WHO THE F#$% IS MALICE?

I was about 18 years old when I heard this crazy song for the first time at popular"Señor Frog's" in Cancun. The reggae singer was a natural born leader and he moved the crowd as he pleased. The apotheosis came when he asked for this girl named Alice in his song (Originally sang by Smokie):

"I don't know why she's leaving,
Or where she's gonna go,
I guess she's got her reasons,
But I just don't want to know,
'Cos for twenty-four years
I've been living next door to Alice. (Alice? who the fuck is Alice?)"

Alice? Who the Fuck is Alice?!! And the crowd (including a younger, skinnier and more pimppled version of myself) would scream our lungs out, as if we could find this damn Alice girl.

18 years later, when I decided to write something about the importance of allowing some Malice get into our bloodstream, the song just popped out in my mind. Love it or leave it.

Anyway! Let's leave Alice alone for a minute and talk abut Malice.

Being naive in this modern world is more or less the equivalent of being bathed in blood in front of a hungry pack of mad wolves.

Malice, when applied in rational dosis, can basically save your ass. You just have to be honest enough to trust your gut and think that every story has two sides and that not everything is 100% black or 100% white.

Don´t get me wrong. I am not looking to turn my readers into an army of psychotic paranoids that won't trust their own shadows. I am only sending a warning sign. Honestly, I prefer to have around me , the kind of people with a slightly twisted point of view of the world, not only because they are fun, but because they can give you a whole new optic of any given  situation.

So, if you are a pure, immaculate soul looking to get some dark spots to pimp your already boring life, here are some tips:

1) Think Ulterior Motives. A Guy or girl in the office, good position, never spoke to you in your whole miserable life and suddenly he/she wants to be your friend?.Cool, uh?. Think: ¿Why?

2) Background Check. If a story sounds too good to be true, normally there is a trick. Do some research, check some backgrounds, google some stuff. Don't take the bait without at last hesitating a little.

3) Bullet proof your positions: Before stating your opinion, bullet proof it. What's the worst that can happen?..What questions will I receive?..If my worst enemy could ask me some questions, what would they be?..What are the answers?. Done?..Now, you are ready to speak your mind.

4) Question Everything. Nothing happens spontaneously. Everything has a reason. Question things around you. When you stop questioning, religions start blooming.

5) Grow a thicker skin. You will eventually get screwed, one way or another. Deal with it.Don't make a big drama out of the situation. But most importantly, LEARN from it. Getting fucked up once can happen to anyone, but twice, well, that just deserves another name. Be clever, be reasonable, but above all, don't be stupid. Ah! and don't be a crybaby, it's just annoying.

World is a fun place to live in. But it can also bitch slap you in the face if you allow it to. Have fun, have some more malice and give your vision a more interesting angle. Or else.

In the meantime, you can always sing the Alice song.

Aureliano García