Jon Bolden’s Online Response to a Fairly Common Question from his Family & FriendsSubscribe
Turkey cookies from Quack's Bakery
This year I have boat loads to be thankful for. A lovely girlfriend, upcoming improv projects, a new troupe in the works, plethora of photography gigs forthcoming, a career change, secure financial situation, (mostly) good health, tons of great friends, a supportive family, opportunities to live in other parts of the city. Every year just gets better. It’s easy to forget that in the moment, sometimes.
My lovely girlfriend baked seven trays of cupcakes ranging from strawberry-chocolate to rum flavored, a huge smash at last night’s Austin Improv Collective Potluck dinner. I’m grateful I was able to attend after feeling ill earlier that day. My headache was intense but I forced myself out of bed and to the gym. I basked in a hot tub and steam room for about 45 minutes. It helped so much. I must remember spa-therapy an option for the future.
I can’t tell you how happy I am to be dating someone that everyone likes and is actively nice to people. It’s often funny to observe. My favorite part of the evening involved two dudes jokingly fighting over who got to help Halyn carry in her cupcakes from the car. They were racing and smacking each others’ hands like children. “I’m gonna help her!” “No I am!”. I love being around such a relentlessly positive person.
One would think that being a sensitive person such as myself, I would put a lot of thought and care into how I phrased responses or reacted to others. That makes sense, right? If you are sensitive, then you would be sensitive to others. Lately I have been remiss to consider others.
I must be more aware of what I say and how it could affect others without sacrificing honesty and boldness. I must not let it stress me out or anything like that, but rather strive to better myself.
I have very few regrets in life. I’m pretty proud of that. Sometimes I remember things I’ve said or the way I’ve treated people in the past and I shudder or cringe in shame. But I still do not regret those moments. Not because I necessary “learned” from them, but because I’m flawed like everyone else and perhaps there was no avoiding it. I try to express to those that I’ve done this to “sorry” profusely. Sometimes I wonder if they ever fully forgive me or believe me. Sometimes I think there’s no going back once damage has been done.
The only thing you can do is love more and be happy regardless.
Sometimes I think the happiest people are the ones most talented at forgetting or simply not caring without harming anyone else.
