My Series of Unfortunate Events: Marking my territory

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Lipstick stains and marking your territory, a vicious cycle.

It's been said that everyone leaves his or her mark in this world. At first this just plain confused me, but eventually I wrapped my head around this philosophical quote and realized what it really meant.

I've noticed a trend lately; wherever I go, more often than not I leave a lipstick stain behind me. Whether it is on a glass, on a friend's shirt, or on Prince Harry's lips. In a typical situation, once I notice the stain, I try to subtly rub it off when no one is watching. Although trust me when I say that those things don't like to budge. It is sometimes slightly embarrassing watching the waiter or waitress at a restaurant struggle to scrub off that beautiful shade of red. Of course, there then is the issue of the lipstick no longer being on your actual lips.

It is a vicious, vicious cycle that many females deal with on a dayto- day basis. Despite the utter pain that lipstick causes me, I continue to collect as many as I possibly can. I've come to the conclusion that lipstick marks and stains are how I mark my territory. Just a few days ago I used my lipstick mark to identify my water bottle from the rest. It has become sort of a signature part of who I am, and in a couple of years it will probably be something completely different.

You may be sitting there completely clueless as to what you could possibly leave behind wherever you go, but you're probably already doing it without even knowing. Gum, for instance. I know for a fact that there are tons of chewed-up pieces of spearmint underneath your desk.

However if we're talking about something a little bolder, it doesn't necessarily have to be a physical object. Friends probably tell you that you have a contagious laugh, or a way to calm people down in a heated situation. In time, that's what others will remember you by: the little quirks that most people don't pick up on or see in themselves.

Mark your territory by being who you are, but if you're still struggling for ideas, leaving breadcrumbs behind is a no-fail option. Last but not least, I would not suggest stealing a dog's way of how they mark their territory, which could end very poorly.