiki-style studio, ‘cause the world blurred after she dropped that answer on me. But this is all part of it. Seeking adventure, crossing some things off the list, and refiling some of the others under wallet sodomy like this crazy as-

Oh, what list, you ask?

That’s right. I should’ve mentioned that.

As promised, I’ve begun the innovation list I wrote about yesterday (but posted today; it’s here). If you can’t be bothered to watch or read about it, this guy basically did 365 things (one every day for a year) that he’d never done before in his life. Some small. Some large. Why? To “bend time” – make his days longer by making them more meaningful. For me, though, I was inspired because anything you do for 30 to 90 days retrains your brain to kinda make that habitual (which he also admits – it’s “addictive”). And the way I see it is that – if you’re constantly looking outside the box to create new experiences – it’s gotta help your creative side too, when it comes to something like writing – yes? So, I’m starting small – 30 days of at least 30 things. Some of them will be genres (in case I run out of ideas or can’t afford the existing ones left on my list till payday) I can grow in – like “New yoga pose”.

In fact, here’s yesterday’s:


(A.) I won’t be surprised if this was the first and last time I do this.
(B.) My entry and exit were opposite of graceful.

And before that – I dragged a high school friend into it. By making her paint pottery with me… at a studio meant for kindergartners and high schoolers looking for an appropriate date activity in this god forsaken devoid-of-anything-but-fast-food-and-bars town. Far from “crazy”, but that’s not what this is about. It’s about doing new shiz and I don’t know that I’ve ever beautified pottery on purpose. I mean, I’ve destroyed plenty of it – but not dressed it up. So, on the list it went, only to be crossed off later.

(We spent the entirety of it discussing why we didn’t want children – amongst nothing but children.)

Seriously, though, however small the thing you’re doing is – there’s this drug-like release that happens in your brain (or mine, at least – and I’m guessing also the dude’s who inspired me) when you try something new (provided you don’t hate it). For example, that incarcerated avian asana above left me with a bit of a doing-it-wrong elbow bruise. But I felt so amazing and affirmed after doing this crazy move that I didn’t notice it until way later. And it made me kinda smile.

As for today? Well, that’s hard to say. I’m committed to trying to last a month, so I’m following my self-issued Plan-B advice on the daily. I’m thinking my M.O. will be to throw a few ideas down on the itinerary when I awake –some that involve other people and then some that don’t in case said people can’t join. Or start trying to fight against the rope restraints I’ve fastened around their wrists while they non-consensually join me in visiting a mystic with a crystal ball for the first time (Dad, I’m talking to you. You go on about wanting to see that bish as a gag every damn time we pass her place. Prepare yourself. It’s happening.)

Who knows, maybe 30 days’ll turn into 60.

Or maybe it’ll turn into two.

I’ll keep ya posted. Literally.