Early this morning, in my apartment, my roommate shook me awake with, "Laurennn, the fire alarm is going off for the whole building. Amy called the police, but we have to go to class, so you should probably get up." Confused, I jumped out of bed and fumbled around the room for the light. I threw on a sweatshirt, walked into the bathroom and walked back out (for no apparent reason, tired stupor), walked to the living room window, peeked out the curtains, and saw the flashing lights of the squad car and a policeman walking towards our door. At this point, my roommates left. Confused (again), since there was no apparent fire in the hallway or stairs but the alarm was still blaring, I grabbed my keys and joined the other wandering residents in the hallway. "Should we go outside?" I asked one woman.
She had a toothbrush in her hand and shrugged. "I don't know."
We ended up outside.
After standing on the grass in the grey drizzle for about seven minutes, making small talk and meeting my neighbors, a fireman came out the door, one hand on his belt, and told us it was a false alarm. "Someone burning too much incense on the third floor I think."
Apartment life never disappoints.
Needless to say, after all of that, today was one of those days where it was hard to get moving. My limbs felt clumsy, like I had logs
for arms and legs. I found myself staring a lot. My throat was a little scratchy. I wandered into the school bookstore and ended up buying a package of Halls cough drops. Not only was the company selling me something I wanted, but they made my tired self feel like somebody cared. These are the phrases that were on each drop's wrapper: Don't give up on yourself. March forward! Take charge and mean it. Don't try harder, do harder. It's yours for the taking. You got it in you. Keep your chin up. Get back in there champ. A pep talk in every drop!
I applaud Halls for their expert marketing skills. On this Tuesday afternoon, I have found an ally. A cough drop that understands me. (Consumer culture at its best, right?)
It's in the little things. Hope your Tuesday was nice.
All my menthol-deficient love, Lo