Anything But Nice

Be bold, be brave. Be loud and obnoxious. Be fearful and timid. Make waves, start fires, cause a commotion.

Be anything but nice.

Be compassionate and have passion. Be cunning and charismatic. Be sarcastic. Be rude. Say things that make people uncomfortable. Start awkward conversations. Laugh loudly. Tell jokes and stories. Laugh at your own jokes.

Shake hands firmly with those you meet. Talk to strangers at parties. Memorize random facts to tell others.

Be reliable and dependable or be flaky and flighty. Be punctual or always be late. Say yes to invitations. Show up with presents.

Be outspoken or soft spoken, but be heard. Make your point and leave it at that. Listen closely and attentively to others.

Be anything but nice.

Be blunt and direct. Be romantic. Recite poetry. Sing loudly and off-key. Be caring and kind. Give people homemade gifts. Be flirtatious and funky. Wear costumes as often as possible and speak with fake accents and give fake names at parties.

Be rowdy and reckless or be predictable and cautious. Fall in love often and without abandon. Kiss babies and pet dogs. Feed the birds. Sigh loudly and emphatically. Read classic literature and romance novels. Go to the theater and to museums and drink beers out of brown paper bags on the street. Take road trips without maps and get lost. Drink strong whiskey, neat, in the diviest bars you can find.

Be anything but nice.

Play in the dirt, the mud, the sand. Lay in the grass. Go for pick-nicks. Stargaze, often. Be thoughtful and mindful and perceptive. Say things that make you blush and turn bright red. Keep secrets. Cuddle with those you love. Hug friends. Dance.

Be anything but nice.

For in the end, when your bones turn to dust and your eyes become stars, the worst thing that anyone can say about you is, "Well, she was nice."