Reason 217

Mental health. In 5th grade I took many self-imposed 'sick' days as a way to avoid life for awhile and cope with my parents' impending divorce. Much to my mother's credit, she never forced me to suck it up and attend school, perhaps because she understood how fragile my mental and emotional states were at the time. Once I recovered from the drastic shift in my family's dynamic I no longer avoided going to school, but, thanks to my truancy record, I did appreciate the inherent value in taking a day off from life and all of its responsibilities now and then. Yesterday I did precisely that. I rolled out of bed at 10am determined not to perform any tasks that caused me stress. I chatted with an old friend for a good, long while, watched a fairly mindless TV show, turned up my nose at my daily workout, and ended up staying in my comfy pajamas until 2pm. After making myself somewhat presentable to the public, I ambled down to the library to enjoy the most recent issue of "Cooking Light," then ducked into my favorite coffee shop for a delectable white cupcake frosted with pink buttercream and coconut flakes. The most taxing thing I did all day was deciding which pair of kick-ass sneakers best matched my purple shirt. Most importantly, I gave myself permission to swap out my semi-scheduled blog topic, which was making me anxious, for the one you're reading right now (which I actually wrote last night but avoided publishing because work isn't allowed on mental health days). So, Jason, the next time you get a case of the Mondays and need to shirk your responisbilities for twenty-four hours in order to clear your head (perhaps while enjoying those insanely addictive "I Love the 80's" marathons), I will fully support your decision (I am pro-choice, afterall). I'll even let you off the hook for cancelling plans with me because I know someday I'll expect the same consideration. All I ask, though, is that if cupcakes make an appearance during your vacation from reality you save one or two for me. Getting screwed out of tasty baked goods does not sit well with me, no matter how insane you might be feeling.