Thursday, December 12, 2013

Thank You

I actually wasn't going to post anything today because I had a late and VERY strange night last night having dinner with Mexican celebrities. I didn't really realize what I had gotten myself into until I was in the middle of it. I'll have to tell you that whole story sometime. As it turns out, I REALLY don't understand Spanish.

So because of that I woke up late and I'm slammed at work and trying to get ready to see you all at The Porch tonight for The Porch's Christmas show (tickets are here). And I decided I wouldn't post anything today and would instead suffer the wrath.

But I just looked at the date and realized that today is a special day. December 12th is a holiday of sorts in Strangerville because it's the date that many of you found Stranger, or, at least, the date that I posted something that directly or indirectly eventually brought all of you here.


Two years ago today I posted Snuggie Texts. When I did, I had no idea that this silly personal blog that I had been keeping for several years would go from being largely ignored to developing a sizable community of its own. For the last two years we've laughed and cried together. We've shared our feelings and our funny stories. We created dozens and dozens of inside jokes that we can reference in passing to one another without further explanation. For example, I can say something like, "Leotrix and the Queen of Colors said your hair looks totally twice up the barrel, once down the side today." And you know exactly what I'm talking about.

What I wanted to say when I saw the date today is that I am so grateful that we have what we have here at It Just Gets Stranger. The last couple of years have been challenging for me. And 2013 in particular has brought one thing after another all year long that I wouldn't have believed I was strong enough to survive had I not actually seen myself . . . survive. So much of my getting through what I have gotten through this year I can attribute to you. To your support. To your kindness. To your inclination to take a minute out of your day to send an encouraging email or a stupid link that I will most definitely waste 25 minutes messing around with.

Human connection is the thing that brings the most fulfillment in life. It brings the most heartache, too. But that's just sort of how it has to be. Because that heartache helps us appreciate those to whom we can turn so much more. And, yeah, I haven't met most of you. But I feel connected to you. And in a way, I've been able to turn to you when that heartache has come. That has been fulfilling for me. I hope it has been fulfilling for you as well.

So, thank you.

~It Just Gets Stranger

26 comments:

  1. We love you Eli...Happy Snuggie Text Anniversary! Good luck tonight!
    ~T

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  2. Your musings are always a delight! Thanks to YOU!

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  3. Wish I could be there, I'm pretty sure YOUR story would be the one to get me into the holiday spirit!! I'm not sure when I decided Grad school would be a good idea, it wasn't, but I shall conquer.

    Break a Leg!!

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  4. Thank you, Eli! You brighten my days.

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  5. taking the time to express gratitude betters our lives. things will always go wrong. people will always hurt us. but when we focus on things we have to be grateful for, and take the time to say "thank you," it lifts the burdens for a few moments and helps our perspective improve. i LOVE "stranger," you make me laugh, you make me think, yet I know what its like to struggle as well so I "feel your pain" though our struggles may be different. thank you for sharing your life - the good and the bad - in a humorous way that can help us through our lives too.

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  6. Happy Anniversary & best of luck tonight! And thank you for your posts - I'm relatively new to the Stranger community, but this blog has brightened some dark days recently and I really appreciate that you take the time to keep it going (especially now - having spent a few months at a large Philly law firm, I know how precious free time can be)!

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  7. Thank YOU for writing. I know if I ever need a laugh, a smile, or something that will touch me I can come here. So thank you for being willing to share your life with us strangers out here :)

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  8. You're welcome! And thank you as well. I have really enjoyed reading about your experiences and revelations. You are a great story teller and I can't wait to read your book. Please tell me you're still writing a book.

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    1. Yes, ma'am! I finished the writing a few months ago and have been going through the editing process, slowly but surely. Trying to find the time to figure out how to publish. But it's coming along.

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    2. I'm so excited to read your book!!! Your blog brightens my days, so good!

      Tineke

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  9. Off topic, but I totally ship you and Jennie from ohthisisawkward.com.

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  10. This is my favorite blog out there! I spent several days crying tears of laughter when I first read your snuggie texts, two years ago. Thank you for taking time to entertain a mass of anonymous strangers. I will buy any books you ever write.

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  11. Eli, My 2013 has been by far the worst year of my life. There was far more pain than I could have imagined possible. I found you just before my world imploded and often when I thought I couldn't go on, I would find the courage from something you or a stranger posted. Some days you would make me laugh through my tears, and other days you would give me the strength to just get through one more day. You once said "you are not valuable because people love you, you are valuable because you love people." I've held onto that and tried to love as I always have and serve where needed. I've found my value again and am ready to move forward with my life. I just wanted to thank you for the part you played in that and tell you that this stranger loves you and is grateful for you sharing your ups, downs, and strange with me.

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    1. Let me revise the "worst year" to the hardest year. I hope the lessons I've learned from it, which have been plentiful, will soon let me call it the best year yet.

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    2. Jodi - I once considered 2001 the worst year of my life. It started for me with a great career doing something I loved and me having lots of fun with this guy and just generally not caring about my future too much. Then, I had a car accident that left me with a brain injury. And there went the career and the boyfriend, within months of each other. But the cool thing that happened was that I finally started listening to what God wanted for me, instead of trying to do it all my way.

      It took awhile to finally figure that out, but once I started listening to God, man, did He start showing me what I'd been missing out on! I had my epiphany, and after that, it was like my life turned into something so amazing, and so exactly what I wanted but didn't know I wanted. And I've had sad times since that moment I started to trust, but I've NEVER been discontented.

      I hope you can look back on 2013 that way that I've come to look at 2001. Yeah, it sucked while I was going through it, but it was truly the best thing that has ever happened to me.

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  12. Happy Anniversary Eli! I always look forward to reading your posts. Whenever I have a hard day or am in a funk, your posts lighten my mood and give me the energy I need to keep on going. Thank you for all the time and energy you put into writing this blog, you really have an impact on many people, more than you know.

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  13. I will be forever grateful that the Snuggie text & Pinterest brought me to your blog. Happy anniversary. I've enjoyed reading your blog & even have you saved in my Favorites. I don't get violently mad when you don't post, just a little meow sad lol! Keep writing!!!

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  14. Happy Snuggy Texts Day!! I love being part of this little inside crowd. :) Good luck at The Porch!! I wish it wasn't so far from Tooele on a school night.

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  15. Happy Snuggiversary! Love your humor.

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  16. Thank you for the many, laughs, tears, giggles and just down right entertainment! Love ya, Eli!
    -Dr. V

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  17. Eli, I seriously love you <3 I teared up a bit while reading this, though I attribute that to my own crazy night where I found out the guy I've been crushing on for the past 6 months has been making some serious life decisions that are completely pulling us apart... and another guy (who's has a gf) "wants to get to know me better." To which I could only respond by telling him not to be a player. Oh but I should add we do have something in common because these conversations also took place in Spanish, which I also do not speak.
    -Emily

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  18. Because of that post, ridiculously I find myself stuck in the middle of my life wearing a snuggie sitting next to my sister who is wearing a snuggie and being snuggled by a white wall-eyed cat that seems to think she lives here now because she keeps coming back when I put her out. Thank you, Eli and all the Strangers who made this surreal existence possible. My defenses were weakened by all of you and now this is the life I am cursed to live, pandering to a cat and wearing a snuggie. **sigh** I never thought I'd be this person. It really does just get stranger.

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  19. Happy Anniversary, Eli! Thanks for letting us into your hilarious world!

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  20. You are my favorite, and I'm so glad you have this blog. So thank YOU!

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  21. Aww! I'm late seeing this...but thank YOU man. You bring smiles into the world. That's the best thing ever.

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