[Mockingbird]

Since I'm about the middle of the road age wise here, (I think,) at 24 let me drop my two cents.

Here's my secret to successful living. Do whatever you want, within reason.

A story to illustrate.

When I was about 19 or so I was a pretty shy kid and I used to mull around coffee shops and look towards all the arty chicks and think, "God, if only one of them would talk to me." After about two months of frequenting the place, reading sullenly and drinking enough coffee to kill a small buffalo, I gave up. I was pretty much expecting some sort of big break and hoping that some sort of serendipity would set me right with a nice girl. Life generally doesn't hand stuff like that out and I needed an attention getter, so this is what I did.

I live in a city fairly close to the country, so there are lots of farms and things around. A friend of mine raised goats. So, after selecting the cutest art chicka in the joint, I borrow my friends goat, put it on a leash and walk up to her. Obviously, she's pretty shocked.

"Hi, my name is Robert and I've been wanting to talk to you for weeks but I couldn't think of how to start a conversation. So, I brought this conversation piece to help me."

We were together for about 3 years after that. Sometimes romance is silly and not what you think it is and sometimes when it isn't around, you have to create it.