The art of Surprise

Surprise.
It’s an art really, which makes it a great friend and a great foe.

example: Surprising a loved one by showing up when least expected and they really want to see you.
Surprise suddenly becomes your best friend. Happiness abounds, hugs are exchanged, dances are performed, fig newtons are consumed (only the last is optional).

example: Teacher springs a surprise test covering the past 300 pages of your text book and every word that has come from his mouth.

Happiness flees, butterflies flock into your stomach, shoulders drop, hands shake, and no one brought fig newtons. Suddenly you hate surprises.

But in both of these situations the individual uses surprise as a tool. Surprise amplifies all emotions by ten, which allows them to exceed all other expectations.

example: I steam roll Sydney at exactly the opportune moment of surprise i.e. right before she is about to fall asleep. Sydney is ten times more annoyed than she would be if I had announced it first, and I had ten times more fun! Yea surprise!

Surprise inspires absolutely no intelligent thought for at least 10 seconds. In short, it tends to make you speechless.

example: For my 16th birthday my sister threw me a surprise birthday party and when I arrived back at home to see all my friends standing in the kitchen the only word I could think to say was “....hey.” Not “Thank you!” not “You are so sweet!” not “I am so lucky!” just “...hey.”

Which makes the example I really wrote this blog about make more sense.

example: A friend from high school who I’ve known for years and who was good friends with the boy I dated for two years, takes me on a friendly date after returning from his mission. Then two more. It feels good to have a safe person - you know, the kind you know won’t try to exclusively date you - after all my previous guy experiences this semester. I don’t think much about it until he wants to tell me an ‘awkward story.’ This story involves two people - one who keeps taking his friends ex-girlfriend on dates. Do I think his friend would mind? Is this girl really going on a mission? He doesn’t remember how to do relationships according to him. What’s going to happen with this? Should he try dating other people?

Surprised, yes. Response: brain dead. Brain dead = lots of insensitive comments and laughing to ease those surprised symptoms described above.

Poor guy. Surprise was not my friend. Plus there were no fig newtons.