I'm sorry. I want to be posting much more often, but that hasn't happened yet cuz I suck. (In all honesty I've been away the past couple weeks.)
So hopefully this is a topic you've all heard about. I want to talk about Cecil the Lion. If you haven't heard (then I'm glad you're reading this and learning something). So earlier this week, an American dentist killed a lion in Africa, which is illegal. First he and a group shot it with a crossbow and when that didn't work they did it with a gun. It wasn't long before the world found out what happened and went into uproar.
What you might not be aware of is the uproar over the responses to Cecil. Groups of minorities have been really upset that Cecil the Lion has gotten more attention. Specifically, I've seen a lot of anger from supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement that they feel Americans have gotten more upset about the death of a lion than the numbers of deaths of black Americans.
Ravyn Symone brought this up on the View, and said that she was upset by that response because she thinks that that's not fair to all the Americans that have stood up and spoken out about Black Lives Matter- that saying that undermines all the work they've done. At first I was like 'hell yeah Ravyn', because it's true. I do think it's not fair to say that people are not upset about Black Americans dying, because they are. But then I realized- Ravyn doesn't speak for the entire population, so I need to look at other perspectives. And you know what? Members of the black community do feel that people care more about a lion than about them, so even if it's not the case, that's the way they feel, which means America is doing something wrong.
Was killing Cecil horrible? Yes. But killing Americans is also horrible and should not be overlooked. So I encourage you to keep watching the news and reading online and keeping track of the horrible killings going on in America. Hopefully one day they'll stop.
Saturday, August 1, 2015
Friday, July 17, 2015
I'm Not Talking About Harry Potter
Of course I love Harry Potter, but today I want to talk about a different Hedwig.
This past week I saw Hedwig and the Angry Inch on Broadway, starring Darren Criss. The plot of Hedwig is a bit hard to explain, especially when explaining it to your religious grandmother, like I had to recently.
So, quick plot summary-
Hedwig is originally Hansel, a young boy living in Cold War Germany. Hansel meets Luther, a general, who 'falls in love' with Hansel, and wants to bring him to America, but it can only happen if Hansel becomes a woman. So Hansel becomes Hedwig, but the sec change surgery gets botched- hence the Angry Inch. Anyway, Hedwig moves to the US, becomes a rock star, falls in love, etc. It's an interesting story.
So did I mention Darren Criss? I was skeptical about seeing Hedwig, because I knew it was a rock musical, and that's not exactly my genre. But like, it's Darren Criss.
For those of you who love Darren, you know why you love Darren. He's got this sweet, soulful voice that makes you melt when you hear it. You just love him right away.
But this isn't the Darren you get in Hedwig. He's got an accent, So it doesn't even sound like Darren. And he's this sassy, feminine, rocker. It's not the Darren not the fangirls love. He's screaming and belting rock songs. You don't get to hear that charming Darren voice.
But you know what? I didn't miss it. Well I mean, I did. But I was okay with not having it. Darren made me love rock and roll, that's how awesome it was. I was waiting and waiting for traditional Darren, and I'm glad I didn't get it because I got to see this whole world of other things Darren can do. And what he did with the role was amazing. He was so sassy and hilarious. It made me love him because he's a good actor, not because he's Darren.
I knew that Darren had been wanting this role for a long time. That it was his dream role. I felt like a part of the show, knowing how much he loved this role and how badly he wanted to play it. And you could see it in his character. You could tell how happy he was. And it made the show that much more enjoyable.
Seriously, it's so funny. And it's unlike any other show because Hedwig interacts with audience the whole time. There's this great line about breaking the 5th wall that makes you die. I also really love how Hedwig makes fun of all the other broadway shows out right now.
IE: (not an offical script)
Hedwig: Clean up this stage! You wanna see a mess on a stage? Go see Finding Neverland! Haha. Oh and did you hear about the Act of God? Yeah, it's that Mamma Mia is finally leaving!
I mean, that Finding Neverland line was a shot to the heart, but it still killed me.
So what more can I say? Darren was amazing, and this show is great. There's have been some amazing people in this role. NPH, Andrew Rannels, soon to be Taye Diggs. It's worth a visit. I haven't seen the movie, but you could totally check it out. I'm sure it's great.
It's a great story too. Really. I could go on about it, but I wanted this post to be for Darren and his amazingness.
This past week I saw Hedwig and the Angry Inch on Broadway, starring Darren Criss. The plot of Hedwig is a bit hard to explain, especially when explaining it to your religious grandmother, like I had to recently.
So, quick plot summary-
Hedwig is originally Hansel, a young boy living in Cold War Germany. Hansel meets Luther, a general, who 'falls in love' with Hansel, and wants to bring him to America, but it can only happen if Hansel becomes a woman. So Hansel becomes Hedwig, but the sec change surgery gets botched- hence the Angry Inch. Anyway, Hedwig moves to the US, becomes a rock star, falls in love, etc. It's an interesting story.
So did I mention Darren Criss? I was skeptical about seeing Hedwig, because I knew it was a rock musical, and that's not exactly my genre. But like, it's Darren Criss.
For those of you who love Darren, you know why you love Darren. He's got this sweet, soulful voice that makes you melt when you hear it. You just love him right away.
But this isn't the Darren you get in Hedwig. He's got an accent, So it doesn't even sound like Darren. And he's this sassy, feminine, rocker. It's not the Darren not the fangirls love. He's screaming and belting rock songs. You don't get to hear that charming Darren voice.
But you know what? I didn't miss it. Well I mean, I did. But I was okay with not having it. Darren made me love rock and roll, that's how awesome it was. I was waiting and waiting for traditional Darren, and I'm glad I didn't get it because I got to see this whole world of other things Darren can do. And what he did with the role was amazing. He was so sassy and hilarious. It made me love him because he's a good actor, not because he's Darren.
I knew that Darren had been wanting this role for a long time. That it was his dream role. I felt like a part of the show, knowing how much he loved this role and how badly he wanted to play it. And you could see it in his character. You could tell how happy he was. And it made the show that much more enjoyable.
Seriously, it's so funny. And it's unlike any other show because Hedwig interacts with audience the whole time. There's this great line about breaking the 5th wall that makes you die. I also really love how Hedwig makes fun of all the other broadway shows out right now.
IE: (not an offical script)
Hedwig: Clean up this stage! You wanna see a mess on a stage? Go see Finding Neverland! Haha. Oh and did you hear about the Act of God? Yeah, it's that Mamma Mia is finally leaving!
I mean, that Finding Neverland line was a shot to the heart, but it still killed me.
So what more can I say? Darren was amazing, and this show is great. There's have been some amazing people in this role. NPH, Andrew Rannels, soon to be Taye Diggs. It's worth a visit. I haven't seen the movie, but you could totally check it out. I'm sure it's great.
It's a great story too. Really. I could go on about it, but I wanted this post to be for Darren and his amazingness.
Monday, July 6, 2015
Don't Be Fooled: Newest Obsession
I'm lucky to have a lot of politically educated friends. They are such an inspiration to me. Recently, a lot of them have been talking about a particular website, which I thought was a great idea for a post.
I really love this site. It's called "I Side With". So often, we make judgments about political candidates that have nothing to do with their policies. We say we won't vote for them for reasons that are unrelated to political stances. I was talking the other day about something Hillary Clinton said that I really liked, and my brother exclaimed "I'd never vote for her, she's crazy!" I asked him what makes her crazy and he had no answer. My brother doesn't know a thing about politicians. He just knows what my parents have told him, or what he's seen in the media. But that's not accurate.
This site asks you your stance on an array of issues, without saying which candidates hold which stances. I think it is so important to vote for who best supports the issues you find important, regardless of some crazy things you hear about the candidates in the media. Now do I think my brother will end up siding with Hillary? Probably not, and I'm not saying he should or shouldn't. I just want everyone to have the opportunity to learn who they favor in the most objective way possible.
So to finish this short post. Educate yourselves. Learn about the issues and figure out who you support- not who other people tell you to support.
Take the quiz! (And make sure to vote in 2016!)
isidewith.com
I really love this site. It's called "I Side With". So often, we make judgments about political candidates that have nothing to do with their policies. We say we won't vote for them for reasons that are unrelated to political stances. I was talking the other day about something Hillary Clinton said that I really liked, and my brother exclaimed "I'd never vote for her, she's crazy!" I asked him what makes her crazy and he had no answer. My brother doesn't know a thing about politicians. He just knows what my parents have told him, or what he's seen in the media. But that's not accurate.
This site asks you your stance on an array of issues, without saying which candidates hold which stances. I think it is so important to vote for who best supports the issues you find important, regardless of some crazy things you hear about the candidates in the media. Now do I think my brother will end up siding with Hillary? Probably not, and I'm not saying he should or shouldn't. I just want everyone to have the opportunity to learn who they favor in the most objective way possible.
So to finish this short post. Educate yourselves. Learn about the issues and figure out who you support- not who other people tell you to support.
Take the quiz! (And make sure to vote in 2016!)
isidewith.com
It's Okay
As we grow up, we constantly rebel against our parents; it's the nature of being a child. As a preteen and teenager, we want to make our own rules. When it comes to safety, our parents do know best. They've lived more worldly lives then us. They know how to keep us safe, how to make decisions regarding our education, or our finances. But if there is one thing I've learned as an adult, it's that your parents are not always right.
Actually, I didn't learn this as an adult; I've always known it. But a lot of my friends did not learn it until adulthood. I was punished a lot as a child for rebelling, but it wasn't rebelling in the conventional sense. Believe me, I've never been a wild child; I've always followed the rules. However, I was a headstrong kid, and I still am. I wasn't afraid to let my parents know when I disagreed with them. There were plenty of times where I didn't agree with their parenting choices, or I disagreed with some beliefs they held. The problem with parents is that they think in order to be respected by their kids, or even feared by their kids, they need to be right %100 percent of the time. Speaking my mind often led to punishment.
Thankfully, I never let it get me down. I maintained my ability to be headstrong. I didn't concede. As an adult however, my parents still refuse to allow me to speak my mind, or oppose them. As someone with what I think is a lot of worldly experience, and an education, I still don't have the respect I deserve.
The unfortunate reality is that parents will be parents. When their child speaks out against them, they aren't going to listen to the content of the child's message. They are going to assert authority without considering that they might in the wrong. This is not okay. And we as children need to understand this.
So today I wanted to write a message to parents, or to kids with similar parents. It's okay for kids to disagree.
Parents, please don't do what mine did. Don't overlook me simply because I'm not as much an adult as you are. Being young does not make me inferior. Parents, please do not punish your kids for politically disagreeing with you, or for speaking their minds. Don't consider them ignorant or uneducated, They are much smarter than you think Don't silence their voice.
Kids, be strong. It is okay to disagree with your parents. I'm not talking about something like staying out past curfew. I'm talking about other examples. I always told my parents that comparing me to my brother wouldn't make me a better person. They disagreed. They fought with me. It's okay to fight back. It's okay to stand up for yourself. They might yell at you, tell you you're wrong or you're stupid. Don't be silenced. Be yourself, and don't lose who you are.
Actually, I didn't learn this as an adult; I've always known it. But a lot of my friends did not learn it until adulthood. I was punished a lot as a child for rebelling, but it wasn't rebelling in the conventional sense. Believe me, I've never been a wild child; I've always followed the rules. However, I was a headstrong kid, and I still am. I wasn't afraid to let my parents know when I disagreed with them. There were plenty of times where I didn't agree with their parenting choices, or I disagreed with some beliefs they held. The problem with parents is that they think in order to be respected by their kids, or even feared by their kids, they need to be right %100 percent of the time. Speaking my mind often led to punishment.
Thankfully, I never let it get me down. I maintained my ability to be headstrong. I didn't concede. As an adult however, my parents still refuse to allow me to speak my mind, or oppose them. As someone with what I think is a lot of worldly experience, and an education, I still don't have the respect I deserve.
The unfortunate reality is that parents will be parents. When their child speaks out against them, they aren't going to listen to the content of the child's message. They are going to assert authority without considering that they might in the wrong. This is not okay. And we as children need to understand this.
So today I wanted to write a message to parents, or to kids with similar parents. It's okay for kids to disagree.
Parents, please don't do what mine did. Don't overlook me simply because I'm not as much an adult as you are. Being young does not make me inferior. Parents, please do not punish your kids for politically disagreeing with you, or for speaking their minds. Don't consider them ignorant or uneducated, They are much smarter than you think Don't silence their voice.
Kids, be strong. It is okay to disagree with your parents. I'm not talking about something like staying out past curfew. I'm talking about other examples. I always told my parents that comparing me to my brother wouldn't make me a better person. They disagreed. They fought with me. It's okay to fight back. It's okay to stand up for yourself. They might yell at you, tell you you're wrong or you're stupid. Don't be silenced. Be yourself, and don't lose who you are.
Thursday, June 18, 2015
Feminist Rant to my Family 6/18
I’m forever going on feminist rant’s to my family since they don’t get it, so I figured I’d share them with the internet world.
Today, rant #1:
My brother comes home from the gym and tells me he doesn’t like when girls have defined biceps. I proceed to tell him that girls don’t obtain muscle for the pleasure of men, and that he has no right to say what kind of muscle definition women should or shouldn’t have. And that he better watch out before I and my biceps punch him.
rant#2,
My mom and I are picking out bandanna's for my dog and she says to get blue because it’s manly. I stop and tell her that we shouldn’t impose gender stereotypes in our household. So she tells me to get the hot pink. I then have to explain that she’s just trying to please me by getting a girly color which is the opposite of manly, and that this still aids to gender stereotyping. So I tell her to pick a color she likes. We got a flag print. (I know it seems extreme in terms of a dog but hey, I gotta teach ‘em.)
Day by day.
Saturday, June 13, 2015
Latest Obsession Numero Dos: Rock that Rock
So I haven't done a latest obsession in like, forever, because I suck. Sorry.
Moving on from that, new obsession!
My latest obsession is the band R5. I went through a mini obsession with them last summer when I heard one of their songs on pandora. They are a band of siblings from Colorado whom I later freaked out over when I found out they are cousins with Derek and Julianne Hough, (btw Derek is like a year-round obsession). They really got their start from being connected with Disney channel where they're lead singer and youngest sibling Ross stars in the show Austin and Ally. (Also I later found out oldest sibling Riker was a warbler in Glee and I am a die hard Warbler fan).
So they're my typical music taste- boy band. But they are fun pop-rock. I really like their music. Anyway I had a small obsession with them and then got over it for a while but then I found out that Riker was going to be on Dancing With the Stars, a show I watch religiously, and then of course got back into them, since watching the show made me fall in love with Riker. (OMG look up Riker Lynch doing his Jack Sparrow impression. It's the bomb.)
I'm also a fan of Ross' Disney Channel movie Teen Beach Movie, and Teen Beach 2 which comes out in 2 weeks. So yeah lately I've been falling in love with Ross and Riker. I mean, the band is these 4 blonde, perfect siblings (and 1 friend-non-sibling) and it's hard not to love them. Plus they all have such great personality.
Their early songs that I was obsessed with were "Here Comes Forever" and "If I Can't Be With You". They are on tour right now promoting their newest album of which my favorite song so far is "All Night". I'm also obsessed with "Things are Looking Up" from their EP.
Listen to the songs, I promise they're great.
Moving on from that, new obsession!
My latest obsession is the band R5. I went through a mini obsession with them last summer when I heard one of their songs on pandora. They are a band of siblings from Colorado whom I later freaked out over when I found out they are cousins with Derek and Julianne Hough, (btw Derek is like a year-round obsession). They really got their start from being connected with Disney channel where they're lead singer and youngest sibling Ross stars in the show Austin and Ally. (Also I later found out oldest sibling Riker was a warbler in Glee and I am a die hard Warbler fan).
So they're my typical music taste- boy band. But they are fun pop-rock. I really like their music. Anyway I had a small obsession with them and then got over it for a while but then I found out that Riker was going to be on Dancing With the Stars, a show I watch religiously, and then of course got back into them, since watching the show made me fall in love with Riker. (OMG look up Riker Lynch doing his Jack Sparrow impression. It's the bomb.)
I'm also a fan of Ross' Disney Channel movie Teen Beach Movie, and Teen Beach 2 which comes out in 2 weeks. So yeah lately I've been falling in love with Ross and Riker. I mean, the band is these 4 blonde, perfect siblings (and 1 friend-non-sibling) and it's hard not to love them. Plus they all have such great personality.
Their early songs that I was obsessed with were "Here Comes Forever" and "If I Can't Be With You". They are on tour right now promoting their newest album of which my favorite song so far is "All Night". I'm also obsessed with "Things are Looking Up" from their EP.
Listen to the songs, I promise they're great.
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Falling in Love, is such an Easy Thing to do
I'm working on a blog post right now, but it's not finished, and I felt like I hadn't done one in a while so I would just do one of those random question things. Then I remembered reading the article about 36 questions that will make you fall in love with someone. There's a Buzzfeed video you can watch about it, (I freaking love Buzzfeed). Basically there's this theory that if you go on a date and ask each other these questions, you'll fall in love. I mean, I doubt you'll fall in love with me just by reading it. I think you need to really have the interaction and hear each other's but hey, online dating is a huge thing right now, so people have probably used this online.
Think any of you will fall in love with me? Your choice.
Anyway, I was interested in what the questions were and even what I would answer to them. So why not use it as the template for my answering-random-questions post. So here wo go:
1. Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest?
This is tough. There's so many people that I look up to and am inspired by. Right now, I would probably say President Obama. I'm a democrat (not afraid to admit it) and am pretty pleased with him as a president. I think he has done a lot, and stood up to a lot of people, and has really engaged with the citizens of our country. Most of all I would really want to talk with him because of how influential he is. I would really love to share some of my political opinions with him and hear what he has to say in response.
2. Would you like to be famous? In what way?
Of course. Who hasn't dreamed of being famous at one point or another? I mean, I would love to be a famous rock star; duh. But I actually always wished I could host a charity-based tv show. Something like where I would do a different service project each episode; kind of like extreme home makeover but it would be helping people in a different way each week. Sounds cool, right?
3. Before making a telephone call, do you ever rehearse what you are going to say? Why?
Yes, yes, yes. I sort of have a problem where when I'm talking, I'm so engaged in what I'm saying that I don't really think about what's coming out. Any time I know that I'm going to be doing a lot of talking, I go over things I want to say beforehand.
4. What would constitute a “perfect” day for you?
Ahhhh there is so much that could go in here. I would say it would include eating thai food, seeing every show currently on Broadway, baking and then eating cannoli's, and then just going somewhere awesome with my closest friends like the beach or an amusement park, or both.
5. When did you last sing to yourself? To someone else?
Probably an hour ago when I was in the car. I love to sing in the car. I can play whatever I want, as loud as I want, and I don't have to worry about it bothering anyone. There's really no feeling like being on an open road and singing to your favorite songs. Try it.
6. If you were able to live to the age of 90 and retain either the mind or body of a 30-year-old for the last 60 years of your life, which would you want?
Definitely the body. I wouldn't want my aged body to hold me back from doing anything that I wanted to do. That, and I think it would be great to have the mind of a 90 year old. I would know so much more than I do now, so this would be a win-win.
7. Do you have a secret hunch about how you will die?
I don't! Should I? Theresa Caputo says in her book that the time you die is already planned out- idk about the way though. Regardless, that's not really something I would want to think about. (I definitely have a top way I don't want to die, and that's being buried alive.)
8. Name three things you and your partner appear to have in common.
Well...I'm not on a date. But I guess three of my favorite qualities about myself? I am confident, I have great hair, and I know how to stand up for myself.
9. For what in your life do you feel most grateful?
This is tough, but I would say my independence. I grew up with parents who really sheltered me, and also parents who put me down a lot. If I didn't have this spirit of independence that I have now, I wouldn't have been able to get through it. Despite being sheltered, I really taught myself a lot. And even though they made me feel bad all the time, I was able to tell myself not to listen to the negativity and to believe in myself. And I'm really lucky to have been able to do so much on my own.
10. If you could change anything about the way you were raised, what would it be?
Like I said, my parents, especially my mother, got me down a lot. My mother especially always attacked me and my personality and the type of person I was. They always act as if they supported me, but it was just a veil that covered up how much they tried to change me. I'm lucky that I was given a natural spirit of independence because I was able to continue to be who I was even when I was told not to.
11. Take four minutes and tell your partner your life story in as much detail as possible.
Eh, you don't need to know that much about me. I have parents who are doctors and were very strict and had high expectations for me. I went to Catholic school which gave me a great education. I played a lot of sports on got good grades. In high school I still did sports and got good grades, but I had trouble making friends. For some reason every time I got close to someone, they treated me like crap or betrayed me and thought it was funny. It kinda messed me up. Now I am at a great school. I love it. I have still struggled with friends but I've been able to realize that I don't need to be best friends with everyone. It's better to surround yourself by people who you know truly like you. Oh and I am getting ready for law school. Fun stuff.
12. If you could wake up tomorrow having gained any one quality or ability, what would it be?
Well if we are talking supernatural, I totally want to fly. Who doesn't? But out of anything, I wish I could picture and outfit and it would just appear on me. I have really great taste but it's hard to find the pieces you want, especially when the only sizes available are extra-small's. So yeah, that would be my dream ability.
13. If a crystal ball could tell you the truth about yourself, your life, the future or anything else, what would you want to know?
This is hard. I guess I would want to know who I'm going to marry/when I will meet him. I feel like that would be useful.
14. Is there something that you’ve dreamed of doing for a long time? Why haven’t you done it?
I don't know. I've done a lot, but there isn't much that I've really dreamed of doing. I mean, I love to travel and I've traveled. I wanted to go to London for a long time and I did this past winter. I think I have dreams that I haven't totally realized yet, so we will just wait for that to happen. I have thought about changing schools and going to the city, but it's so hard to afford. It's unfortunate that money holds a lot of people back from their dreams.
15. What is the greatest accomplishment of your life?
This is another one I don't know. I'm proud of the things I've done in school and in sports in in work and other things. I've gotten a lot of athletic and academic awards so idk if any one thing stands out. Personally, I'm proud of myself for being able to stand up for myself and what I believe in.
16. What do you value most in a friendship?
Definitely loyalty. Because of what I went through in high school, I constantly worry that people are just pretending to be my friends and that eventually they will turn on me. In a friend, I want to know that they are committed to our friendship. I also appreciate friends who have good senses of humor, who are smart, and who are driven.
17. What is your most treasured memory?
My freshmen year of college, my swim team won our swim championships. The men's and women's teams competed separately, but we practiced together and spent all our time together. In the past, the men's and women's teams had won individually, but never together. When they announced that not only had the girls won, but also they guys, it was the greatest feeling. We were all so happy and proud of each other, and to feel that kind of belonging as a freshmen in college was great.
18. What is your most terrible memory?
I'm lucky that I haven't had a lot of death or disease in my family. I think the toughest thing was growing up and constantly fighting with my mom. I just remember one time she was screaming and calling me horrible names and I had no idea what brought it on and I couldn't get her to stop or get her to listen and it was so bad that I went into the garage and fell asleep crying in the car. It was so hard because there was never any reasoning with her, so I never understood where she was coming from and why she was always so mean and yelling all the time. I get that fighting with your mom is a typical teenage thing, but it was so much worse. And as a teenager who's struggling in high school, you don't want to come home to be bullied by the one person who's supposed to help.
19. If you knew that in one year you would die suddenly, would you change anything about the way you are now living? Why?
Of course. I would stop going to school, I would stop studying for the lsats. I would eat whatever I wanted, I would probably go after any guy I was interested in. I would travel and have fun. I would drop everyone from my life who I wasn't happy with.
20. What does friendship mean to you?
Friendship is about supporting someone you care about. It's about being there for them and making them happy. Friendships are the easiest when two people like each other and appreciate each other and feel comfortable together. A good friend is ultimately someone that makes you happy, and that you make happy.
21. What roles do love and affection play in your life?
Affection creeps me out if it's from someone who isn't a boyfriend/girlfriend. I'm not really sure why. I hate when other people touch me even if it's in a nice way. I just wish people would respect that.
Love? I haven't quite figured that out yet.
22. Alternate sharing something you consider a positive characteristic of your partner. Share a total of five items.
Well, I'm not talking to a specific person, but I can tell you qualities that I like in people. I love people who smile and laugh. I love people who aren't afraid to be who they are, and I like it when people complement others. It's a real sign of being both kind and humble.
23. How close and warm is your family? Do you feel your childhood was happier than most other people’s?
We're close in the sense that we talk a lot and always know what's going on with each other. I've already pointed out that my parents and I haven't always gotten along, but they've also always kept tabs on me, so I guess you could say we're close. They try to be warm, but how things have been in the past make it hard for me to accept them when they try to be warm. I would still say I had a happy childhood in comparison to others. Yeah I felt attacked a lot, but I'm lucky to have had more opportunities than most. I got to travel a lot, I got a great education, and I was able to be involved in a lot.
24. How do you feel about your relationship with your mother?
So I established this in a lot of other questions. I don't want to bore anyone with more of my mom troubles.
25. Make three true “we” statements each. For instance, “We are both in this room feeling ... “
To anyone reading this: "we are both great people. We are both beautiful people. We both deserve great things." Y'all are wonderful. Everyone. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
26. Complete this sentence: “I wish I had someone with whom I could share ... “
"I wish I had someone with whom I could share a great vacation." I hate going on vacation with my family cuz we fight the whole time. I've always wanted to just grab a friend and go on vacation together. I am happier around my friends and I'm also more comfortable with myself and probably more outgoing. I would really love to just go on a fun getaway with another person.
27. If you were going to become a close friend with your partner, please share what would be important for him or her to know.
I would really want them to know that it's important to let me know when I've done something wrong. I picked up a lot of bad qualities from my parents and it has hurt my friendships. Sometimes I pick on my friends or I fight with them and I don't realize that I'm doing it. It really helps when they just let me know, but a lot of times they hold it in and that makes it worse. If I ever do something wrong, just tell me. I won't get upset or fight, I'll be thankful that you let me know so that I can stop it.
28. Tell your partner what you like about them; be very honest this time, saying things that you might not say to someone you’ve just met.
This seems like a repeat. If it has to be something that I wouldn't normally say to a person, especially a guy, I would admit that I was physically attracted to them. When I like a guy, I'll complement his intelligence or personality or something, but not usually looks because that's so much more straightforward.
29. Share with your partner an embarrassing moment in your life.
Okay so luckily my most embarrassing moment is something I can laugh about. I'm a huge fangirl. I am obsessed with a lot of celebrities, especially Broadway stars. When I was in London, I got to see a show starring Aaron Tveit who is my second favorite Broadway star. Needless to say I was freaking out. I was freaking out in the weeks leading up to it. I think everyone was getting sick of me talking about him hahaha. So anyway, we saw the show and I was just staring at him the whole time because he was so close- I missed a lot of the show cuz I was too busy looking at him. So when the show got out, we waited around for him, and I was hyperventilating. When he finally walked over to us, I jumped behind my group because I was so scared. They kind of parted so he could see me, since they all knew we were basically there for me, and when he asked what he could do for us, I kind of just shoved my program in front of him and didn't say anything because I was panicking. I eventually blurted out something like 'I love you, I'm such a big fan'; I don't really remember. All my friends thought it was hilarious. We took a group picture and I sort of shoved someone out of the way to be next to him, which I didn't even think about til later. And I was shaking the whole time. I thought he couldn't feel it but everyone else in the picture could, so he definitely could. So yeah, it was embarrassing, but worse things have happened.
30. When did you last cry in front of another person? By yourself?
The last time I cried was in front of someone was to my mom, because I was trying to be real adult about a situation and like always, she tried to deflect anything about herself and just tell me all the things that are wrong with me. I've always thought then when you have a problem with something that someone does, the best thing to do is calmly approach them about it. Unfortunately that never works for her. She gets angry and refuses to accept that there is anything wrong with her, and then attacks me by pointing out my flaws and my mistakes. It's horrible, but I can't just appease her. I'm not that kind of person. So I have to just stand my ground.
31. Tell your partner something that you like about them already.
Seriously? Hasn't this been asked like 4 times already? Maybe the point is to continue complementing someone because it makes them like you more. Well, I love everyone, as long as they are kind people. Always be kind and be confident.
32. What, if anything, is too serious to be joked about?
Never joke about the way someone looks. Don't joke about weight or height or hair or skin. It's not funny. It's hurtful. It makes people think it's okay to be mean if you pretend it's funny. Just don't joke about anything at the expense of others. Don't use gay jokes or transgender jokes or racial jokes or sexist jokes. Nothing is funny if it's mean.
33. If you were to die this evening with no opportunity to communicate with anyone, what would you most regret not having told someone? Why haven’t you told them yet?
I would regret not telling my best friend how much she means to me. We've always been close, but we didn't really become best friends until this winter when we both went through tough break-ups. Hers was with her boyfriend of a few years, and mine was with who I thought was my best friend. It was tough but it really brought us together. She's such a great person. I've always been really proud of myself, so sometimes I struggle to admit that people have better qualities than me, but I have never doubted hers. She is so smart, and wise. I trust her advice more than anyone's and I'm never afraid to bring it to her.
I feel like I've told her this indirectly, but I like the idea of telling people how important they are to you.
34. Your house, containing everything you own, catches fire. After saving your loved ones and pets, you have time to safely make a final dash to save any one item. What would it be? Why?
I guess it would be any cash that I had; that makes the most sense. Assuming my money was in my pocket, I would probably try to save either my guitar or my ukulele. I'm not the best musician, I never really took lessons or anything and don't have the time to perfect them, but they are still important to me and bring me happiness.
35. Of all the people in your family, whose death would you find most disturbing? Why?
Definitely my brother. We aren't the closest, but we never fought as kids. I yell at him all the time for being ignorant and self-centered and close minded, but he's a great kid. He's driven, he's smart, he's funny, and even though he drives makes me angry sometimes, he's still really important to me.
36. Share a personal problem and ask your partner’s advice on how he or she might handle it. Also, ask your partner to reflect back to you how you seem to be feeling about the problem you have chosen.
My biggest personal problem is that I've acquired a lot of bad traits from my parents. My dad likes to pick on people because he thinks it's funny, and my mom is arrogant and condescending. I try really hard not to be this way but I've been around it my whole life, so it's really hard not to. So the advice I would ask is how to get rid of qualities that have been a part of you for so long. It's so hard.
So if anyone wants to comment and let me know, I would love that.
So... I hope whoever is reading this enjoyed it. I liked it, and whoever reads what I write, I really want to learn about you too. I love to meet people and make friends, so comment!
Think any of you will fall in love with me? Your choice.
Anyway, I was interested in what the questions were and even what I would answer to them. So why not use it as the template for my answering-random-questions post. So here wo go:
1. Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest?
This is tough. There's so many people that I look up to and am inspired by. Right now, I would probably say President Obama. I'm a democrat (not afraid to admit it) and am pretty pleased with him as a president. I think he has done a lot, and stood up to a lot of people, and has really engaged with the citizens of our country. Most of all I would really want to talk with him because of how influential he is. I would really love to share some of my political opinions with him and hear what he has to say in response.
2. Would you like to be famous? In what way?
Of course. Who hasn't dreamed of being famous at one point or another? I mean, I would love to be a famous rock star; duh. But I actually always wished I could host a charity-based tv show. Something like where I would do a different service project each episode; kind of like extreme home makeover but it would be helping people in a different way each week. Sounds cool, right?
3. Before making a telephone call, do you ever rehearse what you are going to say? Why?
Yes, yes, yes. I sort of have a problem where when I'm talking, I'm so engaged in what I'm saying that I don't really think about what's coming out. Any time I know that I'm going to be doing a lot of talking, I go over things I want to say beforehand.
4. What would constitute a “perfect” day for you?
Ahhhh there is so much that could go in here. I would say it would include eating thai food, seeing every show currently on Broadway, baking and then eating cannoli's, and then just going somewhere awesome with my closest friends like the beach or an amusement park, or both.
5. When did you last sing to yourself? To someone else?
Probably an hour ago when I was in the car. I love to sing in the car. I can play whatever I want, as loud as I want, and I don't have to worry about it bothering anyone. There's really no feeling like being on an open road and singing to your favorite songs. Try it.
6. If you were able to live to the age of 90 and retain either the mind or body of a 30-year-old for the last 60 years of your life, which would you want?
Definitely the body. I wouldn't want my aged body to hold me back from doing anything that I wanted to do. That, and I think it would be great to have the mind of a 90 year old. I would know so much more than I do now, so this would be a win-win.
7. Do you have a secret hunch about how you will die?
I don't! Should I? Theresa Caputo says in her book that the time you die is already planned out- idk about the way though. Regardless, that's not really something I would want to think about. (I definitely have a top way I don't want to die, and that's being buried alive.)
8. Name three things you and your partner appear to have in common.
Well...I'm not on a date. But I guess three of my favorite qualities about myself? I am confident, I have great hair, and I know how to stand up for myself.
9. For what in your life do you feel most grateful?
This is tough, but I would say my independence. I grew up with parents who really sheltered me, and also parents who put me down a lot. If I didn't have this spirit of independence that I have now, I wouldn't have been able to get through it. Despite being sheltered, I really taught myself a lot. And even though they made me feel bad all the time, I was able to tell myself not to listen to the negativity and to believe in myself. And I'm really lucky to have been able to do so much on my own.
10. If you could change anything about the way you were raised, what would it be?
Like I said, my parents, especially my mother, got me down a lot. My mother especially always attacked me and my personality and the type of person I was. They always act as if they supported me, but it was just a veil that covered up how much they tried to change me. I'm lucky that I was given a natural spirit of independence because I was able to continue to be who I was even when I was told not to.
11. Take four minutes and tell your partner your life story in as much detail as possible.
Eh, you don't need to know that much about me. I have parents who are doctors and were very strict and had high expectations for me. I went to Catholic school which gave me a great education. I played a lot of sports on got good grades. In high school I still did sports and got good grades, but I had trouble making friends. For some reason every time I got close to someone, they treated me like crap or betrayed me and thought it was funny. It kinda messed me up. Now I am at a great school. I love it. I have still struggled with friends but I've been able to realize that I don't need to be best friends with everyone. It's better to surround yourself by people who you know truly like you. Oh and I am getting ready for law school. Fun stuff.
12. If you could wake up tomorrow having gained any one quality or ability, what would it be?
Well if we are talking supernatural, I totally want to fly. Who doesn't? But out of anything, I wish I could picture and outfit and it would just appear on me. I have really great taste but it's hard to find the pieces you want, especially when the only sizes available are extra-small's. So yeah, that would be my dream ability.
13. If a crystal ball could tell you the truth about yourself, your life, the future or anything else, what would you want to know?
This is hard. I guess I would want to know who I'm going to marry/when I will meet him. I feel like that would be useful.
14. Is there something that you’ve dreamed of doing for a long time? Why haven’t you done it?
I don't know. I've done a lot, but there isn't much that I've really dreamed of doing. I mean, I love to travel and I've traveled. I wanted to go to London for a long time and I did this past winter. I think I have dreams that I haven't totally realized yet, so we will just wait for that to happen. I have thought about changing schools and going to the city, but it's so hard to afford. It's unfortunate that money holds a lot of people back from their dreams.
15. What is the greatest accomplishment of your life?
This is another one I don't know. I'm proud of the things I've done in school and in sports in in work and other things. I've gotten a lot of athletic and academic awards so idk if any one thing stands out. Personally, I'm proud of myself for being able to stand up for myself and what I believe in.
16. What do you value most in a friendship?
Definitely loyalty. Because of what I went through in high school, I constantly worry that people are just pretending to be my friends and that eventually they will turn on me. In a friend, I want to know that they are committed to our friendship. I also appreciate friends who have good senses of humor, who are smart, and who are driven.
17. What is your most treasured memory?
My freshmen year of college, my swim team won our swim championships. The men's and women's teams competed separately, but we practiced together and spent all our time together. In the past, the men's and women's teams had won individually, but never together. When they announced that not only had the girls won, but also they guys, it was the greatest feeling. We were all so happy and proud of each other, and to feel that kind of belonging as a freshmen in college was great.
18. What is your most terrible memory?
I'm lucky that I haven't had a lot of death or disease in my family. I think the toughest thing was growing up and constantly fighting with my mom. I just remember one time she was screaming and calling me horrible names and I had no idea what brought it on and I couldn't get her to stop or get her to listen and it was so bad that I went into the garage and fell asleep crying in the car. It was so hard because there was never any reasoning with her, so I never understood where she was coming from and why she was always so mean and yelling all the time. I get that fighting with your mom is a typical teenage thing, but it was so much worse. And as a teenager who's struggling in high school, you don't want to come home to be bullied by the one person who's supposed to help.
19. If you knew that in one year you would die suddenly, would you change anything about the way you are now living? Why?
Of course. I would stop going to school, I would stop studying for the lsats. I would eat whatever I wanted, I would probably go after any guy I was interested in. I would travel and have fun. I would drop everyone from my life who I wasn't happy with.
20. What does friendship mean to you?
Friendship is about supporting someone you care about. It's about being there for them and making them happy. Friendships are the easiest when two people like each other and appreciate each other and feel comfortable together. A good friend is ultimately someone that makes you happy, and that you make happy.
21. What roles do love and affection play in your life?
Affection creeps me out if it's from someone who isn't a boyfriend/girlfriend. I'm not really sure why. I hate when other people touch me even if it's in a nice way. I just wish people would respect that.
Love? I haven't quite figured that out yet.
22. Alternate sharing something you consider a positive characteristic of your partner. Share a total of five items.
Well, I'm not talking to a specific person, but I can tell you qualities that I like in people. I love people who smile and laugh. I love people who aren't afraid to be who they are, and I like it when people complement others. It's a real sign of being both kind and humble.
23. How close and warm is your family? Do you feel your childhood was happier than most other people’s?
We're close in the sense that we talk a lot and always know what's going on with each other. I've already pointed out that my parents and I haven't always gotten along, but they've also always kept tabs on me, so I guess you could say we're close. They try to be warm, but how things have been in the past make it hard for me to accept them when they try to be warm. I would still say I had a happy childhood in comparison to others. Yeah I felt attacked a lot, but I'm lucky to have had more opportunities than most. I got to travel a lot, I got a great education, and I was able to be involved in a lot.
24. How do you feel about your relationship with your mother?
So I established this in a lot of other questions. I don't want to bore anyone with more of my mom troubles.
25. Make three true “we” statements each. For instance, “We are both in this room feeling ... “
To anyone reading this: "we are both great people. We are both beautiful people. We both deserve great things." Y'all are wonderful. Everyone. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
26. Complete this sentence: “I wish I had someone with whom I could share ... “
"I wish I had someone with whom I could share a great vacation." I hate going on vacation with my family cuz we fight the whole time. I've always wanted to just grab a friend and go on vacation together. I am happier around my friends and I'm also more comfortable with myself and probably more outgoing. I would really love to just go on a fun getaway with another person.
27. If you were going to become a close friend with your partner, please share what would be important for him or her to know.
I would really want them to know that it's important to let me know when I've done something wrong. I picked up a lot of bad qualities from my parents and it has hurt my friendships. Sometimes I pick on my friends or I fight with them and I don't realize that I'm doing it. It really helps when they just let me know, but a lot of times they hold it in and that makes it worse. If I ever do something wrong, just tell me. I won't get upset or fight, I'll be thankful that you let me know so that I can stop it.
28. Tell your partner what you like about them; be very honest this time, saying things that you might not say to someone you’ve just met.
This seems like a repeat. If it has to be something that I wouldn't normally say to a person, especially a guy, I would admit that I was physically attracted to them. When I like a guy, I'll complement his intelligence or personality or something, but not usually looks because that's so much more straightforward.
29. Share with your partner an embarrassing moment in your life.
Okay so luckily my most embarrassing moment is something I can laugh about. I'm a huge fangirl. I am obsessed with a lot of celebrities, especially Broadway stars. When I was in London, I got to see a show starring Aaron Tveit who is my second favorite Broadway star. Needless to say I was freaking out. I was freaking out in the weeks leading up to it. I think everyone was getting sick of me talking about him hahaha. So anyway, we saw the show and I was just staring at him the whole time because he was so close- I missed a lot of the show cuz I was too busy looking at him. So when the show got out, we waited around for him, and I was hyperventilating. When he finally walked over to us, I jumped behind my group because I was so scared. They kind of parted so he could see me, since they all knew we were basically there for me, and when he asked what he could do for us, I kind of just shoved my program in front of him and didn't say anything because I was panicking. I eventually blurted out something like 'I love you, I'm such a big fan'; I don't really remember. All my friends thought it was hilarious. We took a group picture and I sort of shoved someone out of the way to be next to him, which I didn't even think about til later. And I was shaking the whole time. I thought he couldn't feel it but everyone else in the picture could, so he definitely could. So yeah, it was embarrassing, but worse things have happened.
30. When did you last cry in front of another person? By yourself?
The last time I cried was in front of someone was to my mom, because I was trying to be real adult about a situation and like always, she tried to deflect anything about herself and just tell me all the things that are wrong with me. I've always thought then when you have a problem with something that someone does, the best thing to do is calmly approach them about it. Unfortunately that never works for her. She gets angry and refuses to accept that there is anything wrong with her, and then attacks me by pointing out my flaws and my mistakes. It's horrible, but I can't just appease her. I'm not that kind of person. So I have to just stand my ground.
31. Tell your partner something that you like about them already.
Seriously? Hasn't this been asked like 4 times already? Maybe the point is to continue complementing someone because it makes them like you more. Well, I love everyone, as long as they are kind people. Always be kind and be confident.
32. What, if anything, is too serious to be joked about?
Never joke about the way someone looks. Don't joke about weight or height or hair or skin. It's not funny. It's hurtful. It makes people think it's okay to be mean if you pretend it's funny. Just don't joke about anything at the expense of others. Don't use gay jokes or transgender jokes or racial jokes or sexist jokes. Nothing is funny if it's mean.
33. If you were to die this evening with no opportunity to communicate with anyone, what would you most regret not having told someone? Why haven’t you told them yet?
I would regret not telling my best friend how much she means to me. We've always been close, but we didn't really become best friends until this winter when we both went through tough break-ups. Hers was with her boyfriend of a few years, and mine was with who I thought was my best friend. It was tough but it really brought us together. She's such a great person. I've always been really proud of myself, so sometimes I struggle to admit that people have better qualities than me, but I have never doubted hers. She is so smart, and wise. I trust her advice more than anyone's and I'm never afraid to bring it to her.
I feel like I've told her this indirectly, but I like the idea of telling people how important they are to you.
34. Your house, containing everything you own, catches fire. After saving your loved ones and pets, you have time to safely make a final dash to save any one item. What would it be? Why?
I guess it would be any cash that I had; that makes the most sense. Assuming my money was in my pocket, I would probably try to save either my guitar or my ukulele. I'm not the best musician, I never really took lessons or anything and don't have the time to perfect them, but they are still important to me and bring me happiness.
35. Of all the people in your family, whose death would you find most disturbing? Why?
Definitely my brother. We aren't the closest, but we never fought as kids. I yell at him all the time for being ignorant and self-centered and close minded, but he's a great kid. He's driven, he's smart, he's funny, and even though he drives makes me angry sometimes, he's still really important to me.
36. Share a personal problem and ask your partner’s advice on how he or she might handle it. Also, ask your partner to reflect back to you how you seem to be feeling about the problem you have chosen.
My biggest personal problem is that I've acquired a lot of bad traits from my parents. My dad likes to pick on people because he thinks it's funny, and my mom is arrogant and condescending. I try really hard not to be this way but I've been around it my whole life, so it's really hard not to. So the advice I would ask is how to get rid of qualities that have been a part of you for so long. It's so hard.
So if anyone wants to comment and let me know, I would love that.
So... I hope whoever is reading this enjoyed it. I liked it, and whoever reads what I write, I really want to learn about you too. I love to meet people and make friends, so comment!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)