Shallow Be My Name

Warning: There’s some heavy stuff here.

Compared to the number of years I have been alive a very small fraction of my time and effort has been spent on this blog and yet, within this brief sojourn I have come to realize that there are a number of questions surrounding my decision to not only reveal, but to openly celebrate my life as a shallow person. No one has come right out and said so but I can see it on their faces and hear it in their rather polite chortles as I spell out the name of the blog for them. It’s taken some time, five weeks to be exact, but I have finally figured out what’s going on. Being shallow, people think, is a bad thing, somewhat akin to blasphemy. Surely a woman such as myself, with more than one degree from a recognized institution of higher education, should revel in the pretence warranted by this accomplishment alone. Would my time, they suggest, not be better spent in pursuit of more lofty goals, in seeking rather than eschewing the deeper meaning of my existence on this earth? Why do I shun the gifts I have been given?

And herein lies the misconception. Just because I’m shallow doesn’t mean that I’m not thoughtful or a good person. I’ve simply come to the conclusion that life is about being the best you can be in whatever circumstance befalls you. That’s it. What you see is what you get. No hidden meanings or celestial bodies harbouring the inexplicable in my world. There may be a collective consciousness guiding us upward through some kind of hierarchical pyramid towards self actualization, and that’s fine. If there isn’t one, well I’m ok with that too. If, in fact, life has its little mysteries perhaps that’s just what they were meant to be. It is what it is. You are what you are. Nothing more, nothing less.

Does it work for everyone? Certainly not. But here’s the thing. You will find nary a mind altering drug in my medicine cabinet. No sleepless nights in this house. I know what I’ve got and I’m grateful for it. And I know what others don’t have and try to help where I can. Simple. Uncomplicated. And perhaps just a little uncharacteristically preachy.

So to redeem myself, perhaps ever so slightly, I have created a “Top 10” list (in no particular order) of other reasons you might like being shallow. Not trying convert anyone but if I do, great. If not, well I’m ok with that too.

10 good reasons to be shallow:

1. Being shallow means never having to say you’re sorry…but you can if you want to.
2. Watching Seinfeld reruns can be considered an educational activity.
3. You’ll look smashing in a “Shallow and Proud” t-shirt.
4. Your yoga class gets to be more about finding the outfits than it is about finding yourself.
5. Almost everything in life can be boiled down to a “Top 10” list.
6. You can always root for the winning team.
7. Do I really have to come up with 10 of these?
8. Watching Friends reruns ’cause you learn a lot from that too.
9. Trip planning is easy when all you have to do is visit Hyatt.com (for clarification see “I understand”)
10. You’ll never feel compelled to justify your way of life….Alright, I might have some work to do on this one.