5+ People Who Rock My Socks (and should rock yours, too)

Congratulations to those of you who have thus far survived the Polar Vortex which sounds like a giant arctic hurricane tornado beast thing, but is actually just a severe cold snap. As someone who spent most of my life north of the Mason-Dixon line, watching the reactions of Southerners has been entertaining. I fully realize that temperatures in the teens is incredibly cold to people that experience it rarely, but as someone who's experienced it more times than I can count, it just makes me glad that I'm not in the areas with temperatures into the negative teens.

Anyway, I really want to strive to make this blog a positive thing. Yes, I will sometimes be brutally honest about how I'm doing if I'm not doing well, but that's in the name of authenticity. Otherwise, I want this to be a place that people come to to laugh or just generally gain a little bit of hope in the world. Also, I've noticed a trend of everything viral coming in numbered lists. Since I spend so much time teaching the formulaic five paragraph essay, I'm going to take this opportunity in the form of my blog that I'm in charge of and doesn't get graded to break all the rules and write primarily in lists as well.

So here is my list of people who rock my socks and should rock yours too in no particular order:

1. John Green

I was introduced to John Green in my YA Lit class in my second run through college. I read his book An Abundance of Katherines as part of a literature circle. It made me laugh hysterically. Eventually, I read all of his other books. Then I eventually discovered the youtube channel he shares with his brother - vlogbrothers. Over the span of a couple of years, I discovered just how awesome John Green is. First off, he's a fantastic writer. His most recent book, The Fault in Our Stars is one of the best books I've ever read. Secondly, he's a huge advocate for education and effectively uses his fame in the name of education. Not only does he regularly use his vlogbrothers videos to prove the importance of education, but he and his brother Hank Green have created Crash Course which injects their quirky personalities into lessons on literature, history, and science. He's also just generally awesome. John and Hank Green developed a following that became known as Nerdfighteria which lead to dftba.com and the Foundation to Decrease World Suck and The Project for Awesome. All these things work together to encourage people to not forget to be awesome and to make the world more awesome and less sucky. That...rocks my socks. There is so much more to talk about, but you should just dive into that world and discover it all for yourself.

2. Jennifer Lawrence

Okay, so this one is less about making huge strides in changing the world and more about her just being someone I desperately want to hang out with. So far as I (and the rest of the world) can tell, she's about the most genuine and real powerhouse in Hollywood right now. She's awkward and weird and hilarious, and what's really awesome - she. doesn't. care. How many people do you know that can talk about crapping their pants or peeing in the ocean being their favorite thing about filming in Hawaii on national television? She doesn't try to hide behind a typical Hollywood perfect image. She's just herself, and I think we need more people like that in the headlines. She also speaks out frequently about issues with body image and the ridiculous standards that the media upholds. She also does awesome things without alerting the media in advance for PR because that's douchey. All that to say that I just want to be BFFs with her because she's cool. Also, she's Katniss Everdeen. Also, she needs to marry Josh Hutcherson so they become King and Queen of America because I'd be okay reverting to a monarchy with people like them in charge.

3. Ellen Degeneres

The reason she is on this list is simple: I've never seen a person that works so hard just to make people laugh and smile. And she's great at it. That's it, really. She strives to make the world a better place to be in by being kind to people, encouraging people to be kind to each other, dancing, and being hilarious. We need more people like that.







4. Zachary Levi

I grew to love Zachary Levi through the best TV show ever, Chuck, but his awesomeness goes far beyond that. Way back when Chuck was on the verge of getting canceled, the fans banded together to campaign for a third season. One fan came up with the idea of everyone buying Subway sandwiches en masse because they were a major sponsor of the show. Then one day, after a comic con or something in England, Zach led fans to a nearby Subway where he eventually got behind the counter himself to help make sandwiches for the crowd. That's when I realized he was a special dude. Since then, he's only reinforced that idea. He does so much to help people be comfortable with who they are. He started The Nerd Machine to produce apparel for nerds. He started NerdHQ as a place for nerds to gather, hang out, and eventually to interact with some of their favorite celebs all in the name of raising money for Operation Smile. Also, he loves Jesus and isn't afraid to talk about it while also being honest about his shortcomings. That rocks my socks.  Also, he's not bad to look at, and he's a Disney prince.

5. Jenn Yates/Jenny Lawson/Allie Brosh

Yes, I realize these are three different people and I'm listing them as one, but the reason is because I admire all three of these ladies for the same reason. Jenn is the main writer behind Cake Wrecks. Jenny is known as The Bloggess. Allie is the mastermind/artist behind Hyperbole and a Half. What makes them awesome? They're all hilarious. I mean spit-take, clutching my gut, my face is tired from so much laughing hilarious. They also all suffer from issues with anxiety and/or depression, and they're honest about it. In my world, these three ladies have made HUGE strides in lessening the stigma attached to mental illness which is something that needs to be done. Anxiety and depression are legitimate health issues just like heart disease and diabetes, but they're often not treated as if they are. People think you can just get over it or pull yourself out of it or make yourself calm down. They'd be wrong. I only started to realize that I suffered from anxiety when I was about 22. It took me until that point to realize that the times when my heart rate skyrocketed and I had trouble breathing and felt like I was going to pass out or vomit were actually panic attacks. And it took me about another five years to realize that I don't have any control over them. Thanks to reading the blogs and/or books from these three ladies, I understand my issues better than ever before and have even been able to laugh about it. And that is why these ladies rock my socks.

And those are some of the people who rock my socks.

In other news, I've been binge watching Psych on netflix, and you should too. Seriously. Good show.