Living life through rose-tinted glasses
The Sidekick writer Maya Palavali enjoys walking around Coppell High School while listening to music to de-stress. Palavali thinks romanticizing the little things in day to day life brings out the best in people.
January 21, 2022
I roll to my side in bed, my books and iPad on the messy nightstand. I check my phone and groan – it’s 7:30 a.m. already?
I sigh. Here’s to another day of nothingness.
The days have begun to smudge together, creating a monochromatic scheme to match the monotony of life. Coppell High School houses boredom and restlessness compared to what it was intended to provide: stimulation and new opportunities.
It’s not easy living life like this. To me, school has always been a safe space. But as the days went by, even this place began to lose its protectiveness, its color, lost in my black and white existence.
Going to school and back home makes routine something that stifles instead of letting students flourish. The repetitive nature leads to boredom and an overall unsatisfactory feeling. It’s seemingly impossible to avoid
After all, what can you do?
Romanticization: (ro-man-ti-cize) \rō-‘man-te-sīz,re-\: to make romantic: treat as idealized or heroic: to present details, incidents or people in a romantic way.
Wave to strangers, hold your friends closer than you have to, laugh at jokes longer than necessary. — Maya Palavali
The inherent idea behind romanticization is to have an optimistic outlook on the little aspects of the day in order to improve your time overall.
Simply put: do little things that make you happy each day.
I’ve been exploring the topic of romanticization being incorporated into my life for quite some time now. I’ve always loved the idea of making the best out of the time you have, and it has become increasingly important this year.
The world can easily feel like a force that is working against you. Before using romanticization to my advantage, I would often just go to school and home with nothing else in between.
I’m sure you have felt the same. It’s only human to feel these emotions. Oftentimes, we get trapped in a routine we are unhappy with. Romanticization takes your routine and adds little splashes of paint, seeds for happiness to grow from.
Then, as I put more effort into doing small things to make me happy, it was as if color slowly began to fill my surroundings again. I’ve begun to go with my friends to get boba at Feng Cha or just walk the parks near the high school, little things I would be able to do on the fly.
I’ve also been able to slowly think more about my future and what would make me happy later on in life. Rather than succumbing to the cookie cutter path I was thinking of at the beginning of high school, I’ve begun to let myself dream for what I want to do instead of what I think I should do.
Who knew Coppell had so much to offer? Even walking around the school during my free time makes me happy. Seeing everything in a new light, a rose colored one, has helped me find myself.
Try taking little steps towards what you want and what freedoms you feel that you need. It doesn’t have to be anything monumental – even plugging in earbuds during passing periods counts as a win.
Coppell has made it so easy for me to live my life through a rose-tinted lens. Great hang out places like boba shops and ice cream places dot the area. Parks full of interactive activities and playgrounds make for a great outing. You can do so much and romanticize the pants off of this place.
Funnily enough, what motivated me the most to finish this column was imagining myself as a journalist for my own company years down the road. What makes you happy will make you better.
What will make you happy today?
Don’t feel weird for doing little things to make your life more exciting. Throw on a playlist you made for motivation to clean your room. Dance around with your stuffed animals. Wave to strangers, hold your friends closer than you have to, laugh at jokes longer than necessary.
And, above all, remember that you have the ability to change your life with romanticization.
Follow Maya Palavali (@mvpalovalley) and @CHSCampusNews on Twitter.
