"And he said, 'Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown.'" - Luke 4:24
If you hold out the human race in your extended arms and look at it from this distance, it's interesting how many of life's decisions revolve around comfort. Certainly, you can ridicule the lazy man who uses his toe to change the television channel as a negative example of this pursuit, but "comfort" is not necessarily synonymous with "laziness" alone. In fact, those who work hard and strive for a better future are doing so for reasons of comfort, whether they realise it or not. More money, a nice place to call home, a job you excel at, a loving partner who cradles your crumbled body to sleep... all of these goals could easily be argued as pleasures based on comfort. For what is an uncomfortable pleasure anyway? Anal sex? I wouldn't know.
This observation seems less than simple when it comes to my own experiences. I've started to recognise personal comfort as somewhat of an enemy. When I'm comfortable in my life, that's when I begin to think, and if history has taught me anything, thought is not a safe environment for me to be in. Hey, remember that time I quit my job at the end of 2017? To become a full-time writer? Which I detailed in Big Fat Commercial Writing Dump (part i)? Totally abandoning my safety net and scrubbing my work history clean? That was a period of pure terror, man! I was barely scraping rent money together and there was no CV boat coming to my rescue and my girlfriend has just left me! And yet, when I look back on these events, there are heart shapes in my pupils. I was in full survival mode. I had to eat bugs and build a shelter out of empty baked bean tins. I was forced to see what I was made of, and as it turns out, I am made of fear. Fear of failure. It's a substance of much buoyancy.
After a while, I found a place to stand, my head was above water, the money began to collect beneath my feet, and following shortly afterward, I was standing in the sun, arms stretched upward, drying out. So nice and warm! But if this was indeed the goal, then why was I so confused? The UV light was cripsing my eyelids and then microwaving my mental health. The Beatles song Here, There and Everywhere became the theme to my general stability. I had manifested a big blob of clay and then modeled it into the perfect shape, one which I had always dreamed I would one day model, but my inside world refused to collaborate. Despite taking complete control of my life (as far as any third-party could see), I was still the same old bleak ghost within, a monotone moan of misery like a warped vinyl with lock groove. There goes that self-help book idea I had FUCK.
And it was around this point when I started to ask questions.
The real questions, such as, "Why am I here?".
And I don't mean, like, in some existential fashion.
I mean more like, "Why am I here?? Why am I in London?".
I don’t have a job which requires anything but wifi.
I don’t have a girlfriend, gross lol.
I don’t have a baby as fas as I know.
I don’t have a mortgage.
I don’t have any debt.
I don’t even have a fucking Oyster card.
And I'm pretty sure all of my friends hate me anyway.
Couple this with the Brexit Monster looming above our dark skies, salivating to take a bite out of my long-earned passport, and the illuminated arrows were clear. I see you.
It's also worth mentioning that 08/08/18 marked my 10th year anniversary in London to the day, and 10 is my lucky number, so... Omen? Omg? Oh, man! Amen.
And with that, I decided it was time. It was time to try and outrun my depression once for all. So let's go. Go where? Nobody’s business. But I assure you it’s not one place. It’s gonna be many, many places. And I will not rest until I find a reason to live, or at least a pretty place to die.
What's important to note above all else is that I love London, you hear me? I LOVE IT. Never has any region in the whole wide world wide web felt so much like a home to me, and I only got here when I was 23 years old, so that's saying a lot. When I picture London as a personified figure, my heart yelps legit physical pain in regards to my decision. It feels like I'm cheating on the love of my life. But then I have to remind myself that London is not a person, it's a city. She'll be here when I need her, and I'll probably need her next summer. In the meantime, I've got to take this chance while I have it, because who knows when I'll get such an opportunity again? All it takes is one pregnancy or a bad Brexit deal to fuck everything up.
That said, maybe I'll come back running after one long month of panic attacks. And if that's the case, I ask you to please forget everything I just said. Thanks!
This lengthy speech is slightly premature, as I will only be leaving in December due to a pesky little lease I signed my name on a while ago. But I wanted to make this announcement now to address the future of Juice Nothing with time to spare. Regrettably, I imagine this blog's content is going to be reduced substantially over the course of 2019. I imagine this because I've never tried writing on the road before, and if anything is going to get throttled, it would be the shit that doesn't pay me. Furthermore, I am currently in the process of authoring three books, and I really need to dedicate some more resources to that. Because I'm not a kid anymore and a blog is not a particularly good use of energy. That said, maybe we could try a new piece every two months instead of one? Or maybe I'll be really bored and lonely, and I'll end up writing much more? Or perhaps I'll compose a world-famous guide called "How I Travelled to 10 Different Countries in Six Months and Saved Money" because that's my actual plan.
Ok, so exciting times ahead then! To close things off, I'd like to spit out a list of all the many many writing bits I have sprinkled throughout the web since we last spoke in March. Look, you see? I've been a busy boi. Here is the Jared fix you never asked for. I hope you're well though.
Pencilmation Scripts
Note: Pencilmation itself has surpassed 4.8 million subscribers, and someone I don't know put together an IMDB profile for me! So that's one dream done then.No Pain, No Game
Button Rouge
Easter Egg-scapade
Couch Surfing
Haunted Mouse
Caught off Cards
One Man's Trash Is Another Man
The Tell Tale Art
Hole in None
Bedtime Blues
Well Off
Nutty by Nature
Lord of the Fries
Panic! At the Window
In a Pickle
Love Burps
Rocks, Paper, Scissors, Oh My!
Climb and Punishment
A Knight to Remember Part 1
A Knight to Remember Part 2
All That Litters Is Not Gold
Alarmed and Dangerous
Ufo...Uh-oh!
Mathterpiece Theatre
Heap of Trouble
For Crying out Cloud
Children of the Popcorn
Belly Idol
Lump in the Night
Keep Clam and Carry on Part 1
Keep Clam and Carry on Part 2
Pain in the Mutt
Pasta Point of No Return
Fall by Myself Part 1
Fall by Myself Part 2
All Helium Breaks Loose
Page Fright
Shoe La La
Click Flick
Nib and Tuck
Sir Dance-a-lot
Icing on the Skate
Darkside of the Balloon
What Lurks in the Shadow Puppets
Bolde Articles
Things Guys Want From You More Than Sex9 Questions You’ve Always Had About Penises Answered By A Guy
9 Things Guys Would Kill For A Woman To Do For Us—Would You?
First Date Conversations Us Guys Secretly Hate
The 9 Most Common Sexual Fetishes & Why Guys Want Them
The First 10 Things Guys Notice About You, According to A Guy
10 Signs He’s Lost Interest In You, According To A Guy
Tips for Dave Articles
Sex Positions To Help You Last Longer10 Steps to Snapping that Perfect Abs Selfie
10 Warning Signs That You May Be A Workaholic
10 Questions About Vaginas You’re Too Afraid to Ask
Millions of Miscellaneous Ghostwritten Health Articles
10 Warning Signs That You’re Running Too Much10 Ways to Encourage Creativity in Your Kids
10 Helpful Ways to Live with an Injury
10 Common Health Mistakes People Make Every Day
10 Ways to Help Someone with Alzheimer's Disease
10 Simple Swaps to Improve Your Health
10 Easy Ways to Prevent Heartburn
The Essential Guide for Seniors Who Live Alone
10 Simple Steps to Get That Summer-Ready Stomach
5 Painful Conditions Caused by Bad Footwear
10 Steps to Make Your Face Look Younger Without Surgery
10 Tips for a Healthier Sleep When Traveling
10 Warning Signs That Your Diet Has Gone Too Far
10 Winning Tips for Running in the Rain
10 Troubling Ways That Stress Affects the Body
Five Simple Ways to Reduce Stress in Under 5 Minutes
Sports Injuries: Your 10 Most Vulnerable Body Parts
10 Health Warnings Your Mom Was Right About
10 Lesser-Known Causes of Depression
10 Simple Ways to Get Ready Faster in the Morning
The 10 Laziest Ways to Exercise
10 Important Reasons Why You Should Not Exercise Today
10 Ways Your Office Job Is Harming You (and What to Do About It)
10 Lesser-Known Things You Should Avoid During Pregnancy
10 Steps to Help Someone Who is Having a Panic Attack
10 Tips for When Your Belly Fat Won't Go Away
How Flat Feet Can Negatively Affect the Body (and What to Do about It)
10 Ways to Help You Overcome Emotional Eating
Running for Beginners: 10 Tricks to Motivate Yourself
5 Essential Ways to Support Your Ankles During Training
10 Ways That Showering Can Be Bad For You
10 Tips on How to Best Train for a Marathon
10 Ways to Best Enjoy Your Retirement Years
How a Bad Night’s Sleep Can Affect Sports Performance
10 Ways to Stop Your Wrists From Hurting While You Type
10 Essential Safety Tips for Senior Travel
10 Lesser-Known Ways That Smoking Affects Your Health
10 Essential Health Tips to Help You Live Longer
10 Simple Tips to Looking Younger at 60
The 10 Most Common Pains and Discomforts During Pregnancy
10 Lesser-Known Reasons Why Headaches Occur
10 Warning Signs of What Dementia Looks Like
10 Common Running Mistakes to Avoid
10 Quick Tricks to Help Seniors with Depression
10 Lesser-Known Reasons Why Running Is Good for You
10 Steps in Coping with the Death of a Loved One
10 Ways to Exercise at Home Without Gym Equipment
10 Best Sports for Seniors to Play
10 Bathroom Safety Ideas for the Elderly
10 Reasons Why Pets Are Good for Seniors
Senior Travel: How to Pack Light
10 Lesser-Known Ways That Water Can Be Good for You
Senior Life: 10 Ways to Feel Young Again
10 Common Reasons Why Your Hands May Be Swollen
The 10 Most Common Boxing Injuries
10 Simple Ways to Deal with Urinary Incontinence
10 Steps to Motivate Senior Fitness
Underweight? Here Are 10 Steps to Healthy Weight Gain
10 Warning Signs of Elderly Depression
10 Ways That Sunlight Is Important for Your Health
10 Common Exercise Mistakes to Avoid
10 Ways Flexibility Can Be Improved
10 Ways to Deal with Depression During Injury Recovery
10 Fun Ways That Seniors Can Stay Active
Do’s and Don’ts: Scratching Under an Itchy Cast
10 Lesser-Known Senior Safety Tips
10 Senior Health Issues That You May Not Notice
10 Tips to Increase Your Push-Up Performance
10 Tips to Help a Child Who Can't Fall Asleep
10 Small Changes to Improve Your Diet
10 Common Mistakes Marathon Runners Need to Avoid
10 Health Reasons to Eat Less Meat
10 Lesser-Known Vitamins and Minerals (and Where to Find Them)
10 Simple Tricks to Improve Your Training
10 Flu Prevention Tips When Your Partner Is Sick
Mood Food: Eating for Happiness
10 Tips for Proper Spinal Care
10 Healthy Activities for the Whole Family
5 Simple Habits for Youthful Looking Skin
10 Ways to Help a Senior with a Drinking Problem
10 Fitness Tips for Traveling
10 Flat Feet Solutions for Military Training
When Depression Hits: 10 Simple Ways to Get Through the Day
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