Dear Mindy Kaling, Let’s be BFFs

I was recently just telling a friend about the time when I was in sixth grade and my class went on an awesome overnight field trip to SeaWorld, where we got to have a sleepover in the Shark Encounter exhibit. Yes, be jealous. There was a large room where most of the class slept, sans chaperones or teachers nearby, but before we went to bed the SeaWorld staff said that a few of us could sleep in the glass tunnel of the actual aquarium – meaning just a few inches of glass would separate us from these so-called human killing machines as they lurked all around us in the dark. I was so in. How could you not take such an awesome opportunity? What I didn’t realize at the time was that such a decision meant that I would forgo the first ever (and last) opportunity I would have to play spin the bottle, as all the “cool” kids chose to do while a handful of us actual cool kids slept in a glass tunnel. With sharks. Basically, this moment pretty much encapsulates my entire life, at least my life into my early twenties, of my interaction-with-boys to moments-of-nerdiness (but actually awesomeness) ratio. Long story short, it’s this kind of story that makes me think that writer/director/actress/just-all-around-cool-person Mindy Kaling and I could easily be best friends. I finally got around to reading her funny collection of essays in the book Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) and I can totally relate. Firstly, the title alone sums up fears that I am so not as cool as I think. Also, I love funny women that are straight-laced and nerdy, and therefore non-druggies, yet you can tell they would be so much fun to hang out with. That is, if you love talking about classic SNL moments (which I do) and awkward childhood memories that never involved sports and boys – because those two things were never your forte – but did incorporate the fact that you went to drama, band, and yearbook camp (that last one does in fact exist). I love Mindy’s unabashed love for romantic comedies, even though she knows how trite they can sometimes be.  And I absolutely love that we share the same comedy hero – Conan O’Brien – of whom she has had the good fortune of interning at his Late Night show. I love a lot of other things about her and the book, but really you should just go read the book for yourself, especially if you’re a fan of The Office and the amazing Kelly Kapoor.