Welcome to My Pathetic Life

I like my pathetic life.  I really do.  Its always been a rather dull existence, but I will take it over drama, drama, drama.  When things are calm, it means that everyone is well, people are happy, and life is good.  And my life is good.  Pathetic maybe, but good.  Even my teenage years were stable and consistent without the Jr. and Sr. High school shenanigans that plague so many teenagers. 

From my adolescence to my adulthood, here is a meager list to illustrate my pitiful life:

1. Most preteens and teens keep a diary of their own lives. They write about their daily experiences and thoughts about the world in which they live. While they were doing that, I was writing daily about the experiences of the residents of Salem. Days of Our Lives was a huge part of my teenage years and I kept a sorry diary about what happened between Steve and Kayla, Kim and Shane, Bo and Hope, and John and Marlena. I didn't even have enough going on in my own world to keep a sustainable diary so I wrote about the lives of others. And to make it even more pathetic, the people I was writing about were fictional.
2. When parents punish their kids, they will often "ground" them so they can't leave the house, hang with friends, do what teenagers do.  I was a homebody even when I was younger preferring the comfort of my own house to the big scary world at the mall.  Now, I never got into trouble much, but as a standing joke, my mom would try to ground me.  Only in reverse.  She would say, "You are grounded!  Go to the mall!"  What teen wouldn't love getting grounded to the mall?!?
3. My self esteem is largely based on being competitive and winning inconsequential games on Facebook.  In and of itself, that may not sound so despicable, but when we scored a PSII at work and acquired a Dance Dance Revolution game, my competitive nature came full out.  I had to go and buy myself a DDR so that I could practice at home in order to beat the teenagers at their game when they summoned me to dance with them thinking I would fail.  Well, I showed them!  I beat them almost every time.  Booyah!
4. I was never one for going to parties, and I still prefer a more mellow gathering than an all out gala.  Today my idea of "party" is having a friend or two over to watch Elf on an annual basis.  More commonly, a buddy and I try to get together weekly to have American Idol "parties" where we eat food, laugh, and watch those singers struggle to etch their way into our hearts the same way Adam Lambert did.
5. Sometimes after working the evening shift, a few coworkers and I will "go out".  For the  the younger crowd this means sprucing up in the bathroom to look their best for the bar scene.  For me, it means I am salivating at the thought of what I will order off the Perkins menu.  I'm a regular party animal when there is french toast involved.  Look out, world!
6. Most of my friends are married and dedicated to their spouses.  I am married and dedicated to my job.  Though I have got better at saying no guilt free, I still have a sense of loyalty which puts my job first on my priority list.  I'm working on it though, and my social life is starting to replace my job for that coveted number one position.
7. Finally, my reality show addiction is getting out of control.  First it was American Idol, then Dancing with the Stars, then Celebrity Apprentice.  The last of that deadly trio has me completely hooked this season, and I am already eagerly anticipating Sunday to see NeNe go off on Star Jones.  In addition to those, add in The Voice and X Factor and I won't be just pathetic.  I'll be Pathetic (with a capital P).
8. I know I sad "finally" on number 7, but I just couldn't end a list on an odd number.  Ironically that just rounds out the list nicely and gives more credence to the dismal life I lead. 

Like I said, my life may be undernourished with excitement, but it really isn't.  From Days of Our Lives to eating at Perkins, from American Idol parties to beating little kids at Dance Dance Revolution, each one of those experiences bring excitement and joy to my life.  Others may find it dull or boring, but for me its contentment.  And I wouldn't want it any other way.