The pitfalls of not being anonymous

Hey Everyone,

So I have a blog post that is waiting in the wings, entitled: "A funny thing happened in Bedford." I'd really like to write it for everyone's enjoyment, and maybe even education, but I've run into a snag. That snag is that you all actually know who I am. (Well, except for the few people that have chanced upon my blog from foreign counties, due to the fact that I made a post about the Snuggie Sutra.)

Now, this creates an issue for me. Whenever I want to make a post, I have to consider who might be reading it. I don't think my mom is still reading the blog, but many of my readers have connections to my parents, friends of parents, past educators, or past employers. This hasn't been a huge issue in the past, seeing as most people can stomach the fact that a 24-year-old girl makes out with boys on a regular basis. (Heck, it's not a stretch to believe it's encouraged.) However, if anything could come across as slightly irresponsible or lacking in good judgment, it tends to wind up in me not posting.

In some ways, I think it isn't fair. I have stories that I know my friends have enjoyed (and even encouraged) on a regular basis. People often use the phrase, "This would only happen to you," and a lot of the time it's true! There's something about my curiosity and my willingness to interact with people without judgment that puts me in situations in which most people would never find themselves. EVER.

Let me explain. I am a cultural anthropologist in the truest sense of the word. I am most exhilarated, intrigued, and satisfied by the pursuit of knowledge about people. More specifically, I never tire of learning about how people experience their lives. When someone goes to church, I want to know what they are feeling, what they are thinking, how they understand the experience, why they go, who and what they believe. The religion itself is only of interest to me insomuch as it pertains to the person's individual existence and cognition of that experience.

This can apply to anything. Take body modification, for example. That was an interest that particularly scared my parents. Although I have ear piercings and 2 tattoos, I am hardly what would be considered a true body modification insider. However, I spent hours doing research online for the sheer fun of it. My father, worried that I was about to show up with a forked tongue and some sort of amputation (yes, those do exist as a more extreme version of body modification), gingerly asked me one day why I was so enthralled. I simply said that I wanted to know why.

Why these people show such whole-hearted and enthusiastic devotion to something that can be seen as destructive to the body. I knew from my limited experience the rush that one can feel, and the strength of knowing what you can survive through, but there were sides of it that I couldn't even begin to understand. How does a person find themselves desperately feeling the need to rid themselves of a body part? What is the personal significance of scars left behind after scarification? What does a person tell themselves as their skin is burning from the red-hot brand?

I don't know how many of you would just say, "Who cares? They're crazy!" I've gotten enough weird looks to realize that my sincere interest is quite out of the ordinary. Particularly since I tend to gravitate towards counter-culture, rather than understanding the ways in which cultural norms are understood and upheld in the general population. Finding ways in which people attempt to justify and normalize out-of-the-ordinary behavior is fascinating to me. The lengths that people will go to in order to make their actions mimic the outside norms is extreme and seemingly superfluous, and yet is essential to their ability to comfortably express themselves.

Here's where things get difficult in my wishes to share what fascinates me with you all. Anthropology is entrenched in participant-observation. Now, the extent of "participant" is extremely variable, but observation is absolutely essential to the researching of human beings. OBSERVATION = YOU HAVE TO BE THERE. So, when I am fascinated by something, I find ways to observe, talk to the people involved, and and try to understand on a more personal level what is happening around me.

So let's put this all together. I'm fascinated by people's experiences in counter-cultural acts, and I actively pursue means of observing and interacting with the characters. Can you see how this might be tough to share in a forum where anonymity is not upheld?

So, it comes to this - I'm interested in what you all have to say. What your feelings are about the stories I might be able to tell. I generally ask for comments on any post, but rarely ever get them posted to the blog itself. This time I'm asking you very specifically. Please write below what you think. Is there a possibility that you can detach me from my stories, as I am detached from them? Would you allow yourselves to be just as fascinated by the behaviors of fellow human beings as I am, rather than distracted by the implications of those actions? Can you be anthropologists with me? or are we going to run into issues regarding my reputation?

Let me know!

Love,
Katie

SNOW MUCH FUN!!!

Hey!

So if any of y'all have been watching the news, you might have noticed that Boston has been getting COVERED in snow. Last night, a friend and I decided to take advantage of such an abundance. Below, I will show you the steps it took to get a really underwhelming masterpiece, which was several hours in the making. My toes were extremely mad at me for traipsing around in the snow without putting on an extra pair of socks, but it was SO. WORTH. IT.

Here's how to make snow-awesomeness, Katie-style.

Step 1) Prepare colored water in left-over bottles in the apartment using food dye from your cupcake supplies.

Red, Yello, Blue, Green... Probably should have set up some purple.

Step 2) Go outside, pour the colored water evenly over an area of snow, fall over a few times when your feet get stuck, laugh really hard, and turn the colored snow into snowballs. 

Justin G. and I made way too many jokes about blue balls.

Step 3) Prepare the snow palate by beating it senseless while yelling, "KEE-YAI!"

Step 4) Spend 15 minutes trying to find something funny to write, give up, and write something obvious but mildly sexual using the colored snowballs. 

"Plow Me"

Step 5) Take more photos, so that people can actually see what you wrote.

Step 6) Decide to write another message that no one will understand, because it's an inside joke between you and Justin G.

"Bee Goo" - It fixes everything.

Step 7) Celebrate! Attempt to revive your toes, which have almost become frostbitten. Realize you're extremely sleepy. Go to sleep.

Step 8) Check to make sure it's still there in the morning.

YAY!!!!!

Step 9) Text a photo to your mom, because she's someone you can count on to be excited about things that really aren't that exciting. :-)

Love,

Katie

Apparently I'm rad...

Here's another gem from the OKCupid message box:

Subject: Hello rad quiver match!

Message: So I saw on the 'The Two of Us' section that you're not willing to have an open/poly relationship. That's a shame since we seem to be, like, the same person otherwise. Anyway, just wanted you to know I think you're rad.


Aww! We'd totally be the same person if it weren't for the fact that we have diametrically opposed views on the value of monogamy and fidelity! Rats!


Love,
Katie

Things I learned in California...

After 4 days in California, I realized that I had learned A LOT. I figured I'd share the knowledge.

1) Against all "evidence" to the contrary, I have not decreased my frequency of sticking my foot in my mouth. As it turns out, my Boston friends are just willing to give me the benefit of the doubt and let it slide. (Thank you, Boston friends.)

2) When big dudes mention wanting to take hallucinogens, you should kick them out immediately, because big dudes will do what they want, no matter what you say.

3) Ike's sandwiches at Stanford are totally worth the hour and a half wait at lunchtime. Aaron, the awesome guy behind the counter that will have you laughing within 0.5 seconds, is also worth the wait.

4) NEVER drive to the city for dinner on a Saturday night. Get there in the morning and stay, or just don't go. It will be the most frustrating drive/parking experience of your life.

5) I can easily eat 2/3 of a roll of grands biscuits.

6) Striking up a conversation with old ladies at a cafe can be incredibly fun. Also, apparently Maddie does not want to be an adorable old lady, as she would prefer to steal food and have it be blamed on her senility.

7) Slumber parties are awesome at any age.

8) Barrone's is still like catnip to kids I went to school with, even 6 years later.

9) My job is making me a bitter person.

10) Despite all statements to the contrary, my actions would point to me not wanting a relationship any time in the near future.

Love,
Katie

Steampunk, if you will

I'm not quite sure any of us are cool enough for these cupcakes.

An anachronistic delight!

Love,

Katie

Why I'm a big girl... ish

Hey Loves!

So, today I was thinking about the fact that I am an adult. I'm an adult, and for the first time in the 6 years that I've been one, I actually feel like one... almost.

As I constantly try to remind myself, and as certain people never fail to remind me, I have had a life that hasn't exactly been tough. I had personal issues for a handful of years, which I may or may not blog about one day, but I've always had parents that love me, food on the table, and support in my every endeavor. Not to mention that I graduated from college without debt. Doesn't get much sweeter than that, right?

So, it's not surprising that I never felt like an adult. I never really had to be one. All I ever had to be was a student, succeed at the goals that I and my parents set for me (in my defense, they were quite lofty), and continue to not be a drug addict.

I'm not saying that I'm now poverty-stricken with absent parents and a baby to support, but I hope that I don't need to be in order to consider myself an adult. I'm a hard-working, tax-paying, organ donor  with savings in an ETF that has earned 10% this year. In the words of one of the two boys that played the little kid in "Bid Daddy" - "I wipe my own ass!"

I've also got confidence and have gotten my shit together emotionally. It might have taken years, but I worked hard to love myself, and am now at a point that some people never reach. When I say I'm awesome... I believe it!

And yet, when it comes to boys... I feel like I'm still a kindergartner. So, I'm trying to break this bad habit. And it starts with an assumption - he won't call, and that's okay.

What do I mean? You dance with a boy, you make out with him, whatever. Numbers are exchanged, and you hit the moment where it's in his hands. Then you fast forward togets to a handful of days later, and although it's not too late, you're starting to doubt the call will come in. There are now two choices. You can either take whatever fun moment you had as an ego boost and a good memory, and move on with your life... or you can do what I usually do. "Is he going to call?" "Why hasn't he called?" "What's wrong?!" Or perhaps you push friends to meddle, or take the first step and call him. (Which... really never works, no matter how much guys may say they like a girl who can take charge, and no matter how genuinely your friends try to help.) It's time I start doing the former.

And today, that is what I am doing. Or, if I'm being honest, trying my best to do. I made out with a boy on Sunday. It was a hoot. He asked for my number, and wrote his number on a receipt for me. As we left the bar, he said, "Call me," and I said, "You first," in a very playful manner. And now it's Friday, and I have not received a call.

Now, there are possibilities I have let run through in my head. 1) He didn't hear my say, "You first," and expects me to call. 2) He knows he'll see me Sunday at bowling, and is a boy, so he figures he'll talk to me there and that's that. 3) He's in a coma.

Most likely, he and I were drunk, we made out, and despite talking for 5 hours before the making out part, he is completely satisfied with that moment having come and gone.

So, this is me, being an adult: HOORAY! I MADE OUT WITH A BOY, AND IT WAS FUN, AND I CAN'T WAIT TO MAKE OUT WITH MORE BOYS!

Am I convincing? I'm gonna say it until it's true!

Love,
Katie

I'd say he's a winner...

Needless to say, I chuckled pretty hard when these two gems popped up in my message box:


Message #1:

Wait, was it hilariously fuck a serious girl?
or seriously fuck a hilarious girl?
or fuck a hilariously serious girl...

I swear I'm not that sleezy, 'just wanted your attention ;)

Cute, cute, CUTE!! Hey, I like writing thoughtful messages but I'm starting to think nobody on here replies to ANYTHING! Write me back, then I'll write you something better than this, promise. You're just too cute and I thought I'd make an attempt at getting on your radar :)

Have a swell day!

Message #2:

Ooops! 'Not going to bullshit you, that last message was a copy/paste that applied to someone else. I meant to only send you the "Cute, cute, CUTE" part, onward. Although, I do only send it to girls who really strike me for one reason or another, so, hopefully there's a compliment in there somewhere :)



Apparently I should be okay with him stock messaging me, because he only does it for special girls!!! I'm SPECIAL!!! ;-)

Love,
Katie