(A)Musings

When our doors open each morning they not only invite you in, but also invite you to stop for a moment before doing so. Stop and finish a sentence you’d otherwise never utter out loud– perhaps because how you construct it may be alarming to those you love (or yourself even,) perhaps because how you finish the sentence reminds you of a romantic comedy and you have a very different image to keep up; perhaps because, were it not for this public forum where your identity is nowhere to be found, you’d never even think to acknowledge the sentiment in your own thoughts.

It’s just a simple board with some pieces of paper, a pen, and pins. The beginning of the week’s sentence above it, followed by ellipsis. The ellipsis are where you come in.

Each week, as the previous week’s board has filled up, all of Aroma Cafe’s and Portrait’s customers’ answers will find their permanent home here.

As ever, we welcome you to add your own in comments.

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12.

MY MOST IMPORTANT RESOLUTION THIS YEAR IS…

 

…to enjoy my life a little bit more each day.

…to have my first kiss.

…to be more decisive and confident. To hang something on my walls. To replace my wardrobe.

…to be more patient.

…to have my life back.

…to pass the bar and get a job.

…to be less afraid.

…to repeat only the good.

…to accept my coolness.

…to never be late again.

…to FOLLOW THROUGH.

…to open myself up more.

…to be, like, reaally famous and prettty and thin.

…to read all the books I own.

…to have more sex.

…to read more. Stress less.

…to travel to places I’ve never been.

…to grow taller.

…to myself first.

…to get back in the habit…

…to be more positive, even if it kills me.

…to stop being a doormat.

OUR FAVORITE:

…to continue to search for the growth of my “soul”.

11.

MY MANTRA…

… Always be a first-rate version of yourself, never a second-rate version of somebody else.

…You are only one out of almost 7 billion people. Treat your ego accordingly.

…Your past does not define your future.

…Stop. Take note. Acknowledge the feeling. Let it go.

…Live for today and pray for tomorrow.

…When in danger, when in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout.

…I am the Walrus.

…Live long and prosper.

…Don’t sweat the small stuff. It’s all small stuff.

…Process not product.

…The only way around is through.

…I am at peace.

…Don’t expect to receive if you are not willing to give.

…Nothing is too wonderful to be true.

…It’s my birthday today and I am in love.

…Some cookie is better than no cookie.

…Sat Nam.

…Walk. Paint. Pray.

…Think good and good will follow.

…Keep it simple, Stupid.

…I am Eloise and I am six

…Make your home in your head. This way, no matter where you go you’ll always be home.

…Open your eyes. Your heart can tell no lies.

…Nothing great or beautiful in this world has ever been born of rational argument.

…Smile!

…Coffee helps.

…I know I am connected.

…There’s nothing wine can’t fix.

…It will all pass.

…Love. That’s all.

…The weak spells are tests. Pass them.

…Music=Life

…All you need is love.

…You don’t need another person to know love.

…My daughter keeps me living.

…I don’t know anything.

…It’s less important to love yourself than to respect what made you. Love will come.

…Let everything go. When you let even love go is when you’ll know its real essence.

…Know what you need. Know what you want. Without knowing you’ll take everything and get nothing.

10.

IF I WERE TO WRITE A BOOK THE FIRST SENTENCE WOULD BE:

I’m just a bill, yes I’m only a bill, and I’m sittin’ here on Capitol Hill…

You’re not Leo!

Tonight, I just want to close my eyes and not see the places I’ve been.

Stately, plump Buck Mulligan came down the stairhead on his skateboard, executing a perfect 720 degree ollie and a deadly, nearly-impossible-to-master Triple McTwist.

Life is like a meatball sub.

She appeared to have a new fetish: writing on little green pieces of paper.

Special Space Enforcement Agent Beck O’Reilly took his F-69 Justice-Lover class Starfighter high into the troposphere and proceeded with his technically accomplished lovemaking. “This won’t be a good day for the Liberal Fascist Jihad,” he thought. “Not if Beck O’Reilly has anything to say about it.”

I was born in Hollywood. My father took the streetcar to Barham.

Sarah thought Harold’s lazy eye made him look distinguished and a little more interested than he really was.

Nudba woke up 1,573 feet in mid-air.

I am, after all, a handsome man.

9.

MY HOUSE IS BURNING. I HAVE ONLY ONE MINUTE TO ESCAPE, AND CAN TAKE ONLY ONE THING WITH ME… I GRAB _____________.

My Teddy Bear, Hershey

My piano (obviously, the fire endowed me with superhuman powers.)

My son’s baby book full of memories, which he, at the age of 3, said he would show his own kids.

The trash because it needs to go out before the morning.

Nothing!

My art.

My mother.

My cubby.

My twin brother.

The guitar my dad gave me.

My children.

I can’t decide between my dentures and my goldfish. Help.

Either my computer or my wedding dress.

A can of cat food. This way both cats will follow me out.

I grab my courage and exit the building.

8.

IF THEY MADE A MOVIE ABOUT MY LIFE (BASED ON MY BEST-SELLING MEMOIR, OF COURSE!) IT WOULD BE TITLED ____________ AND __________ WOULD PLAY ME.

 

A three-part opus entitled, “The World is Not Enough”, “The World is Too Much”, and “I Don’t Know Who Ordered This World, But it Wasn’t Me. Please Send It Back”.

“The Winning Mistake” – Paul Giamatti

“Butterfly” –  Sienna Miller

“Peter Pan”-  Jude Law

“When We Meet Again” – Tom Hanks

“This Parachute is Only A Backpack” – Rhea Pearlman

“Chaos of Restraint” – Drew Barrymore

“Buried Above Ground”

“No More Sweet Hugs!” – Ken Baumann

“Her Eyes Were Watching God CNN” – Marlo Thomas

“Take Me Somewhere Else” – Katie Couric

“Mercurial Me” – Diane Krugger

“She Never Stopped Quitting” – Sinead O’Connor

“Help Me, Please” – Amellia Rose

“How Did This Happen?” – Zoe Deschanel

“Is This Really My Skin? Is This Really My Life?”

 

7.

IF I COULD INVENT GLASSES THAT WOULD LET ME SEE ANYTHING I CAN’T SEE NOW, I WOULD MOST WANT TO SEE…

souls.

what people truly desire.

what it felt like to be Mandela during those years in jail.

who is telling the truth and who is lying.

opportunity.

the nearest Exit!

babies’ thoughts.

my insides.

what lies beyond closed doors…the things people don’t share.

what “good” looks like.

if my wife is cheating on me. Also, whether he’s attractive.

the color of the universe.

what thoughts lead visionaries to change the world.

is whether my gardenia is aware of its own fragrance.

what people see when they look at me.

hope.

the speed of darkness.

This week we’re thinking about:

“IF THEY MADE A MOVIE ABOUT MY LIFE (BASED ON MY BEST-SELLING MEMOIR, OF COURSE!) IT WOULD BE TITLED___________________________ AND _________________________ WOULD PLAY ME.”

Complete the sentence in Comments and we’ll include it on the board.

***

6.

MY FAVORITE BOOK IS ____________. BECAUSE…

“Land of the Lost Souls” by Cadillac Man. A memoir by a homeless guy in NYC. I wish I knew him. What a guy.

“The Unbearable Lightness of Being” by Milan Kundera. Because it is an amazing story combining human drama with politics.

“Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley. Because Huxley’s dystopian scenario is much more analogous to today’s world than Orwell’s. And… free sex.

“Are You There, Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea…” by Chelsea Handler. Because people turning into bugs isn’t “deep” it’s just creepy.

“Running With Scissors” by Augusten Burroughs. Because life is too short to be taken seriously.

“The Moral Animal” by Robert Wright. Because it puts everything into perspective.

“A Confederacy of Dunces” by John Kennedy Toole. Because of its awesomeness.

“Never Let Me Go” by Kazuo Ishiguro. It’s heartbreaking and so cunningly executed.

“Madame Bovary” by Gustav Flaubert. Read it and you’ll understand.

“The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger. Because I am (as is every one else,) Holden Caulfield.

“The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” by Douglas Adams. What an imagination Adams had! I could read it three times over and still be entertained by his wit– that fantastic British humor.

“Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte. Because of its ending.

“All Creatures Great and Small” by James Herriot. For animal lovers.

“Ender’s Game” by Orson Scott Card. So ****ing great!

“The Razor’s Edge” by  W. Somerset Maugham. Every man wants to be the envy of all and be seemingly unemployed!

“The Godfather” by Mario Puzo. What a great novel!

“Dealing with Dragons” by Patricia C. Wrede. The original kick-ass, self-sufficient, self-rescuing princess. Every little girl should read it. It’ll undo all the damage Disney movies do to a child’s psyche.

“The Master and Margarita” by Mikhail Bulgakov. Because it says everything I wish I could have said first.

“The Holy Bible“. Because no matter how confusing life can be, there is always hope and love to be found in its pages.

“The Buddha, Geoff and Me” by Edward Canfor-Dumas.  Enlightening, easy to read story. This book made me feel hopeful about everyday life challenges.

“Franny and Zooey” by J.D. Salinger

“I’m With the Band: Confessions of a Groupie” by Pamela Des Barres. I truly envy Pamela DesBarres’s incredible life. This book blew my mind and changed my life.

“Saltwater Buddha” by Jaimal Yogis. I guarantee you’ll love it and want to pass it on to friends.

Every book ever written by Chuck Klosterman and John Swartzwelder. Modern day literary geniuses!

“The Tin Drum” by Gunter Grass. Because, well, just because.

“Angels and Demons” by Dan Brown. Because I had to read the last 200 pages in one sitting.

“The Black Obelisk” by Erich Maria Remarque. Reading about Isabelle introduced me to myself.

The “Gone” Series by Michael Grant. Because I love how the books make me never want to put them down. I read for hours…

“To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee. Because it gives a unique look at the human experience that transcends the ages. It also teaches the reader a great lesson in humanity.

“The Red and the Black” by Stendhal. This is the book that made me want to read more books.

OUR FAVORITE:

“The Joy of Sex” by Alex Comfort. This is the single best book ever written. If you can read, understand and apply this book, you don’t need the Bible or the Bhagavad Gita or the millions of other spiritual books in existence. Just have good, fulfilling sex and you will be happy. Guaranteed.

 

This week we’re thinking about:

“IF I COULD INVENT GLASSES THAT WOULD ALLOW ME TO SEE THE THOUGHTS, MOTIVES AND INSPIRATIONS OF OTHERS, WHAT I WOULD MOST WANT TO SEE…”

Complete the sentence in Comments and we’ll include it on the board.

5.

 

I WISH SOMEONE WOULD WRITE A BOOK ABOUT…

the advantages of being short.

what animals think.

how to get over a broken heart.

what it feels like to be inside the womb.

me!

how to get into my heart.

what to do with homeless, mentally ill relatives.

autism from a 2-yr old’s perspective.

the ladies of Portrait.

my winning smile.

my heart stopping every time I sneeze.

Montgomery Clift (a good one).

how crowded airplanes must be destroying the physical and mental health of frequent fliers.

how to be loving and conscious all the time!

how to be a part-time ninja.

how to be a full-time ninja.

where to get my refund when gas is $3.89 1/10. I want the 1/10 of a penny back.

why we yell. How we yell.

what death actually is.

how to become Nav’i.

 

OUR FAVORITE because there aren’t enough of these in print:

how to have a healthy relationship with your spouse.

This week we’re thinking about:

“MY FAVORITE BOOK IS ___________. BECAUSE…”

Complete the sentence in Comments and we’ll include it on the board.

***

4.

 

THESE ARE THE DAYS OF…

 

finding out where your tears fall.

selflessness in the pursuit of love.

light and love.

no rest.

growing in a unifying way.

wine and roses.

whining and poses.

being bold.

hope.

keeping my babies so close they suffocate.

disaster.

transformation.

miracles and wonder.

wondrous growth.

being fiercely kind!

our non-real, baby-town frolicking lives.

new beginnings.

all work and no play.

being strong.

half-wits.

trusting myself.

ending cycles.

realizing history repeats itself. Over and over and over and over again.

fear and hiding.

sreaming with no sound coming out of you.

reaching for help.

endless night.

OUR FAVORITE:

bright yellow paper usage.

 

 

This week we’re thinking about:

“I WISH SOMEONE WOULD WRITE A BOOK ABOUT…”

Complete the sentence in Comments and we’ll include it on the board.

***

3.

LOVE MAKES ME…

 

nauseous. Sleepless. Ecstatic. Despairing. Hopeful. Consumed.

incandescent.

wish everyone was in love so they could feel as happy as I do.

all warm inside!

sacrifice.

want out of my marriage.

hopeful.

itch.

live with no reservations.

feel I can do anything.

happy! Like the sunlight of the spirit.

roll my eyes.

crazier than usual. Happier than ever. Depressed as can be. Filled with glee. It quells the beast within. It’s amazing.

walk by his window to see if the light is on.

make him cupcakes.

do very crazy things.

feel understood.

crave chocolate.

feel at peace.

HANNAH!

feel like solving all the problems in the world.

salivate.

wonder.

belong.

poor.

want more!

respectful.

question.

honest.

empty. I disappear into her.

suicidal. Too much of it is so scary.

OUR FAVORITE:

wash her underwear.

 

 

This week we’re thinking about:

“THESE ARE THE DAYS OF…”

Complete the sentence in comments and we’ll include it on the board!

***

2.

I DREAD THE DAY WHEN I WILL NO LONGER…

care.

be able to think for myself.

be employable, because bookstores will no longer exist.

be enthusiastic about life.

live in California.

believe in true, deep romantic love.

be a pain in the ass of everyone I know.

see color and smell midnight jasmine.

have enough money to eat.

think about you…

help.

be able to pursue my dreams.

dream.

be able to tend my garden.

be capable.

love.

dance.

to do the splits. Or a back-bend. Or a cartwheel.

have my sanity.

feel fulfilled.

eat chocolate.

believe I can walk on water.

get excited about the littlest of things.

be able to control myself.

have my parents.

have more years ahead of me than behind.

recognize my children. Betrayal.

 

This week we’re thinking about:

“LOVE MAKES ME…”

Complete the sentence in comments and we’ll include it on the board!

***

1.

IF IT WERE PROVEN TO ME THAT THE WORLD WILL END TOMORROW AND ALL WILL PERISH PAINLESSLY, TODAY I WOULD…

eat Pizza! (Lactose intolerant for 25 years!)

gather with loved ones, make love, go into nature, be naked, do something inappropriate and Forgive.

spend the rest of my time over-looking the Aegean Sea from a balcony in Santorini, drinking Pinot Grigio.

fly back to my baby sister (51) in New York.

do Salamba Sarvangasana.

make something beautiful.

hike to the top of a mountain with the ones I love and watch it all end.

be alive, understand how it all works. Makes me want to reproduce.

go to Neiman Marcus and buy every shoe I tried on.

leave him. Let him go. Finally.

contact everyone I’ve hurt. Sometimes I don’t sleep at night while I write them letters in my head.

get pregnant.

hop on a plane to New York so I could tell my parents how much they mean to me.

round up all the ice cream I could, then have all my friends and family over for one hell of a party.

spend the day meditating with my loving companion in nature.

love my darling girlfriend until the end.

be.

cuddle with my pups and kiss their muzzles a thousand times. Lay with my love.

gather everyone I  know in one room and make love together. A true climactic ending would follow.

honestly, I’d stay in bed all day. Reading.

Thanks to Julie for the seed and the husband of one of our staff for the lovely concept.