#539 When you open a book to the exact page you were looking for

Neil Pasricha

You cracked the case.

Seriously, when you pop open that textbook, flip open the yellow pages, or split the spine of that beach novel right to the spot you’re looking for it’s a beautiful moment.

Suddenly you transform into a gloomy trenchcoat-wearing detective who solves the case just by glancing at the crime scene. Yes, the street’s been taped off, someone’s crying under a blanket on the curb, and the city police are filling out witness statements on their notepads.

That’s when you peel up in a navy blue squad card, calmly light up a cigarette, and then stare at the surrounding buildings for a few minutes with furrowed eyebrows.

Then you calmly walk back to your cruiser, smile softly, and roll your window down at the local police before screaming away down the wet roads.

“Page 127.”

AWESOME!

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1,354 thoughts to “#539 When you open a book to the exact page you were looking for”

  2. when something isn’t as bad as you thought it would be.
    -getting a b on a test you thought you failed
    -getting a shot that didn’t really hurt
    -being late to something, but it’s okay

  3. marching band!
    -synchronized movement
    -dorky outfits
    -loud instruments
    -flashbacks to high school football games

    what’s not to love??

  8. When two giant hunks of puzzle islands come together. Working over the dining room table until the earliest reaches of dawn to finish this seemingly impossible challenge, you begin to wonder, “Why did I ever try this?”, or “I’ll just go to bed and forget about it.” But of course, you tunnel on for that sweet taste of victory when it is done. For the first few hours, you seem to be going Absolutely Nowhere, just adding little one-piece advancements to your sections of puzzle. Until suddenly, your partner says,
    “Hey, that piece doesn’t go there, it fits over here,”
    “Wait this piece on your chunk can’t be right, it fits over here.”
    Suddenly, everything is coming together, you realize the journey is not a fruitless one. The puzzle islands merge to form a huge landmass of picture. You leap with joy and turn into a puzzle demon! Soon all the pieces are coming together, you can visualize the picture forming in front of you. In this process, you think back at how weak you used to be, but with that simple moment, you have gained all the confidence and energy in the world! It is truly
    AWESOME!

  9. Getting suspended from work, especially with nice weather. Those managers don’t know how to punish employees.

  11. Playground equipment at night
    All of a sudden, the once familiar jungle gym is strange and mysterious.
    Bonus marks if you’re in high school or university.

    1. Most definitely! It’s even more awesome when you aren’t supposed to be there ’cause then you risk getting caught by the cops. Dangerous awesome!

      1. Hahah yeah, I was gonna say, “It’s all fun and games until the cops come make you leave!!”

        If you’re lucky, you get a nice cop who sees that you’re just innocently having fun in the late evening with some friends. If you’re not lucky, you get a cop who patronizes you.

        A group of us were playing flashlight tag one night, and were in the park about a half an hour after it “closed”. I do understand that WE were the ones breaking the rules and that he was just doing his job, but he was Mr. Meany-Pants about it.

        We were all wearing hoodies from our university and he was like, “So I see that you guys go to college.” *We nodded* “Well then I’m assuming that you can read?” Us: “Yes, sir, we’re so sorry. We lost track of time. We’ve been here for a while and didn’t realize it had gotten so late.” (Which was true). Anyway, I don’t remember the rest of the exchange, but he drove behind us until he saw us park at a local diner.

  12. Also, open-ended assignments in university. All term, you have to write about French guy this or nonsense you’ll forget about in a week that, but then a surprise assignment comes up that the prof lets YOU choose the topic! All of a sudden, the sky is the limit – taking the most everyday obsession and making it into an awesomely esoteric paper. Portrayals of femininity in Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time? Don’t mind if I do.

  14. When your pet wakes you up in the morning right before your alarm clock does. This way you can smile instead of frown when you first wake up.

  19. Girl Guide Cookies

    Something about those distinct, yet uncannily common vanilla and chocolate sugar biscuits provoke both a sense of nostalgia and intense flavor magnitude.

    Like a Christmas Present, the cookies come once in a year, which adds to the awesome score when you finally get to bite into that perfect ratio of biscuits to cream. What makes them taste so good, you may be wondering? While simple looking to the eye, the taste buds beg to differ.

    What you just ate was more than just a cookie, but rather the outcome of bakery awesomeness.

    1. Out of curiosity, where are you from? I’ve never heard of Girl Guide cookies! I’ve heard of Girl Scout cookies (USA), but your description of GG cookies makes them sound delicious and unlike our American GS cookies :)

      1. My guess is she’s from Canada. I grew up there, knowing only about the vanilla and chocolate-y Girl Guide cookies. Then I moved to the states, and it was that time of year, and all of a sudden, everyone around me was talking in some sort of code: “Samoas”, “Tagalongs”, “Thin Mints”, “Doesy Does”.. I had no idea what anyone was talking about..

        Then I tasted my first Samoa, and I felt like the first 18 years of my life had been a total waste without these things..

        1. Samoas are THE. BEST. All my friends are like, “Eww coconut!” They, too, are sadly missing out. I’m glad that you have seen the light! ;D

          P.S. The Girl Guide cookies still sound yummy … maybe the Girl Scouts should consider adopting a new flavor! Canadian-inspired Girl Guide flavor :)

          1. Canadian!

            There’s more than just two flavours of girl guide cookies?!?! I must hunt them down!

          2. Samoas are the best hands down. If Samoas and thin mints got into a fight, Samoas would most definately win!

            1. Haha! I agree :)

              On a related note, did you ever have a Juliette? It was only around for like a year or two, but it was amazing! It was (to the best of my recollection) chocolate, carmel, and pecans … kinda like a turtle candy. Mmmmmmmm…

  20. starfruit.

    it’s fruit, when you cut it open it looks like a star, it’s delicious, and it’s AWESOME!

  21. smiling at a stranger who smiles back :) (but not in the stranger danger kind of way)

    AWESOME!

  22. You come home from a long day, and your pet dog/cat/snake/rat/chinchilla is So. Happy. to see you. Their enthusiasm is contagious, even if they are just excited because it’s dinnertime and they know you’re going to feed them.

    AWESOME :D

  23. Having your favorite song stuck in your head.

    –Not that obnoxious pop song they play every 5 minutes on the radio that you’ve heard a million times and still only know three of the words, but those three words manage to repeat themselves in your head over and over… No. The song you turn up, that you sing along like it’s karaoke whenever you hear it, and that never fails in brightening your day.

    AWESOME!

  24. The satisfaction of finishing a book, paper or project.

    Sit back and relax, treat yourself to a bowlful of ice cream, hours of mindless tv, or a night out with friends, because that sucker is DONE!

    awesome :)

  25. Freddo is awesome for all the “free” commenting he does (free as in he can’t win the contest).

  26. Neil, you are awesome. I don’t know if it’s been mentioned directly, so I’m puttin’ it out there. It’s not like we’re not all thinking it! ;D

  27. It’s awesome when you see a little kiddo pushing his own stroller. Hey, he’s independent and he’s got places to be. Sitting in a stroller will not support this mission, so he’s taking matters into his own hands.

    Also funny when the child is pushing his own stroller and the parents are using it as a shopping bag caddy. Love it!

  28. Singing a song at the top of your lungs when you suddenly realize you don’t know the words.

    We all do it. You know the chorus and maybe a word here and there but at some point, you think you know it all. You sing words that aren’t even a part of any worldly language, but while you’re singing that song, it works.

  29. It’s awesome when a new song uses a sample from an old song. I’m a lover of oldies, so when I hear one in the background of a new song, I get super-pumped, like I already have a connection to this new song.

    Also awesome are when people make their living by doing that, like Girl Talk (his stuff is great, all mixes of old and new songs) and DJ Danger Mouse (who did a Jay-Z “Black Album” + Beatles “White Album” mash-up called the “Grey Album”).

  30. Technology is awesome! Not trying to pull a Kip Dynamite, but really: technology has come so far, so fast. It has its drawbacks, sure, but even this blog would not exist without technology.

  31. When someone holds the elevator for you. Someone noticed you, anticipated your need and decided to do a kind deed and hold the doors for you. The best is when someone presses the “Door Open” button at the very last second because that horrible just-barely-missed-it feeling vanishes instantly. It also make you more likely to hold the elevator for someone else later on in the day. And spreading the love is definitely awesome.

  32. It’s awesome to go back and read what people wrote in your yearbook. Funny, clever, embarrassing, cliché … it’s all there. :)

    1. Unless the only thing people wrote was: “Have a great summer”.. The yearbook “kiss of death”.. means that the person didn’t know you at all. Ouch.

      *still stinging from being a big nerd in HS*

      1. Oh, I got lots of those, too, don’t worry. And some really touching, “I’m the clown who came to town and signed your yearbook upside down” and “I signed your crack!” (signing where the pages meet).

        BFF … maybe not.

        1. Oh, and lots of “So and so wuz here in 199_ / 200_” … ok, thanks for letting me know you were there. They didn’t even wish me a good summer.

          Another one that was big during my middle school / jr. high days was “LYLAS” (love ya like a sister) … so I have pages full of “LYLAS!!! :) :) :) :)” comments.

          So don’t feel too bad, it’s not like mine were full of sincere and heartfelt expressions.

          1. LYLAS! Wow.. I had never heard of this before until about 2 months ago… somehow this topic came up, and my wife started talking about all the LYLAS comments. I insisted that this was never a “thing”, and she was making it up.

            Guess I’m going to have to got eat some crow on that one. Ooops!

          2. LYLAS…oh I remember those days. I do have a lot of those too in my middle school yearbook. Don’t have any in my high school yearbook. Wonder what ever happened to it.
            I have a lot of “Don’t ever change/Stay the same” comments in my books.
            I only gave good comments to my closest friends.
            I never knew what to say to those people I never really hung out with. They would throw their yearbook in my lap, probably one of those people who just want to see if they get the most signatures/comments. I would put a smiley face….. Really…wat do you say to people you never had a conversation with…

            1. Getting tons of signatures in your yearbook (even when you didn’t really know the people) was the previous generation’s equivalent to people who collect as many Facebook friends as possible, even if they don’t know who half of their “friends” are.

              1. Oh my gosh, I know! One of the girls that I used to babysit for (now 14) sent me a text message that said something along the lines of, “Wow Laura u only have 600 friends on Facebook” …. WELL I’m sorry that I don’t have over 2,000 like you do, but I can safely say that I know all the people on my friends list!

              2. I know people like that. I work with them. That’s all they talk about is how many friends they have on Facebook. I myself, do not have a Facebook.
                What’s the point in having 5,000 friends on facebook? Bet they don’t talk to more than half of them.

            2. Bekah, I know what you mean, I wrote real things to my real friends, and – exactly – name and happy face for people I didn’t know. I don’t have any LYLASes beyond jr. high, either. I guess that craze died out. I bet we’re around the same age, then :)

                  1. Now that right there is just awesome! I’m a June bug. Happy birthday a month early!

  33. It’s awesome when you have that one lightbulb that somehow magically just keeps on burning. I have a desk lamp that I’ve had since 2004 and have yet to change the bulb. I use the lamp pretty much everyday, and I don’t know how it’s managed to last this long! It’s been through storage, several location changes, and even a few nasty falls. It’s not even one of the new CFLs or other energy-efficient bulbs.

    1. My bedroom closet! Still using same bulb that was in there when we moved in 4 years ago.

  34. not sure if it’s been said, but
    looking at the clock and getting excited when you realize the time is the numbers of your birthday.
    OR
    arguing with your siblings when you were young about who pulls the perfect chip out of the bag, or who gets the biggest one
    OR
    getting excited when you see those candies in the pack that have been morphed together and the excitement of eating them
    OR
    searching for the grape that’s smaller than a penny that seems to be in every batch; and getting a kick out of eating it

  35. Starting / witnessing / participating in a yawning domino effect is pretty awesome. Sometimes you begin the chain. You yawn, and before you know it, everyone in your group is following suit. Other times, you happen to catch the yawn bug from someone else. The most rare is watching lots of other people in the same group take turns yawning without actually being effected yourself.

    Are yawns really contagious? Scientifically, I wouldn’t think so, but in my experience … I would believe otherwise!

  36. It’s so awesome when people are just genuinely amazing people down to their core.

    I work in an office at a university (as a graduate assistant, thus, our office is more like an attic closet that is also the Department of Education copy room) and interact with lots of people on a daily basis. There is this one lady, whose name I know but have never had as a professor. She may or may not even know my name, but she comes into the office everyday and literally lights the whole place up with her smile, bubbly attitude, and sincere interest in our (the other GAs and myself) lives and how our days are going. She’s a truly fantastic person, and I’ve met a rare few of those over the course of time. I think it’s important to let those awesome people know just how great they really are!

  37. Your radio pre-sets are awesome. They’re yours and you know exactly which button is which without having to look.

    Also awesome is actually getting to set your pre-sets, whether it’s the excitement of a new (or new-to-you) car or possibly a move that takes you away from those old trusty stations formerly known as your pre-sets.

    1. The other day, I was driving from SD to LA, and I was listening to NPR (yeah, yeah.. lame), and during this one drive I went out of radio range for my trusty home station, but managed to find the new NPR station for where I was.. and then shortly after, I had to change to find it again on a third station!

      I managed to change stations on the fly twice, and barely lose a minute of my NPR listening! It was pretty awesome.

      1. You’ve got some crazy-good station finding skills! Wow!

        P.S. I won’t judge you for listening to NPR.

      2. Listening to NPR (or CBC in Canada) is just sort of what happens to you somewhere around age 35.

        1. Uhhh.. this particular NPR listener adopted the nerdy trend a little early then.. :)

          1. I know a lot of people my age (24ish) who listen to NPR. I just look at as them being cultured, worldly, and up-to-date. I don’t know how old you are, but good for you :)

  38. It’s awesome to drive someone elses’ car. It’s like a mini-vacation for your driving senses! A whole new set of buttons, levers, knobs, and compartments to explore. A different color! A different style! A whole different feel!

    It could be an upgrade or a downgrade, a friend or parent’s car, or a rental. Sometimes it’s just downright fun. :) And for those times it’s not … well, this isn’t the list of not-so-fun things.

  39. Dorms are awesome. When and where else will you have the opportunity to live with hundreds of your peers? Maybe you know your roommate. Maybe you get a random assignment. It could all go either way, but more often than not, people have a great time in the dorms.

    My freshman year, I lived with my best friend from home, and we ended up barely getting out of that situation with our friendship in tact. My sophomore year, I was left to gamble in the roommate lotto, but she is now my best friend and we lived together for four years.

    Staying up late, bonding at the dining hall, going to on-campus events, open-door contests, giggling with floormates, laundry parties, study sessions, going on late-night food and Walmart runs …. I sure miss those days sometimes!

  40. The teeny-tiny smiley face at the top right-hand corner of this blog is pretty awesome. Hello, little guy!

    1. :-( I don’t see one up there. I just see the one on the bottom. He must be hiding from me.

  41. People who are multilingual are awesome. I took two years of Français in high school and can say nary a useful thing (but I can recite some mean ABCs!) Learning a language in and of itself is a great feat, so learning more than one is particularly commendable. Way to go, you cultured folk! :)

  42. People who create recipes are awesome. I can follow a recipe to a T and am thankful for those geniuses out there who have the mad-skills to INVENT them!

    1. I just made me some mean Paula Deen crab cakes for dinner tonight, following her recipe exactly. I just might say, they were the greatest crab cakes I have ever eaten.

      I felt like a master chef. Thanks Paula!

  43. Vision correction is awesome. Glasses, contacts, surgery: thank you, smart people who paved the way to these wonderfully helpful devices.

    My eyesight isn’t terrible, and I could PROBABLY manage to get around without my contacts (though I’m pretty sure driving would be a no-go!), but life with good vision (natural or not) is pretty darn awesome.

  44. It’s awesome when someone notices a very small change you’ve made, like parting your hair on a different side, wearing your makeup differently, or when you’re wearing a nicer outfit than normal.

    Hey, thanks for noticing! :)

  46. Baby outfits that are basically zip-up bags with sleeves … are awesome. Can you imagine have a to-scale version of that for yourself? Sure, you might not be the most mobile person around after you’ve zipped yourself into your bubble bag, but the snuggly comfort would surely be unmatched!

  47. It’s awesome to see a G or PG rated movie. I’m not a prude, by any means, but sometimes it’s nice to take a break from the sexual innuendo, outrageous violence, and every-15-seconds F-bombs. Sit back and enjoy the innocence!

  48. Hearing an old song you had completely forgotten about and being astounded as to how you could forget it.

  49. Going to your first R-rated movie at the movie theater was awesome. Yeah, sure, you’ve seen ’em at your house (or a friend’s house) before, but that first time you can confidently walk right up to the ticket counter and declare your R-rated selection is pretty cool.

    1. So, we’ve got G, PG, and R’s as all awesome? I guess you’re not a very big fan of PG-13 movies then?

  50. It’s awesome when that LAST minor in your group finally turns 21.

    I was always the young one in my crew until my sophomore year of college when I started hanging out with a lot of people about a year younger than me. So while I was the last one to get my license in high school, I was one of the first to turn 21. We would painstakingly wait for that last person while simultaneously celebrating those in-betweeners finally reaching the milestone.

    Then it happens: that baby finally has her birthday. Hallelujah!

    1. I remember when I finally turned 21 and wanted to go to my first bar….but I didn’t want to go without my bff and she didn’t turn 21 for another 2 months. So we went out and had a blast on her b-day.

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