10-12-06
Is It Hot Yet? by Angela Kurian and Shannon Noel
 It was an almost normal Hollywood night. Sun setting, smog settling, temperature dropping in 5-degree increments, horns blowing and car alarms singing. We were busily drinking at a party after a long day's work, discussing the newest cast of "Project Runway" and dreaming of the $178 pair of blue jeans that we knew would make our asses look hot, if only we had the cash.But this Hollywood party wasn't exactly the Hollywood norm. We were drinking keg beer, not martinis; wearing tennis shoes, not stilettos; and we were sitting, make-up less, beside a newly lit chiminea, when someone called across the patio, "Hey Ange, Shan, is it hot yet?"
Without a moment's hesitation, we said in unison, "It's almost hot."
Then we looked at each other, flashed our not-so-pearly whites and said, "like us." And then we giggled like little girls giggle before they learn to become self-conscious.
That moment forever changed us. Those two words inspired in us a whole new way of looking at the world and at ourselves in it.
That night we discovered that Almost has been given a bad rap,that, in fact, most people believe that Almost doesn't count, that Almost means not good enough, that Almost never wins the game, pageant or prize. That night in our comfy tennis shoes and cheap denim, we realized that although we're not A-List Hot, we are Almost Hot, and we wouldn't trade that for anything. Being somewhere in the middle grounds us, gives us perspective, keeps us real.
Almost Hot began to grow, like a baby would if it were in your belly. We cared for baby Almost Hot like we would any pregnancy. We ate a lot, talked a lot, whined a lot, and discovered, nine months later, that Almost Hot was ready to enter the world. She decided she wanted some friends, and it was up to her mommies to find her some. So we, being the Almost Hip LA mommies that we are, went to the Beauty Bar, where all Almost Hots go to get pretty, and over cocktails and manicures we decided that there had to be more Almosts floating around in this world. In Almost every nook and cranny we looked, we discovered more Almosts.
We came upon the Almost married, commiserated with the Almost divorced. We anticipated moments' "Almost time," we whispered and during some disastrous moments we were comforted by knowing they were Almost over. We and others often were Almost there, and some things seemed only Almost fair, and lots of times we sighed with relief after we were Almost late, and Almost always we laughed when we realized that there are Almost a million (maybe a billion?) more Almosts out there.
The point is this. Almost is not about regret, it's about all of those things that we Almost do or don't, that we Almost are or aren't. It's about the abundance of Almost in everything that makes us who we are and drives us to go on.
Almost Hot, our column, celebrates the significance of the Almost in everything. Each month Almost Hot will explore the ups and downs of living life in the Almost world.
To view more Almost Hot Essays click: http://www.madashellclub.net/?author=270
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Writing Menu
 09-24-08
Almost Embarrassing
07-14-08
Almost Saving Face
06-14-08
Almost Missionary: Rated X for Sex
03-19-08
Almost Evil
02-12-08
A SIMPLE PHONE CALL
02-03-08
About
01-13-08
Almost a Woman
11-13-07
Almost Everyone
08-13-07
Almost Mrs. Webb or Bridal Brain
06-11-07
Almost Ready
03-12-07
Almost Fired
12-01-06
Almost Gay
10-12-06
Is It Hot Yet? by Angela Kurian and Shannon Noel
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