I have 3 unfinished blog posts just waiting to be finished up and posted. So I apologize for the lack of reading material. It's coming soon. There will just be a shower of "Kaitlyn's on winter break" blogs. You'll see. Hopefully.
Sidebar, good luck on finals guys. Study hard. Sleep. Don't get sick.
Which leads me to my next point (see what I did there? clever. yes clever).
Let's take a small jaunt down memory lane shall we? Kaitlyn, in high school, terrified of germs. Kaitlyn, in college, no longer terrified of germs. Details aside, I can laugh about it now. As if I am not constantly laughing at myself, but you get the idea.
So in case you missed it, might I present, my inner monologue circa 2005-2010.
1. If someone around you is sick, you will catch it, you will then get so sick that you cannot function as a human. The world will stop turning, and you're good as dead.
2. Arrive at restaurant.
Excuse yourself to go use the restroom.
Wash your hands. Turn off sink, realize you just recontaminated your hands by touching sink.
Rewash hands, turn off sink with elbows, reach for door handle...
Rewash hands, turn off sink with elbows, reach for door handle with sleeve over hand, remember that guy at lunch that brushed up against your arm and probably contaminated your sleeve
Rewash hands, turn off sink with elbows, wait by door until someone else opens it to come in, dart past them. Walk with hands in fists to table. sit with hands folded tightly together, under the table.
Someone hands you their menu....ARE YOU KIDDING ME...there's no dodging it. You are polite.
Excuse yourself to go use the restroom.
3. Stomach Ulcers.
4. Worrying that your ulcers are the flu. Stomach ulcer's get worse.
5. Huffing Lysol makes every bit of logical sense to you. You literally cannot think of a reason not to huff Lysol. It would sanitize your lungs! As long as there are no germs in your body, you are healthy. You don't do it. (Phew.) You do however, Lysol your breakfast cereal that one time...maybe twice..anyway,
6. Sick people are lepers. If you come within 5 feet of them, hold your breath. Excommunication is incredibly rude, and you know it. Think of clever ways to dodge conversations. Cleaning your sock drawer is important business yo.
7. Don't share drinks. If someone asks, tell them you're sick. If there's even a chance that someone has taken a sip out of your water bottle, its done.
8. Hoard your food. Sanitize the bags your keeping it in. Don't let people question why all you have eaten for the past week is carefully rationed cheerios.
9. Your hands start bleeding cause you washed um 30 times today. You remember Magic School Bus episode where they all get into the sick person's body through the cut on their knee. *Existential crisis.
10. Live in a constant state of panic and stress. Stress and panic lower your immune system. Get sick all the time. *Irony.
11. Realize you probably have a problem. Refuse to get help because that would require going to a doctors office. Do you know who goes to doctors offices? Sick people. Absolutely out of the question.
11. Go to college. Share a really small room with someone who (inevitably) gets sick. Learn that the common cold is not comparable to having a stroke. Months later, you can breath a little. Life gets easier.
And there ya go. If any of this sounds familiar, I'm gonna help you out a little: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd/index.shtml
(basically I'm reppin the crap out of this website)
And for any of you who just judged real hard, here's this: http://www.mentalhealthvic.org.au/index.php?id=112
No live on enlightened one, live on.
Adios,
Kaitlyn or Kait or Kaity. As people often ask which a prefer. And I have no preference. Boom.
Saturday, December 15, 2012
My Overwhelmingly Positive Review of Silver Linings Playbook.
HI.
How are your finals going? I'm gonna hope your answer is "done." But I go to Loyola and ours run over 4 days. Go figure. But in case you're concerned, mine were great. I wrote 4 essays in 2 days in a fevery daze. A literal fever. In public. I would see people well across the way, blink, and they were within feet of my person. Ran into Jonathan Wilson. Not literally, no fear. The whole experience was... It was... honestly I can't say. But my papers got in.
Quote of the Day: "The lights got light and it got real festive real fast" -my essay.
Now for something less self deprecating.
Silver Linings Playbook is the greatest. If you haven't seen it, drop what you're doing right now and go. The story follows Pat, who has just been released from a mental hospital after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder. For those who know me, you'll realize that this is in my trifecta of obsessive interests (Musical theatre, sharks, mental disorders). Bipolar disorder hits particularly close to home. But private things are private, and these are the interwebs. So I'm gonna leave it at that.
But really, so see it. Need convincing? If blogging be the food of great movies, read on: [It worked better in my head.]
This is the most honest portrayal of bipolar disorder I have seen in a movie/tv show/reality series. They didn't go for the over dramatic, controversial storyline. My favorite part is that there was NOT ONE mention of or attempt at suicide or self injury. I'm not suggesting we ignore the most dangerous aspect of bipolar, but as soon as self injury gets brought up, we all make some assumptions: cutter, crazy, pitiable, sick, attention seeking, over dramatic, gross. These assumptions completely take over the character and we ignore all their other colors. So thanks writers for not taking the easy way out here.
By keeping it light, the script was able to stay beautifully honest. This is my problem with other interpretations of mental illness in the media. Let's take the beloved "Next To Normal." Sure, it's tragic, great. That's real sad for those of you looking in on their family. I know that was a broad sweeping statement, and I don't judge anyone for being affected by it, but I personally found it hard to sympathize with. My impression of the show is that I have already lived most of it. And that Diana lives till the end. But that is neither here nor there. I'm worried that after seeing such dramatic portrayals makes people who haven't experienced mental illness first hand think that that's how it always goes. This is so destructive. It stops people from looking up actual facts about the illnesses. There's more to people than razor blades and cleaning sprees. It also dehumanizes the affected person. When all you remember about Diana is the pills, the cutting, and the broken family, you don't get to look at her as a person. Just think about it. And educate yourself. Here: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/index.shtml
I don't want to offend anyone. And I know that most of my friends are very knowledgeable on the subject of mental disorders. But I'm forever campaigning to dispel the stereotypes surrounding them. So please, give the site a once over. Or a thrice over. It'll be worth it.
*elegantly steps of soapbox. Back to Silver Linings.
Do the families have arguments? Yep. Do they have the potential to become the central conceit of the show? Yes. But when events like this are a part of your day to day, you don't give them the quality of attention that an outside observer would. I appreciate the lack of dramatic injury montages from this one. It had a real sense of "Well that happened. Lets keep on keepin on." Yes. Thank you for not making Pat a monster.
I love that Pat and Tiffany could have ugly, loud, public fights. It was honest. It was ugly. It wasn't over dramatic. I love that Pat, his brother, and his therapist could get into huge public fights. Again, honest and ugly. And unbiased. This movie doesn't create a hierarchy of humans based on their diagnosis or lack thereof. And the person with bipolar disorder isn't a monster. Praise Jesus.
There's a quote that I don't remember exactly, but it really resonated with me. It was something along the liens of, "Maybe people like us know something ya know? Like something that not everyone knows." Again, yes. Not brought up as a major theme later in the movie, no worries, he doesn't have a hero complex. But still. Yes.
Also, his dad has a touch of OCD. And, unbeknownst to Robert De Niro, we totes had a heart to heart.
This movie reaffirmed for me that you can reach and affect people without going for the super dramatic. Also comedic lightness. Effective. Yes.
So I wrote my most serious blog about it. You're welcome.
Woof, I hope this makes sense. I'm having a really hard time putting words to this. Seeing this movie was like being on the inside of a beautifully crass inside joke. It represents the community of people dealing with mental disorders really really well. And you all need to see it.
The end.
Muchos love,
Kaitlyn
How are your finals going? I'm gonna hope your answer is "done." But I go to Loyola and ours run over 4 days. Go figure. But in case you're concerned, mine were great. I wrote 4 essays in 2 days in a fevery daze. A literal fever. In public. I would see people well across the way, blink, and they were within feet of my person. Ran into Jonathan Wilson. Not literally, no fear. The whole experience was... It was... honestly I can't say. But my papers got in.
Quote of the Day: "The lights got light and it got real festive real fast" -my essay.
Now for something less self deprecating.
Silver Linings Playbook is the greatest. If you haven't seen it, drop what you're doing right now and go. The story follows Pat, who has just been released from a mental hospital after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder. For those who know me, you'll realize that this is in my trifecta of obsessive interests (Musical theatre, sharks, mental disorders). Bipolar disorder hits particularly close to home. But private things are private, and these are the interwebs. So I'm gonna leave it at that.
But really, so see it. Need convincing? If blogging be the food of great movies, read on: [It worked better in my head.]
This is the most honest portrayal of bipolar disorder I have seen in a movie/tv show/reality series. They didn't go for the over dramatic, controversial storyline. My favorite part is that there was NOT ONE mention of or attempt at suicide or self injury. I'm not suggesting we ignore the most dangerous aspect of bipolar, but as soon as self injury gets brought up, we all make some assumptions: cutter, crazy, pitiable, sick, attention seeking, over dramatic, gross. These assumptions completely take over the character and we ignore all their other colors. So thanks writers for not taking the easy way out here.
By keeping it light, the script was able to stay beautifully honest. This is my problem with other interpretations of mental illness in the media. Let's take the beloved "Next To Normal." Sure, it's tragic, great. That's real sad for those of you looking in on their family. I know that was a broad sweeping statement, and I don't judge anyone for being affected by it, but I personally found it hard to sympathize with. My impression of the show is that I have already lived most of it. And that Diana lives till the end. But that is neither here nor there. I'm worried that after seeing such dramatic portrayals makes people who haven't experienced mental illness first hand think that that's how it always goes. This is so destructive. It stops people from looking up actual facts about the illnesses. There's more to people than razor blades and cleaning sprees. It also dehumanizes the affected person. When all you remember about Diana is the pills, the cutting, and the broken family, you don't get to look at her as a person. Just think about it. And educate yourself. Here: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/index.shtml
I don't want to offend anyone. And I know that most of my friends are very knowledgeable on the subject of mental disorders. But I'm forever campaigning to dispel the stereotypes surrounding them. So please, give the site a once over. Or a thrice over. It'll be worth it.
*elegantly steps of soapbox. Back to Silver Linings.
Do the families have arguments? Yep. Do they have the potential to become the central conceit of the show? Yes. But when events like this are a part of your day to day, you don't give them the quality of attention that an outside observer would. I appreciate the lack of dramatic injury montages from this one. It had a real sense of "Well that happened. Lets keep on keepin on." Yes. Thank you for not making Pat a monster.
I love that Pat and Tiffany could have ugly, loud, public fights. It was honest. It was ugly. It wasn't over dramatic. I love that Pat, his brother, and his therapist could get into huge public fights. Again, honest and ugly. And unbiased. This movie doesn't create a hierarchy of humans based on their diagnosis or lack thereof. And the person with bipolar disorder isn't a monster. Praise Jesus.
There's a quote that I don't remember exactly, but it really resonated with me. It was something along the liens of, "Maybe people like us know something ya know? Like something that not everyone knows." Again, yes. Not brought up as a major theme later in the movie, no worries, he doesn't have a hero complex. But still. Yes.
Also, his dad has a touch of OCD. And, unbeknownst to Robert De Niro, we totes had a heart to heart.
This movie reaffirmed for me that you can reach and affect people without going for the super dramatic. Also comedic lightness. Effective. Yes.
So I wrote my most serious blog about it. You're welcome.
Woof, I hope this makes sense. I'm having a really hard time putting words to this. Seeing this movie was like being on the inside of a beautifully crass inside joke. It represents the community of people dealing with mental disorders really really well. And you all need to see it.
The end.
Muchos love,
Kaitlyn
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Stuff I Did Instead of Writing My Movement Paper.
1. Consumed 10 times the daily recommended dose of vitamin C.
2. Facebook.com
3. Spinny chair spinning for 7 minutes.
3a. Tums.
4. A pirouette stopped by a door knob.
5. Ate some salt. Don't knock it till you try it.
6. Drank 2 bottles of water.
7. Peed.
8. Head --> Keyboard.
9. Stretched my psoas, hamstrings, hip flexors, and glutes.
10. Not laundry. Because than I would have achieved something.
11. Planned to go to choir rehearsal. This will take up 2 hours of my night.
Two hours that should be spent studying for midterms and writing the multiple papers I have due this week. Or registering for my absentee ballot. Or planning my classes next semester. Or finalizing my audition material for November. And I blame my lack of productivity on my busy schedule when CLEARLY free time is my downfall.
Alas.
Best of luck to my compadres who are in the same boat. Happy studying! And by "studying" I mean hours of chair spinning and room cleaning.
Kaitlyn
2. Facebook.com
3. Spinny chair spinning for 7 minutes.
3a. Tums.
4. A pirouette stopped by a door knob.
5. Ate some salt. Don't knock it till you try it.
6. Drank 2 bottles of water.
7. Peed.
8. Head --> Keyboard.
9. Stretched my psoas, hamstrings, hip flexors, and glutes.
10. Not laundry. Because than I would have achieved something.
11. Planned to go to choir rehearsal. This will take up 2 hours of my night.
Two hours that should be spent studying for midterms and writing the multiple papers I have due this week. Or registering for my absentee ballot. Or planning my classes next semester. Or finalizing my audition material for November. And I blame my lack of productivity on my busy schedule when CLEARLY free time is my downfall.
Alas.
Best of luck to my compadres who are in the same boat. Happy studying! And by "studying" I mean hours of chair spinning and room cleaning.
Kaitlyn
Monday, October 15, 2012
Why I Hate Your Smartphone
Tragedy has struck the apartment.
Three of my (soon to be) four roommates have smart phones.
My grandpa like reflexes have always been keen to the dangers of new fangled doodads like the internet, calculators, texting, and online dating sites. Why can't we just grab our abacuses, head to the bar, and pick up dates the old fashioned way? By talking about your latest re-read of the Little House on the Prairie series and smoke signaling if you're up for a second date.
I recognize that giving up your smart phone may be a little harder than burning your abacus or doing away with the telegraph system, but the reward will far outweigh the price. Without further adieu (stop playing angry birds. Right now. You, yes You. I see you there. Put the phone down. Everything will be alright) Allow me to present: Why your Smart phone is the Work of the Devil.
Point 1: Smart phones inhibit social skills. Social interactions with me are tangibly uncomfortable to begin with, if I had the crutch of unlimited knowledge/busy work at my finger tips, I would probably become a mole person. But in all seriousness, if I'm talking to you, you have my full attention. (Or at least my attempt at full attention, I have this tendency to zone out without realizing it. But that's a topic for another day.) Nothing makes me crazier than someone whipping out their phone and texting someone else while we are having a conversation. That person in your phone isn't in this room with us, ergo they're not in on our conversation. Also, as someone who occasionally texts while conversing (recovering texting addict), it's really hard to concentrate on what the other person is saying to you! Makes you feel real outa the loop. What's worse is when two people are talking while simultaneously playing on their smart phones. There conversations go a little something like this:
Azra: Yeah.... no it drives me crazy when that teacher does that chalk thing in that class.
Marco: I know, it's ... so annoying, right?!?!
Azra: So annoying. Yeah.
Marco: Yeah with the chalkboard ... I can't think of ... hold on a sec .... uhmm Do you wanna get lunch?
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD AZRA NO. NO YOU DO NOT WANT TO GET LUNCH. You should both go sit in your respective bubbles and chat with people who are not there about arbitrary things in 160 characters or less.
SUB POINT 1: When we are in a room full of people talking to a person whose not in the room, we are not really present in the room. I like human contact. Let's not let that die yeah? Cause I'll overcompensate by cuddling with all of you. All the time. And you'll be uncomfortable.
Point 2: Hey, do you know the average life span of a Panda? Me neither, don't you DARE look it up on your phone. You don't need to know that right now. For the love of all things good and holy, wait till you get home. Then google it if you must. It drives me insane when we're in the middle of a conversation and you decide that you need to show me HOURS of information and videos on your TINY SCREEN to "enhance" our chat. I don't care. That's what documentaries and research papers are for. And I genuinely enjoy those.
Point 3: GPS. I have to admit that I have definitely been saved by friend's iPhone's whilst traversing Chicago. And I am only temporarily grateful. Knowing I can be saved by a travelers iPhone makes me not learn the area I'm in. Dangerous stuff. The iPhone does not have an "avoid ghetto" option. And I'm on foot. It's a crutch yo. Get a map...and while you're at it, grab one for me as well... If you think your sense of direction is bad now, wait till you get a smart phone. You will lose all organic ability to navigate. And that's sad.
Point 4: We don't need unlimited information at our fingertips. You don't need to know everything right now. Use your brain, think about it. Be patient.
If you have a remedial phone, keep it. Resist. Join me.
If your brain has already been taken over by your smart phone... It'll probably be like quitting hard drugs.
I'm here for moral support.
Quote of the day: "Apartment problem #483: I don't lock our bathroom door because our bathroom door doesn't close." Do with that what you will. And pee before you visit.
Kaitlyn
Three of my (soon to be) four roommates have smart phones.
My grandpa like reflexes have always been keen to the dangers of new fangled doodads like the internet, calculators, texting, and online dating sites. Why can't we just grab our abacuses, head to the bar, and pick up dates the old fashioned way? By talking about your latest re-read of the Little House on the Prairie series and smoke signaling if you're up for a second date.
I recognize that giving up your smart phone may be a little harder than burning your abacus or doing away with the telegraph system, but the reward will far outweigh the price. Without further adieu (stop playing angry birds. Right now. You, yes You. I see you there. Put the phone down. Everything will be alright) Allow me to present: Why your Smart phone is the Work of the Devil.
Point 1: Smart phones inhibit social skills. Social interactions with me are tangibly uncomfortable to begin with, if I had the crutch of unlimited knowledge/busy work at my finger tips, I would probably become a mole person. But in all seriousness, if I'm talking to you, you have my full attention. (Or at least my attempt at full attention, I have this tendency to zone out without realizing it. But that's a topic for another day.) Nothing makes me crazier than someone whipping out their phone and texting someone else while we are having a conversation. That person in your phone isn't in this room with us, ergo they're not in on our conversation. Also, as someone who occasionally texts while conversing (recovering texting addict), it's really hard to concentrate on what the other person is saying to you! Makes you feel real outa the loop. What's worse is when two people are talking while simultaneously playing on their smart phones. There conversations go a little something like this:
Azra: Yeah.... no it drives me crazy when that teacher does that chalk thing in that class.
Marco: I know, it's ... so annoying, right?!?!
Azra: So annoying. Yeah.
Marco: Yeah with the chalkboard ... I can't think of ... hold on a sec .... uhmm Do you wanna get lunch?
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD AZRA NO. NO YOU DO NOT WANT TO GET LUNCH. You should both go sit in your respective bubbles and chat with people who are not there about arbitrary things in 160 characters or less.
SUB POINT 1: When we are in a room full of people talking to a person whose not in the room, we are not really present in the room. I like human contact. Let's not let that die yeah? Cause I'll overcompensate by cuddling with all of you. All the time. And you'll be uncomfortable.
Point 2: Hey, do you know the average life span of a Panda? Me neither, don't you DARE look it up on your phone. You don't need to know that right now. For the love of all things good and holy, wait till you get home. Then google it if you must. It drives me insane when we're in the middle of a conversation and you decide that you need to show me HOURS of information and videos on your TINY SCREEN to "enhance" our chat. I don't care. That's what documentaries and research papers are for. And I genuinely enjoy those.
Point 3: GPS. I have to admit that I have definitely been saved by friend's iPhone's whilst traversing Chicago. And I am only temporarily grateful. Knowing I can be saved by a travelers iPhone makes me not learn the area I'm in. Dangerous stuff. The iPhone does not have an "avoid ghetto" option. And I'm on foot. It's a crutch yo. Get a map...and while you're at it, grab one for me as well... If you think your sense of direction is bad now, wait till you get a smart phone. You will lose all organic ability to navigate. And that's sad.
Point 4: We don't need unlimited information at our fingertips. You don't need to know everything right now. Use your brain, think about it. Be patient.
If you have a remedial phone, keep it. Resist. Join me.
If your brain has already been taken over by your smart phone... It'll probably be like quitting hard drugs.
I'm here for moral support.
Quote of the day: "Apartment problem #483: I don't lock our bathroom door because our bathroom door doesn't close." Do with that what you will. And pee before you visit.
Kaitlyn
A Defense for the Neurotic
Hi All.
So it's been longer than I'd hoped. Mostly due to a script I got to write and direct. Had 6 lovely, hard working ladies put The Norman Rockwell Monologues on it's feet. And it was a great experience. And then I forgot this post existed until today. Oops.
Quote of the Day: "It does make sense, in a 90s children's movie, to have heterosexual horses."
Segue to blog topic:
Little known Kaitlyn Fact of the Day: I am super envious of people who don't schedule their lives. As of late, this envy might have turned to self hatred, rooted in my inability to adapt to said lifestyle.
My people, if you will, are responsible for a great deal of "stick up your ass" rules. Generally broken by much cooler, English 300 type transcendentalists. We are taught in said English classes that these free spirited folks saved the world from the evils of "The English Social Season" and "the Débutante system." After reading these philosophical, enlightened papers we are encouraged to take up the torch, live freely! Carpe Diem! Take time to smell the roses!
Bull Shit.
I present: A Defense for the Neurotic.
While this abominable concept of "free time" may work for some people, when I am given a chunk of unscheduled time, I panic. Take my MWF schedule. My first class doesn't start till 1:40. Big mistake. In an attempt to be less routine-ee, last Wednesday I decided to wing it. The result: I sat on the quad and ate a sandwich for an hour. Bored out of my mind. Tried to combat intense boredom by checking out a Stephen King novel from the library about baseball.
Nothing about this situation is acceptable. First of all, Stephen King novels are terrifying, and I get freaked out by scary movie trailers. Second, I am in no way a fan of baseball. I like to play pick up games, but I was nearly kicked off my t-ball league for doing cartwheels in the outfield. So if unscheduled time for me results in Blockade Billy, we know there's a serious problem.
Que panic: what the hell is wrong with me that I can't handle a morning with no plans? It literally depresses me to think that there may come a time in my life when I will do reading that I won't later be held accountable for or sing without the prospect of an audition.
Then I got to thinking, what's so bad about scheduling every minute of your life? I mean, you have to spend like $12 on a planner, but other than that, you've got nothing to lose! Want to smell the roses? Pencil it in! How great would your day be if you woke up, looked at your planner, and saw that you were scheduled to smell roses from 2:34-3pm!? DAY MADE.
Also, scheduled people get so much more done. If you see how little time you have to write those 5 papers, you'll get um done before 3am. That said, anyone who frequents the IC knows that I occasionally have sleepovers there. Not the fun kind. The kind where you're alone and unconscious, having stress dreams about your pile of note cards that are only half done.
Now, this is not to say I don't love my transcendental, save the human spirit type folks. A lot of my nearest, dearest friends are not chained to their schedules. And I love that they are so darned unregimented. But I feel like no one ever defends the fun suckers.
You're welcome.
Kaitlyn
So it's been longer than I'd hoped. Mostly due to a script I got to write and direct. Had 6 lovely, hard working ladies put The Norman Rockwell Monologues on it's feet. And it was a great experience. And then I forgot this post existed until today. Oops.
Quote of the Day: "It does make sense, in a 90s children's movie, to have heterosexual horses."
Segue to blog topic:
Little known Kaitlyn Fact of the Day: I am super envious of people who don't schedule their lives. As of late, this envy might have turned to self hatred, rooted in my inability to adapt to said lifestyle.
My people, if you will, are responsible for a great deal of "stick up your ass" rules. Generally broken by much cooler, English 300 type transcendentalists. We are taught in said English classes that these free spirited folks saved the world from the evils of "The English Social Season" and "the Débutante system." After reading these philosophical, enlightened papers we are encouraged to take up the torch, live freely! Carpe Diem! Take time to smell the roses!
Bull Shit.
I present: A Defense for the Neurotic.
While this abominable concept of "free time" may work for some people, when I am given a chunk of unscheduled time, I panic. Take my MWF schedule. My first class doesn't start till 1:40. Big mistake. In an attempt to be less routine-ee, last Wednesday I decided to wing it. The result: I sat on the quad and ate a sandwich for an hour. Bored out of my mind. Tried to combat intense boredom by checking out a Stephen King novel from the library about baseball.
Nothing about this situation is acceptable. First of all, Stephen King novels are terrifying, and I get freaked out by scary movie trailers. Second, I am in no way a fan of baseball. I like to play pick up games, but I was nearly kicked off my t-ball league for doing cartwheels in the outfield. So if unscheduled time for me results in Blockade Billy, we know there's a serious problem.
Que panic: what the hell is wrong with me that I can't handle a morning with no plans? It literally depresses me to think that there may come a time in my life when I will do reading that I won't later be held accountable for or sing without the prospect of an audition.
Then I got to thinking, what's so bad about scheduling every minute of your life? I mean, you have to spend like $12 on a planner, but other than that, you've got nothing to lose! Want to smell the roses? Pencil it in! How great would your day be if you woke up, looked at your planner, and saw that you were scheduled to smell roses from 2:34-3pm!? DAY MADE.
Also, scheduled people get so much more done. If you see how little time you have to write those 5 papers, you'll get um done before 3am. That said, anyone who frequents the IC knows that I occasionally have sleepovers there. Not the fun kind. The kind where you're alone and unconscious, having stress dreams about your pile of note cards that are only half done.
Now, this is not to say I don't love my transcendental, save the human spirit type folks. A lot of my nearest, dearest friends are not chained to their schedules. And I love that they are so darned unregimented. But I feel like no one ever defends the fun suckers.
You're welcome.
Kaitlyn
Monday, October 1, 2012
Consider this that love note I never wrote cause I'm not square. Wait, who am I kidding, love notes are not square. Well I mean, they're literally square, maybe more rectangular...
This is really just a quick thought. Mostly because it's 12:15 and I have a 9:30 class tomorrow.
I don't really buy into the concept of God putting people in people's lives for a reason. Than again, I don't really buy into the concept of God, at least not the puppet master, all knowing, personal guide to the universe version I learned in PSR. Any other PSR kids by the by? I feel like most of ya'll went to Catholic school and therefore were protected from the horror that is an additional 2 hours of Monday added onto your Monday simply so you could receive your sacraments.
First world Catholic youth problems.
Anyway
when I look around, I realize how lucky I am to have met the people I am friends with. I think my personality is just the type where I would literally do nothing until provoked. I've always used the analogy of being a fly on the wall of life. Kindof like a wallflower, only not as dainty, faster, and has bitchin' technical maneuvers.
I need to stop segwaying or this will literally never get finished. Did you know that spell check auto corrects segway" to "nosegay"? How is "segway" not a word but "nosegay" is? ohhh it's because segue is spelled differently from segway. On that subject, I need to start segwaying, it looks like a great form of non-exercise and public humiliation.
...maybe I should get tested...ADD is an actual thing...
OK. Bottom line: To the humans in my life: Thank you for being awesome. I love that you are open about things because I have a lot of walls up. Seeing you be so fearlessly honest makes me feel like the world will not crumble to the ground should I decide to crawl out of my shell. If you're not one of my super open, extroverted friends, no fear, I still love you. Quiet kid solidarity for the win. But really guys. I feel like I don't say this enough, I love and appreciate all of you. Thank you for just being [insert winning adjective that my 12:40 brain can't think of]. Does my lack of an adjective cheapen the fact that I've just complimented NO MORE TANGENTS KAITLYN, GO TO BED.
I'm not schizophrenic I swear.
Good night. Sleep well. Pat yourself on the back for being flawless.
Kaitlyn
I don't really buy into the concept of God putting people in people's lives for a reason. Than again, I don't really buy into the concept of God, at least not the puppet master, all knowing, personal guide to the universe version I learned in PSR. Any other PSR kids by the by? I feel like most of ya'll went to Catholic school and therefore were protected from the horror that is an additional 2 hours of Monday added onto your Monday simply so you could receive your sacraments.
First world Catholic youth problems.
Anyway
when I look around, I realize how lucky I am to have met the people I am friends with. I think my personality is just the type where I would literally do nothing until provoked. I've always used the analogy of being a fly on the wall of life. Kindof like a wallflower, only not as dainty, faster, and has bitchin' technical maneuvers.
I need to stop segwaying or this will literally never get finished. Did you know that spell check auto corrects segway" to "nosegay"? How is "segway" not a word but "nosegay" is? ohhh it's because segue is spelled differently from segway. On that subject, I need to start segwaying, it looks like a great form of non-exercise and public humiliation.
...maybe I should get tested...ADD is an actual thing...
OK. Bottom line: To the humans in my life: Thank you for being awesome. I love that you are open about things because I have a lot of walls up. Seeing you be so fearlessly honest makes me feel like the world will not crumble to the ground should I decide to crawl out of my shell. If you're not one of my super open, extroverted friends, no fear, I still love you. Quiet kid solidarity for the win. But really guys. I feel like I don't say this enough, I love and appreciate all of you. Thank you for just being [insert winning adjective that my 12:40 brain can't think of]. Does my lack of an adjective cheapen the fact that I've just complimented NO MORE TANGENTS KAITLYN, GO TO BED.
I'm not schizophrenic I swear.
Good night. Sleep well. Pat yourself on the back for being flawless.
Kaitlyn
Monday, September 3, 2012
I Know What You Did Last Summer...
Ayeee Mates,
As previously agreed upon, it has been about 3 weeks since my last blog post, and I am back to keeping this thing updated. In short, I finished up my stuff in Cleveland, moved to Chicago, survived a week of classes, celebrated properly, and spent the awake part of my today recovering.
So before all memory of my summer job is taken over by 300 theatre history terms, I'm gonna write a blog about it. And Mates, if anything in my life is blog worthy, this is.
Without further adieu, allow me to present: "Quick Stories/Lessons learned from my summer Working at a Special Needs Summer Camp"
1. Sticks are the work of the devil. Placed on earth only to be used as weapons, weed whackers, obsessed over, javelined, and collected. Situation: kids are not allowed to go into the woods. Kids LOVE STICKS. Sticks are in the woods. 75% of summer spent sprinting through the woods after a child. Fucking sticks.
2. Kiss your personal space good bye at the door. Have you ever had to peel a human off yourself? Did they then start singing Titanic? I don't feel the need to elaborate here.
3. The self defense skills of a ninja. Because there are a lot of reflexes that are out of anyone's control. And they happen fast.
4. Slow down. Anyone's whose walked anywhere with me (class, finals breakfast, unwanted doctors visits) knows that I keep the pace of someone with a gun to their head. Working with kiddos taught me that just about every human on the face of the planet has a slower pace than mine. And if I just talk, walk, and exist a tad closer to normal speed, people actually understand what I'm trying to get across.
5. Not everyone needs words. I think I prefer non verbal communication. Not that I don't see it's faults, but you slip into non verbal functioning without even realizing it. It's pretty cool.
6. Over chlorinated pools can burn off your tan. Funny that you think I'm kidding.
7. Every behavior is a function of something. Theatre folk, this is like acting. Everyone has reasons for their actions. You may not know what they are or understand them. Hell I almost NEVER know why people do what they do, but everyone has their reasons. Here comes the preaching: Stop judging other people because they're different than you. I decided that needed that amount of emphasis. But seriously, it's really starting to piss me off when people make fun of other people because they don't understand them. Why on earth would anyone be intentionally mean or "weird" or different just to piss you off. I'll tell you why, they wouldn't. The problem is that you don't know what's going on in their head. I totally understand the need to vent and blow off steam, but this impersonal enemy of the week shit is getting old. So seriously. I'm gonna start calling people out on it. And if I do it, feel free to call me out as well. Really folks. Humans need to work on this.
*Gets of soap box*
8. Don't sweat the small stuff. For real though. If someone's not about to die, don't freak out. Cause you'll drive yourself, and the rest of the staff, up the wall. My apologies to the staff (also my family, friends, cast, and that one squirrel I cussed out) during field trip week :)
9. I am not cut out for this kind of work.
10. A new appreciation for the educators, staff, counselors, and families who work with the spacial needs population. Seriously. These people have something very special that I definitely don't have. I learned so much from my co-workers and other volunteers this summer. It's a whole different ballgame. All we see is the tip of the ice burg. Major props.
So there's the short list. I've learned so much more this summer than I can put into words. It's definitely an eye opening experience.
Hmmmm there's a way to cap off this blog, but I can't think of it.
*Insert inspirational quote of your choice here*
Or just make fun of me for blogging about my summer job.
Or for having a blog in general.
I can take it.
Good Night.
Kaitlyn
As previously agreed upon, it has been about 3 weeks since my last blog post, and I am back to keeping this thing updated. In short, I finished up my stuff in Cleveland, moved to Chicago, survived a week of classes, celebrated properly, and spent the awake part of my today recovering.
So before all memory of my summer job is taken over by 300 theatre history terms, I'm gonna write a blog about it. And Mates, if anything in my life is blog worthy, this is.
Without further adieu, allow me to present: "Quick Stories/Lessons learned from my summer Working at a Special Needs Summer Camp"
1. Sticks are the work of the devil. Placed on earth only to be used as weapons, weed whackers, obsessed over, javelined, and collected. Situation: kids are not allowed to go into the woods. Kids LOVE STICKS. Sticks are in the woods. 75% of summer spent sprinting through the woods after a child. Fucking sticks.
2. Kiss your personal space good bye at the door. Have you ever had to peel a human off yourself? Did they then start singing Titanic? I don't feel the need to elaborate here.
3. The self defense skills of a ninja. Because there are a lot of reflexes that are out of anyone's control. And they happen fast.
4. Slow down. Anyone's whose walked anywhere with me (class, finals breakfast, unwanted doctors visits) knows that I keep the pace of someone with a gun to their head. Working with kiddos taught me that just about every human on the face of the planet has a slower pace than mine. And if I just talk, walk, and exist a tad closer to normal speed, people actually understand what I'm trying to get across.
5. Not everyone needs words. I think I prefer non verbal communication. Not that I don't see it's faults, but you slip into non verbal functioning without even realizing it. It's pretty cool.
6. Over chlorinated pools can burn off your tan. Funny that you think I'm kidding.
7. Every behavior is a function of something. Theatre folk, this is like acting. Everyone has reasons for their actions. You may not know what they are or understand them. Hell I almost NEVER know why people do what they do, but everyone has their reasons. Here comes the preaching: Stop judging other people because they're different than you. I decided that needed that amount of emphasis. But seriously, it's really starting to piss me off when people make fun of other people because they don't understand them. Why on earth would anyone be intentionally mean or "weird" or different just to piss you off. I'll tell you why, they wouldn't. The problem is that you don't know what's going on in their head. I totally understand the need to vent and blow off steam, but this impersonal enemy of the week shit is getting old. So seriously. I'm gonna start calling people out on it. And if I do it, feel free to call me out as well. Really folks. Humans need to work on this.
*Gets of soap box*
8. Don't sweat the small stuff. For real though. If someone's not about to die, don't freak out. Cause you'll drive yourself, and the rest of the staff, up the wall. My apologies to the staff (also my family, friends, cast, and that one squirrel I cussed out) during field trip week :)
9. I am not cut out for this kind of work.
10. A new appreciation for the educators, staff, counselors, and families who work with the spacial needs population. Seriously. These people have something very special that I definitely don't have. I learned so much from my co-workers and other volunteers this summer. It's a whole different ballgame. All we see is the tip of the ice burg. Major props.
So there's the short list. I've learned so much more this summer than I can put into words. It's definitely an eye opening experience.
Hmmmm there's a way to cap off this blog, but I can't think of it.
*Insert inspirational quote of your choice here*
Or just make fun of me for blogging about my summer job.
Or for having a blog in general.
I can take it.
Good Night.
Kaitlyn
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