Read This When Life Feels Extra Long

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I feel like sometimes, life is long. I totally understand and am usually a huge proponent of the age-old philosophy of “life is short, hug your loved ones, buy the plane ticket, eat that chocolate-covered donut burger, yolo” etc. I totally get it. I understand that this can all be over in an instant and that it’s way too easy to get caught up in the little things and take the really important stuff for granted. I have lost people close to me and I understand the cold, hard reality of what that philosophy entails. But there are some days, some moments, some phases, that seem to drag on forever.

It’s similar to a Michael Bay movie. I mean, how many times can you have an epic, world-ending robot fight in one movie? Just when you think, “Oh, okay, this is the climax, tension is at its height, there’s probably about 15 more minutes and then I can go pee and remember what actual sunlight looks like,” he has to add in a sneaky little plot twist that means you basically have to watch the whole movie over again. What is up with that? Either Michael Bay is actually sadistic or, even more alarming, he’s profound and I need to start looking to Optimus Prime for deeper meaning. Because sometimes life feels like a Michael Bay movie. Too long and so tension-filled that the tension just becomes normal. Everyday. Exhausting. And annoying.

You wake up and think, “Okay, what’s on the agenda today? I already know that I have to fight the decepticons from 9-5, and then I have to pretend like the decepticons aren’t real so that my family and friends don’t worry, and somehow I need to keep taking care of myself because everybody knows that any self-respecting Michael Bay movie isn’t complete without the hot bod and inexplicably (always) perfect hair.” What new plot twist is coming my way? Is it a blown tire? Will the dog eat an unknown substance off the ground and get violently ill? Will I get a phone call from a family member that they lost their job? Will I lose my job? Will my job actually pay the bills this month? Will the sky literally start falling? It’s a world of possibility.

Okay, but seriously, life is great and awesome and absolutely, breathtakingly beautiful. I can’t imagine never seeing a sunset caress a boundless Midwestern landscape again or never getting to hear my nephew’s outrageous, carefree giggle again, but sometimes it’s also insanely hard and long. And you would do anything to just be able to step outside of your life for a few minutes to get some air and some perspective. Because when you’re stuck in the cramped, dark, noisy movie theater, it’s way too easy to forget that there is still a whole world out there. That eventually, this movie will end and you can go see “Bridesmaids” or “It’s a Wonderful Life” or hell, even “Frozen II.” Your loneliness, your financial instability, your relationship (or lack thereof), your family concerns — they all shift. They all change. They all fade. None of this is forever.

So even though life just feels unbearably long right now and you’re oh-so tired of watching the same scene over and over again, know that your romantic comedy or your feel-good family flick or even your superhero movie is coming for you. And yes, Transformers 2 shall pass.