My Two-Cents: The Art of Mischief

There is fun in going to bed at a stable time, being consistent in your endeavors, playing by the rules, and such. There is fun in stability. You can simply not make it through the world without spending a fine dime of your time on these things. However, there is also fun in being mischievous. I would consider myself much of a straightedge, but if I weren’t, I would say some mischievous things would fall along the lines of crashing weddings, playing hooky, and creating elaborate backstories for strangers. 

Much of the fun things from the stability list are necessary to achieve your long-term goals – get a good job, don’t end up in rehab, and eventually start a 401k. Most of the things on the mischievous list are necessary to achieve your short-term goals – don’t kill yourself from boredom, be a fun person to talk to at a dinner party, have a good laugh, and live on the edge a bit. In order to lead a fun life, it’s extremely necessary to pick things from both the stability list and the mischievous list. Walk the line between being a straight edge and living on the edge. Balance.

If you only pick things from the stability list, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but you will be an extremely un-fun, dry, miserable person. You will be no ones first choice to sit across the table from during lunch break. And if you only pick things from the mischievous list, you will probably be unemployed and living in your parent's basement. You won't even have a lunch break. That’s why balance is so important! Go to your physics lecture ¾ of the time and play hooky at your job and go see the matinee showing of a Marvel movie once every two months. (I heard Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumanina is showing this week!)

To elaborate on the importance of balance, just look at this fine piece of American literature: Wedding Crashers. Jermey and John hold stable jobs and maintain stability for the majority of the year. But during wedding season, they let loose and live up to their moonlighting job of being the life of the party. This is in contrast to their friend Chaz, who let the mischief of crashing weddings engulf him, so he now lives in his mom's basement, yells at her to make him meatloaf, and crashes funerals in his free time. Mischief-engulfment is a real condition and thousands suffer annually; though the cure is relatively accessible -- picking 3 things from the stability list -- the condition can provide the patient with life-long derailment. That's why preventative treatment, balancing your mischief with stability, can be extremely effective.

Some of my fondest memories are from playing improv in random situations with strangers. It’s essentially harmless and lets you harness your ability to think on your feet. An invaluable skill – and one you can practice and perfect by being mischievous. Make up a faux backstory and crash a wedding with a friend, just don't catch the bouquet. And make sure you go to work on Monday. Also, I think it’s very important to surround yourself with friends who keep a good stability to mischievous ratio. When I’m going through a stability-kick, I get to hear my friends' mischievous stories, and it keeps me sane and entertained. Ratios, people, they're essential! Balance your stability and mischief; live on the edge while keeping one straightedge.

Kate