Ode to Fluff Novels
Oh, fluff novels, how you help me survive move month!
And by survive, I mean, of course, pretend that move month isn’t really happening.
With your help, oh most ridiculous of fictional forms, I too can ignore all my feelings (and some, but not all, of my responsibilities). Instead of binge eating ice cream late at night, I can binge read novels…and still get the laundry folded and the dishes washed. Instead of stress shopping for clothes that I might actually need, I can ignore the empty suitcases learning at me from the garage shelves where they will stay until the very last minute. Instead of whatever else normal people do when they are deep in unhealthy avoidance behavior, I can be thoroughly entertained!
You make me laugh. You give me something else to think about. You make me forget that my adorable little introvert self is about to get to go make new friends all over again (yay!).
Fluff novels, the best thing about you is that when I tell people I’ve been reading as a form of stress relief, it makes me look intelligent and well-rounded. They don’t know that I’m only reading books that require zero effort on my part and, most importantly, provide zero emotional impact (because I’m already busy ignoring the literal emotional impact of my nonfiction life).
With you around, I not only put off All the Feelings until I have a more convenient time to deal with them (ideally after the house has been unpacked but before I actually need to start making friends), but I also get to look good while doing so. So long as no one asks what I’ve been reading. Because then things might get embarrassing.
Thank you, fluff novels. I know you’ve got my back.
With that said, we’re in crunch time now, so I’ve really got to move on from this relationship and start taking pictures off the walls. It’s not you; it’s me.
But don’t worry. I’m sure I’ll be back. After all, in the military, another move is always just around the corner. And you have a long history of keeping me sane while I wait on hold with the moving company and privatized housing and the vet and TLF and our PCM and any other acronymed entities that will be involved in getting us from point A to point B.
See you in a couple years when the moving boxes come out again. Until then, stay fluffy.
