10 Ways to Feel More Alive

1. Gather beautiful designs on Pinterest. Cut your legs in beautiful patterns with a razor or box cutter. In a pinch, a sharp twig or sewing pin will do.  
2. Take your safety net and turn it into fishnet tights. 
3. Put your whole body into it; at times, ignore the fact your body is standing in the next room waiting for you to return to itself. 
4. Touch your knee to the knee of the person sitting next to you. Feel sparks and think explosion.
5. Walk outside on a 101 degree day in the California Central Valley. Notice when sweat comes. 
6. Bad things are most assuredly happening at all times. Here you are, rubbing shoulders with those shadows. Be grateful. 
7. Just as giant sequoias in the Sierras require heat to regenerate, so does your nervous system. Drink 2 shots of rye in rapid succession. Mark event as recurring.  
8. Take your lovers to the same diner whenever they spend the night. Confound the waitress. 
9. Hold your breath and learn to love how it feels when fate's wheel crushes your brittle rib-cage.  
10. Swallow your feelings; over time, build a structure of scar tissue around the lump in your chest. This is your new home. 

Factory of sparks and explosion.