whistle while you work, or snarl, or something

I can't whistle.

Actually, I can now, kinda, but that's besides the point. For all intents and purposes, I have passed almost 22 years of life without being able to manage the smallest trill. Oh, not due to lack of trying.

What irks me is that, whenever I'm forced to admit I don't know how to whistle, I get the exact same response. Every. Single. Time.

"You can't whistle?" Their eyes get wide, as if unable to comprehend the sheer proposterity of the statement without an enlargement of the pupil. They may sit in stunned silence for up to, but not exceeding, 2.78 seconds. And then...wait for it...they purse their lips and give a loud whistle. Every single one of them. As if to say, Well, it's not that hard, look at this! You can't do this? It's so easy! What's wrong with you? And then expect you to look upon them with the same awe that would normally be due to the winner of the World's Fastest Hotdog Eater contest. And if you inadvertantly respond, as I have done, "Goshdarnit, I don't need a demonstration, I've tried and I don't really care if I learn or not," they look at you like a hamster just snarled at them. Which makes me chortle and almost, but not quite, restores my good humor.

Oh, and I did learn. A month or so ago (probably longer) I'd spent the entire Sabbath with some friends of mine that I usually don't spend a whole lot of quality time with, and I was exhausted (mentally. because flaming extroverts tend to sap your energy), so I headed outside, away from all of them, and just leaned against the side of Maple with my head back and breathed.

As I did, I began to think about whistling, as one of those episodes described above had just occurred, and I got mad. I thought, Why do I care? Why doesn't it work? And then, Screw this, I'm going to try it my way. Now, logically, if I were to make a sharp, piercing sound come out of my mouth, how would I do it?

And it worked. First time. Speech therapy actually came in handy.

It's amazing what you can do if you say screw it and just try as hard as you can. Maybe unethical and makes my mom flinch, but it works.

Welcome, finals week. I hate you. You are the only thing that stands between me and the freedom of summer. Well, you and Tropical Biology and a month or so of studying for the MCAT. But you are the one who is killing my buzz right now. I don't want to study anymore.

Screw it.