178. Weird and Wacky Lists

Nora and a listener each share a list of random and SPECIFIC things that make them feel okay.

Transcripts may not appear in their final version and are subject to change.

Nora: I’m Nora McInerny, and it’s going to be okay.  Every day we bring you an okay thing from, okay. We know that a lot of things are not okay and never will be, so we’re here every weekday to bring you an okay thing, to bring you something small to help you start or end your day with the opposite of a doom scroll. 

And today’s okay thing is from Jennifer. 

Jennifer:  Hi Nora, my name is Jennifer and I’ve had a really rough year this year so I thought I’d put together a list of the weird and wacky things that comfort me and make me know it’s going to be okay.  Number one, the terrible smell of my dog’s breath as he sits in my lap. Number two, my heated steering wheel on a cold  day.

Number three, the day a new book is released by a favorite author. Number four, waking up on a Saturday in the middle of the night, panicking that I have to work, and then realizing it’s the weekend and I can sleep in. Number five, going for a big fat walk in cold weather. Number six, knowing I can download a new podcast episode on a great podcast.

Number seven, making that first cup of coffee of the day with Chobani Kramer. Number eight, thinking about the amazing kids I have raised and how much I cherish them.  Number nine, when all of my fingernails are long at the same time and look nice. Number ten, when the weather starts getting chilly and I can start thinking about Christmas.

Number eleven, lighting a really nice smelling candle.  Number 12, spending the whole day on the couch binging a show on my jammies. Number 13, baking something and having it turn out just perfect. Number 14, when I get my hair done and blow dried and it looks pretty. Number 15, planning a vacation. Number 16, spending much needed time with girlfriends.

Number 17, trying new fancy cocktails at happy hour.  Number 18, watching dog rescue videos on TikTok. Number 19, getting phone calls from my adult kids because they love me. Number 20, when we get the first snow of the year and I run around taking pictures. Number 21, the song Microwave Popcorn by Bo Burnham.

And lastly, number 22, movies. Nacho Libra, I Love You Man, Good Will Hunting.  

Nora:  Jennifer, I loved your list and so I decided to make my own rapid fire list, but it is only 10 things, 10, because I thought if I made 20 things, I would get off track and talk for too long. So this is not in any numerical, this is not, I’m numbering them, but I’m not ranking them.

Okay? Starting out.  with little tiny hamster hands. They have hands. I love their hands. I love when they put their tiny hand on my giant hand. Two, the fact that there is such a thing as fancy mice. They have them at PetSmart. It looked like five old mouse squits. I need a fancy mouse. Number three, I guess all rodents in general.

I just love them. I know they’re not everybody’s favorite, but  they’re mine. Four, when a stranger says, Oh my God, how about this weather? And you agree. Yeah. How about it? No matter what, I’m always like, right. They could say, how about the weather? I agree. How about it? Number five, when I compliment a woman and she says, thanks, instead of, Oh no, my God, I’m so disgusting.

Number six, the whole concept of baby teeth. Like these are face bones, but they’re temporary. They’re going to fall out of your head  and then you’ll get new ones. And kids are just like, okay.  Great. My practice teeth are done and now I got to grow new ones. It’s wild. Number seven. When you find or see an outfit of you from the past and you’re wearing an outfit and you don’t remember ever owning that outfit.

The shirt, the pants, the dress, whatever it is. It’s so weird to me how you could forget that you owned something that you once probably paid money for and put on your body and just evaporated from your memory.  Eight secondhand books that have writing in them, an inscription, uh, to Charlie from your loving mother, to, you know, Nanette on your 16th birthday.

I love these little glimpses into other people’s humanity. And I also love when people make their own notations. When people make little highlights right in the margins, I love to see what things, what thoughts. meant something to another person.  Number nine, kids school photos, kids school photos. Even the good ones are bad.

Even the bad ones are good.  Why do they smile like they are in a hostage situation,  trying to prove that they are okay? No kid has ever in real life smiled the way they do  in a life touch photo. What is happening with them? Number 10, fresh popcorn made on a stove. with at least a stick of butter. I know that’s going to gross out a lot of people who are dairy haters.

I’m a butter lover. Really, popcorn is just a butter delivery service and fresh popcorn,  I’m like a little hamster, a little rodent with a treat.  It’s Going To Be Okay is kind of a weird podcast. The it in It’s Going To Be Okay is different every day for every person. Today it was particularly strange, so thanks for sticking with us.

It’s Going To Be Okay is a production of Feelings Co. where you can have all kinds of feelings and where.  We’re gonna, I’m recording this in a very noisy  place today. Same place I always record, but the trucks are truckin by, the dogs are barkin Our team at Feelings Co. is Marcel Malekebu, myself, Claire McInerny, Megan Palmer, Michelle Plantan, and Grace Barry.

I close my eyes when I say the credits as though the names will appear before me. This episode was produced by Claire McInerny and mixed by Amanda Romani. And our theme music is by Secret Audio.