Ok, blogosphere. It's time to get serious. One of the items on my list is keeping a weekly journal for six months, and since I'm getting
dangerously close to not having six months left in those 999 days, I
better start now. I'd much prefer to keep a paper journal, but it takes
so long to hand-write things. (First world problems, right?) So here we are.
I'll be pulling prompts from this website whenever I get stuck...so, basically all the time. I really struggle with blogging because I'm too worried about how I come across to the people reading it, and that distracts me from writing about real things like how I really want to play a Dungeons and Dragons game (I'm serious, you guys) and how I may or may not have left a load of laundry in the washing machine for two days and am writing this to avoid dealing with it.
First up is something eerily similar to those Livejournal/Facebook "fill this out about yourself" lists, so consider this me openly confessing that I actually really like those lists. They get old after a while, but you can learn a lot about people without much effort. And if there's anything I don't want in my blogging, it's effort, so here goes:
Three favorite book characters.
Three favorite things to wear.
If you had to evacuate your home because of a natural disaster, what three things would you take with you?
Three pet peeves.
Three things you’d do if you weren’t so afraid.
Three Four favorite TV shows.
I'll be pulling prompts from this website whenever I get stuck...so, basically all the time. I really struggle with blogging because I'm too worried about how I come across to the people reading it, and that distracts me from writing about real things like how I really want to play a Dungeons and Dragons game (I'm serious, you guys) and how I may or may not have left a load of laundry in the washing machine for two days and am writing this to avoid dealing with it.
First up is something eerily similar to those Livejournal/Facebook "fill this out about yourself" lists, so consider this me openly confessing that I actually really like those lists. They get old after a while, but you can learn a lot about people without much effort. And if there's anything I don't want in my blogging, it's effort, so here goes:
Three things you can’t go without.
My nearly-eight, bruised and dented Kia Spectra that has gone with me everywhere and lasted longer than anyone thought she would. I love that car.
My MacBook, which was a college graduation present from my parents
Hair conditioner (self-explanatory)
(Note: You'll notice that a smartphone is not on that list. I don't own one, because I'm morally opposed to them and secretly believe aliens will eventually use them to take over the world a la Doctor Who. Also, because data plans are dang expensive.)
Three celebrity crushes.
Johnny Depp
Ewan McGregor
Orlando Bloom
They're all old and I don't care. Those men are dang attractive.
Hermione Granger (Harry Potter)
Meg Murry (A Wrinkle in Time)
Violet Baudelaire (A Series of Unfortunate Events)
And one more, because I say so: Cassie (Animorphs)
I'm doing my summer research project on young adult literature, and I've gotten a lot of scoffs from people who don't consider that "real research." The whole point of my research, actually, is to support the argument that young adult literature deserves as much respect as "adult" literature does. The female characters in "grown-up" books tend to be focused on sexuality, or some nuanced social agenda, or some horrible historical tragedy. The heroines in independent reader-age books tend to be focused on just being. On being clever, on being brave, on being compassionate, on learning to be yourself. I love that, and those heroines stay with me the longest. If you haven't been acquainted with anyone of the four girls above, you should be.
Vintage dresses (specifically, my coral polka-dot dress from the '60s)
Long, slouchy sweaters (whoever says they don't love these is a big fat liar)
Cute flats (I wear heels, but it doesn't mean I like them)
Three things you want in a relationship.
An "innocent until proven guilty" trust policy
No yelling or voice-raising, ever (rational discussion)
Genuine affection, not just crazy hormones
Before my AP English teacher passed away, she gave me a brand-new collegiate dictionary as a gift for competing in an academic competition. She signed it "To Katherine" (she loved using my full name) and then wrote "Never settle for second best" in her beautiful script, knowing I never would...and I didn't. Ricky is unfailingly loyal and equally as trusting. When we argue, we try to speak as clearly and as rationally as possible--we never, ever yell. Best of all, I genuinely never get tired of being around Ricky. I keep expecting it to happen and it never does. Ricky's everything I ever wanted, and I didn't have to "make" him into that person--I found him that way!
(Reading back over those things, they seem really boring. Usually you see stuff like "spontaneity" or "humor," and I could just as easily write those...but those things add to a relationship. You don't build a relationship on them. #oldmarriedperson)
Husband
Cats
Laptop
Ricky and I are in the process of buying a fire- and water-proof safe so that we can leave a lot of things (journals, scriptures, important documents) behind without worrying.
(Just three?)
People who live on welfare/Medicaid/food stamps and vote Republican (how?!)
Horribly offensive modesty talks at church (which is nearly all of them)
Merging lanes without a blinker (I'm looking at you, every single Florida driver)
Make lots of really impassioned Facebook statuses about legalizing gay marriage
Clean the top of the kitchen cabinets (I'm pretty sure there's a colony of dead bugs up there by now)
Write a book
Boy Meets World
Law and Order: SVU (the early seasons)
Avatar: The Last Airbender
The X-Files
I have a lot of shows I like, but I judge my favorites based on whether or not I would happily watch the entire series in one sitting and then immediately start over from the beginning. The same criterion applies to movies.
That's a weird place to end, but that's where the prompt end, so I absolve myself of responsibility. I hope at some point you said "Hey, me too!"--preferably in reference to the soggy laundry, because that's super embarrassing.
Only 26 weeks to go...
The thing about Young Adult books reminded me that I really need to email you with my website idea. I totally didn't know that was your summer project. It's perfect (and perfect timing for me haha).
ReplyDeleteCassie from Animorphs. Avatar. MacBook. Orlando Bloom.
ReplyDeleteYes. Let's be friends.
Seriously though, I really secretly love those middle school questionnaires also. I love discovering people's quirks and nuances and things that make them tick, without actually having to talk to them. That probably makes me a creeper...
YES! I hate talking to people, but I love knowing everything about them. Let's be creepers together.
DeleteI also liked what you had to say about the young adult literature. I am a historical fictionist at heart, but have found myself being drawn to the younger genre.
ReplyDeleteI did wonder about your comment with Medicaid/food stamps/Republican... Would you elaborate? Since Brandon is full-time law student and I only work about 12-16 hours a week we do live on Medicaid and food stamps, and we are (moderate) Republicans. I don't feel wrong for being on these programs because we don't plan on being on them the rest of our lives. Kansas is just liberal enough to allow students to have government aid. While I know that is not a very Republican ideal (although KS is a Republican state) I will be forever grateful that we have had insurance coverage, especially, during this poor time in our lives. And I'm grateful that Kansans support these programs for po' people like us :).
I do, however, feel that we need a president who can somehow balance out the welfare system. My next door neighbor, for example, works the system and will always be on government aid. How is that okay? It's not, and somehow this issue needs to be resolved. But for some of us, these programs are just what we need to survive right now. I would have never been able to pay for my cancer medical bills without Medicaid.
Anyway, wow, this is long. I apologize...
Thanks for your comment, Sarah! I definitely didn't mean anything personal, especially since I totally get the "full-time student" situation. I don't think you should feel wrong for being on those programs, either. A lot of my frustration over the Medicaid/food stamps/Republican situation comes from living in a state that is (right now) very, very conservative--being a student doesn't qualify you for government aid. Before I had a job that covered my medical insurance, I worked part-time, and Ricky and I were both uninsured (Ricky still is) because private insurance was/is too expensive. The only way the state would've covered me is if I had gotten pregnant. You're lucky that you live in a state that's more liberal than mine! :) I honestly don't know what I would've done if I had been uninsured and had cancer. (I'm really glad you're still cancer-free, by the way!)
DeleteI agree that the welfare system needs reform (drug testing, etc.), but it's really easy to fall into the "well *I* should qualify, but this person shouldn't" mindset. I know I do. My super, super conservative family (and my parents' friends) routinely have conversations about how it's irresponsible to have kids if you can't afford private insurance, and how there need to be mandatory birth control policies for government aid, etc. (I wish I was joking.) I don't think that way at all, but they wouldn't waste a second voting for someone who would exclude you from government aid...and that's what I associate with "voting Republican." I think it's better to include too many people than risk not including enough!
I'm pretty sure that wound up being longer than yours! Haha. I hope I didn't step on your toes too much.
Not at all! I loved what you had to say. How sad (what I really mean is irritating!) that someone would think that I shouldn't be having babies just because we are poor! Dear goodness, this world. While I sort of agree that some people perhaps shouldn't be having babies, I think it isn't based on their financial situation, but more their maturity. Make sense? Yes, there needs to be balance, and YES there are people who abuse the system; but there are others (like us) who see it as one of the biggest, current blessings in our life.
DeleteThanks for "replying" to me :). I liked what you had to say!
Okay, I totally screwed up a sentence in the reply. It should have read, "...this thought isn't based on their financial..." :)
ReplyDeleteKatie, have you discovered the Georgia Nicholson series by Louise Rennison? You need British young adult books too :) And I absolutely did a "Me too!" Although it was only for a day. That sour smell is just awful though.
ReplyDelete