31. Unintentional poetry

Serendipity and positivity accrues from small moments.

suggested reading method

To best savour this artwork, please take a moment to eliminate distractions. Consider minimizing all other windows on your computer; putting other devices (phone, tv etc) aside; taking a deep breath, to the full extent of your lung capacity; and focusing solely on the “artwork” section.
Once you’ve processed that to your satisfaction, the rest of the post is optional reading, provided only to share my own impressions and reasons for choosing this piece.

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artwork

Neil Pasricha @NeilPasricha

IN CASE YOU HAD A BAD DAY HERE'S A BUNCH OF AWESOME THINGS

Neil Pasricha @NeilPasricha

Rolling somewhere really far in one of those office chairs with wheels When you walk into your friend’s house and it smells like cookies Finding an old box of your childhood toys Not wearing underwear and not telling anybody Successfully getting back into a good dream

Neil Pasricha @NeilPasricha

The first snowfall of the winter Brushing your teeth with a new toothbrush and realizing it’s got perfect bristles Feeling a bunch more popcorn pop when you take the popcorn bag out of the microwave Hearing someone fart in their sleep

Neil Pasricha @NeilPasricha

Putting on hot jeans from the dryer without getting burnt by the metal buttons Parking right beside a car that looks exactly like yours Your mom rubbing your neck and shoulders when you were a kid When a stranger buys you a birthday shot

Neil Pasricha @NeilPasricha

When your boyfriend randomly pulls you close to him in the middle of the night Waking up on the morning you’re leaving for vacation Finally remembering where you recognize someone from after staring at them forever The smell of old yellow paper in really old books

Neil Pasricha @NeilPasricha

Just missing the bus but there’s another bus right after and it’s completely empty except the driver Subconsciously playing a song you didn’t know you had memorized on the piano Not seeing where your golf ball landed but when you walk up it’s on the green

Neil Pasricha @NeilPasricha

Capture the flag in the dark with flashlights When you get home to the airport after being away a long time and your family and friends are waiting for you holding signs Getting all the sand out of your ass after swimming in the ocean

Neil Pasricha @NeilPasricha

The feeling of going to bed on a Sunday when Monday is a holiday Watching a movie you haven’t seen since you were a kid and finally getting all the references and innuendoes Playing with melted candle wax

Neil Pasricha @NeilPasricha

Swinging in perfect synch with your best friend at recess with you're both going as high as you can Making your connecting flight at the last possible second Walking and the wind hits you just right so you get perfect movie star hair for a minute

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interpretation

This series of tweets is the most loose “artwork” I’ve posted yet. However, I believe Neil Pasricha deserves the designation of “unintentional poetry” because he’s given time and attention to noticing little moments and curating this list.

Full disclosure, I came across this via The Commonplace newsletter; only through others’ recommendations would I ever view tweets, because I don’t have a Twitter account and try to spend as little time there as possible. I love that Pasricha’s tweet series bucks the trends of negativity and mob mentality on that site. He’s not looking to foment shock, fear, or anger, as so many viral tweets do; this is simple humanity on display. By focusing on small moments that are so easily overlooked, Pasricha brings out the sweetness in life.

In the context of this list, it doesn’t matter whether we’ve shared in every specific experience. We can still feel the serendipity, playfulness, caring, and love evoked in these anecdotes. It’s hard for me to pick a favourite among them, because they’re all joyful in a different yet pleasing way.

I also think Pasricha was right to preface the list with “IN CASE YOU HAD A BAD DAY,” because we most need an optimistic perspective when we’re caught up in our worries and suffering (some of which might be self-imposed). In fact, these moments inspire me to create a heartwarming list of my own!

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context

Neil Pasricha (b. 1979) is a Canadian writer and speaker living in Toronto, who advocates for positivity and intentional living. He does so through bestselling books such as The Book of Awesome and Awesome is Everywhere; TED Talks like “The 3 A’s of Awesome”; and podcasts such as 3 Books.

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Feel free to share your own thoughts in the comments!