When I was just a child of 12 (now I’m almost 14 and much, much more mature), I was having a great time dousing myself with gallons of self-pity at a time, all the time. This was just a phase (thankfully) that I, being the kind of person who believes the glass is always completely empty, despite what solitary drop of water may dare cling to the cup (the nerve!)…Hold on, I lost my train of thought. There we go… to go through at one point or another in my life. I’m glad I got it over with early, because its direct result was the origin of my sixth sense.

Most people, as far as I know, or would want to know, count this sense as a blessing and, naturally, take it for granted. Personally, at age 12 I could have done without the gift, and believe me, I didn’t accept it without a fight.

I owe it all to Michelle. (Of course, if there were the slightest chance that she’d see this, I wouldn’t mention her name.) Just by being there, she taught me, not to see the bright side of things (because that just leads to messing with hearts and rainbows and empty glasses that are not only full, but overflowing with billion-dollar bills), but to exaggerate the dark side, then turn it into a huge joke.

This was Michelle’s philosophy when I first met her, and I don’t know where the heck she got an idea like that, because she definitely isn’t smart enough to have thought it up herself. She was probably born with it, because heaven knows she needs it, though not any more than me. Michelle has average grades, less-than-average looks, and a go-getter attitude that would put Michael Phelps to shame. I guess she recognized that it was either drown yourself in self-pity and drastically increase the world’s ocean size (as if we needed it with all that global warming crap) or get yourself the sixth sense and spread the word.

Okay, hate to disappoint all you pessimists and Hallmark fans out there, but Michelle didn’t get cancer or anything. She’s just living it up the best way she can, although with her real name, because I don’t want to embarrass her.

So, here’s to you, Michelle- and all you other Michelles out there, who help bring out the wonderful in us. I know you, the real you, not by how I see you or what I hear about you, but by what I perceive when you just “laugh it off” and show your sense of humor.