The Spontaneity Of Jellybeans

I think this weekend went by entirely too quickly. Hopefully the week goes by just as fast, but somehow I don't think it will, courtesy of that whole time-stopping gremlin thing again. But let's not focus on it. Instead, we'll focus on the weekend. Between a surprise visit at 1:30 in the morning, the Holi Festival of Colors, baby animals, and Dad's Favorite Dessert, everything has gone just about right. Except for the fact that I did absolutely no work, and the next few days will involve lots of catch-up. Oh well. It was worth it.

What I'm grateful for today is actually not something related to the weekend events, because I think it goes without saying that I'm extremely grateful for those. Today's post is actually about jellybeans. My roommates and I had an interesting discussion about them just barely. Maren received a big jar of the wonderful beans from her mother some time ago, and we've slowly been polishing them off in the weeks following. As she passed the jar around tonight to give us all a little during-movie snack, Sam mentioned that she doesn't like jellybeans because the uncertainty of them bothers her a bit (well, and they're not chocolate, which is a very valid reason). Maren replied that "the spontaneity of jellybeans is what makes them so good."

The spontaneity of jellybeans. How absolutely awesome is that phrase? Mostly because it's entirely true - you never know if that funny-colored white one is coconut, vanilla bean, or marshmallow, and pretty much the only way to find out is to shove the whole thing in your mouth and deal with the consequences, be they good or bad. And that's what makes them so fun. It's a surprise in every mouthful! Not always a good surprise, but a surprise none-the-less. And I love surprises.

Well, I thought about what Maren said a little bit, and, in my current contemplative mood, decided that it's a good metaphor for life. Because the spontaneity of life is what makes it so utterly bearable, despite the potholes and speed bumps that litter the path. Imagine, for a moment, a predictable life: every day doing the same thing, eating the same food, talking to the same people. Does that sound appealing to you? It doesn't sound appealing to me. Yes, life cannot be one hundred percent spontaneous; necessities like college and work must happen on a set schedule in order for society to run smoothly. But a day without random actions thrown in would be quite the humdrum day indeed. So, whether it be making a midnight run to Walmart, taking a weekend-long road trip, or eating ice with a fork, make your days spontaneous. I promise doing so makes life extremely happy. And I'd like to thank jellybeans for reminding me of that fact.