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Monday, July 29, 2013

Right On

I will never be the kind of person who can pull off saying, "Right on." I envy people who can. If I tried to say it a huge alarm system would go off over my head and lights would light up:


To be honest, I've never tried it in real conversation. I know my limits. I've tried it in my head and this is what it sounded like:



Like it was cross-stitched on a kitchen towel in a dusty old kitchen from the 20's and read out loud by Marilla Cuthbert.

I know about four people who say "right on" on a regular basis. They're all pretty different, but they have one thing in common: a kind of laid back, Matthew McConaughnaughey (did I add too many aughey's?) attitude. One's a hipster who writes beat poetry, one's a hippy who only eats "local," one hates hippies and likes rebuilding old cars, one likes Renaissance Faires and living by his own rules.

Here's what I like: playing by the rules, berating myself for every little mistake I make, harboring crippling self doubt, using coupons at JoAnn's, finding new Murder, She Wrote mysteries at used book stores, meeting dogs, baking cookies, being allergic to eggplant, biting my nails, flat-ironing my curls into nonexistence, and watching Big Brother.

None of those things equal a person who can say Right On without sounding like a huge phogna bologna (those two words rhyme, trust me).

Will I ever be able to say Right On? I just don't know. I really doubt it. Maybe someday I'll let my hair curl free, I'll eat quinoa with every meal, I'll snap my fingers at poetry readings, spend an afternoon at a flea market and at the end of the day, when someone tells me about their day, I'll say "right on" and it will sound right (on).*

*I just ruined it, didn't I?

10 comments:

violet50 said...

Funny! John Denver made "right on" popular. He was pretty laid back and his hair was straight, but I'm pretty sure it was naturally that way. Maybe if you get wire rim glasses and a guitar? I'm pretty sure I've said it more than once. Does that mean I have to eat quinoa?

Wee Sisters Three said...

That's un unfortunate comma break on the Murder, She wrote books. I read it and thought, "Elizabeth enjoys findind new Murder. Huh. Interesting hobby."

I haven't even finished reading the rest of the blog post, just wanted to say this while it was fresh in my head. Maybe i'll be back later with more comments.

Wee Sisters Three said...

No more thoughts. But that is all really funny.

Ben said...
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Ben said...
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Ben said...

I bet you say "right on" all the time without even noticing it. For example:
Elizabeth, to you want me to put your sandwich on my head or on the counter?
Elizabeth: "Yes, please put it right on the counter... Not on your head."

Nate Stamper said...

epic blog entry

Katherine said...

I agree with Nate!! SOOO good!! Ha!

Brooke Romney said...

I love this. I always wish I were that I kind of person too. Just not born with it ;)

Sara said...

You're right on that only certain people can get away with saying "right on!"