Patricia Arquette + Political Correctness

Let's have some real talk, reader.

I got to a college that is known for being WAY too politically correct. Like, we had a school-wide debate over whether you can call something/someone crazy (ie. "You're skinny dipping in the duck pond? It's 41 degrees outside - that's crazy!") due to the term being ableist (adj. discrimination against disabled). THAT is the kind of lifestyle I am having to adapt to right now. And I'll say this much: it's not hard. It really isn't difficult to stop saying "That's so gay." or similar, derogatory terms. But let's briefly discuss political correctness.

Self-Portrait for Anthropology

Strictly for your enjoyment, dear reader. Everything you need to know is in the video description.

Dearest Love,

There's a lyric in an Owl City song that goes "And I'll look at my hands and feel sad, 'cause the spaces between my fingers are right where yours fit perfectly". How can those words reverberate in my soul so much when you're only a few steps away? How can you be the vehicle through which I find so much happiness, but also the one thing that makes me sad? 

I think I fear for what will be our future. I fear for a day when I might be alone, and I look back and regret the days I spent wishing your hand was in mine but not bothering to ask you. There might come a time when I can no longer kiss you and then I'll feel pain for every moment I could have felt your lips against mine but didn't.

Time is infinite, but we are finite. And at some point, one or both of us will feel that loss - that stinging pain of realizing that there will be no more hands held, no more kisses given. Some day, I'll wake up without your arm around my waist and without your sweet whispers in my ear. Whether we are torn apart by internal forces, the world, or Death himself, I will eventually find myself in the dark, without your light to guide me home.

And it's the pain I'm living now that echoes that future. It's this sinking feeling that you are not infinite, and you can not be my vessel to happiness for the rest of time. It's the pain of knowing that love always leads to heartache.

But why do I stay, you may ask?

Because in order to feel heartache, you must first feel bliss. And you, my dear, are pure bliss.

- Sunshine

A Tale of Two Kitties (Plot Twist: One of Them is a Rabbit)

If I were to give a State of the Union address during my Fall Break on Haverford Campus, I probably would have included my frustrations with my living situation. Here’s the thing: I was being completely spoiled by m wonderful mentor. She was letting me stay in her house, use her kitchen and her laundry machine (that was NOT coin operated), and generally exist in her personal area as opposed to my very empty hall in Barclay. The only catch? I was responsible for her two pets: a cat named Pip and a rabbit named Hector.

How To: Play Mao

Here's a new card game for you to play, readers! It's absolutely ridiculous, a little abstract, and completely different every time you play. Basically, it's the best card game ever.

And just because I love you, I've included the rules below. The name of the game is Mao. And it is spectacular.

All you need to play this game is 2+ players and a deck of cards. The more people the better, but this game is fabulous no matter what.

20 Songs That Shaped Me

Some songs come and go; does anyone actually remember Fountains of Wayne? (Yes – THAT’S the band who gave us “Stacy’s Mom”.) But some songs stay with us for a lifetime and a half. Those are the songs I’m focusing on. So I give you 20 songs that not only dominated some portion of my life and was stuck on repeat for a month, but also helped me through something. Maybe I even go back to these songs when I really need them (or when I miss hearing them).

PS. These definitely aren’t in any kind of order.

Aftermath of the Honeymoon Phase

They say that when you start a new relationship, there's a Honeymoon Phase. Basically, all relationships begin with this sort of courting mentality where both parties are attempting to be their better selves in order to impress the other. And for a few months, both parties are blissfully in love with the other because wow this new person is so great and I love this person so much.

And honestly, the Honeymoon Phase is one of the best parts of a relationship. It's fun and exciting, and getting to explore a new person is a whole new kind of adventure. But eventually, things settle down. You kind of understand the other person - you know their pressure points, their insecurities, you know about their favorite childhood pet and whether or not they like onions on their burgers. But one of the biggest changes that occur is that when people start to get comfortable with another person, they stop trying to impress them all the time. 

This is where the Honeymoon Phase can cause problems.