Remember the blog project I did in 2010 with three other women? Well, Froggie decided to resurrect it with me and we each got to invite another friend to join us. She invited a mutual friend (someone I met through her) and I invited a friend whose blog I really enjoy reading. So now it's Froggie, Mom of Many, Moma Rock and Merrylandgirl. Hope you enjoy the topics that we'll be exploring!
This week, Moma Rock picked the topic: We've all heard the old adage, "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus." How, and in what areas, do you feel men and women differ?
Before reading ahead, first see what everyone else had to say on this topic:
Froggie
Mom of Many
Moma Rock
I felt like I could go a zillion directions with this topic (even though, as my husband always says, zillion is not a real number). Leave it to Moma Rock to require me to actually think this week. The travesty! :)
At first, I looked at my relationship with my husband. We're alike more often than we're different. We have the same sense of humor and want the same things for our relationship and our children. We tease each other and know how to call each other on BS. However, when he gets sick, he turns into a giant baby and when I get sick, I manage to drag myself to work anyway. I think all men are babies when they get sick though. Of course, they don't get to carry babies for nine months and deal with morning sickness and labor pains. So I think that makes us naturally tougher. I know my husband was impressed at how silently I gave birth to our daughter, like I was a Scientologist or something. We have different ways of entertaining ourselves too. My way is to read or blog (usually about reading). His way is to watch action flicks and play video games. Trying to get him to read is a major accomplishment on my end! I've only been able to get him to read TWO books in TEN years. I don't know that many straight guys who like to read anyway. We like most of the same shows, but he would NEVER watch "90210" or "Smash." I'm fine with that. I don't like certain shows or movies that he watches anyway. The final thing I want to address in this section is the way we handle parenting. More often than not, I am the "bad cop." I'm the one who gets to lay down the law. He's the easygoing one who makes the kids laugh. However, he WILL put his foot down if they do something bad on his watch. He's not a complete softie.
Next, I looked at differences between men and women in the media. I've noticed a lot these days that women seem to be the ones cheating on their significant others and sleeping around. I think the only exception is Barney on "How I Met Your Mother." :) In any case, this seems very prevalent in the books I read and TV shows I watch. And men seem to be the ones taking on the roles that women once occupied. They seem more needy and they analyze everything about their dates. I don't know when this switch happened though. It doesn't seem to mirror real life, from what I've seen and heard. The only case of a guy actually acting like a typical "guy" that I've seen as of recently is in the novel "Bond Girl," by Erin Duffy. There's a romantic interest for the main character but he doesn't seem to know how to pick up a phone or return her calls. Typical dating games, really.
So going to real life...I hear about guys my friends like and how they seem to be playing those same immature games that were outlined in "The Rules." The classic is not calling a girl for three days or not even responding to a girl's calls or e-mails. We're in a new decade now, so I think "The Rules" need to be tossed by the wayside. If they keep up these rules, the girls who like them will move on without them and the guys will have missed out on their chance at true happiness. I think women these days are more independent and self-sufficient than they were in the 1950's, but I don't see why that should scare off a guy. They should be glad that the girl is not all clingy and not keep them guessing. I know that if my husband had pulled any of those games on me when we were dating, he wouldn't be my husband right now.
Finally, to add a Jewish aspect to this, I've read about the expectations placed on a girl in order to be matched in a shidduch (paired with a potential husband). They're expected to look a certain way and sometimes that means getting plastic surgery. The same expectations are not placed on men. I thought shidduchs were about compatibility in terms of personality, but apparently there is much more to it. Someone was telling me about a single man in his late 30's who was looking for a shidduch. However, his criteria was for women younger than 30. I don't think he's in a position to ask for such a requirement. Maybe I don't know enough about making shidduchs, as I am not a professional shadchen, but I do think it should be more about compatibility than about looks and/or money.
I've probably gone off on some tangents here but it's been a crazy busy week and I can't think straight! What you see is what you get this week.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Even crazy dreams come true
Remember the blog project I did last year with three other women? Well, Froggie decided to resurrect it with me and we each got to invite another friend to join us. She invited a mutual friend (someone I met through her) and I invited a friend whose blog I really enjoy reading. So now it's Froggie, Mom of Many, Moma Rock and Merrylandgirl. Hope you enjoy the topics that we'll be exploring!
This week, Froggie picked the topic: What would you do if you knew you wouldn't fail?
Before reading ahead, first see what everyone else had to say on this topic:
Froggie
Mom of Many
Moma Rock
When I first saw this topic, I thought of the song "Crazy Dreams" by Carrie Underwood, which was featured in one of the first episodes of "Smash." It's on Carrie's second album and I've always liked it. It's a fun and whimsical song.
I'm one of those crazy dreamers who would probably take a dream as far as it could possibly go if I knew failure weren't even a possibility. There was a point in time when I wanted to be on "American Idol." However, it would have had to be the group that Adam Lambert was in. Since then, I lost interest in the show. These days, I'd rather be on a show like "The Glee Project" and have the chance to appear on "Glee." I'd want Ryan Murphy to write me a part that would take the show to a whole new level. Since I wouldn't fail, I'd totally rock that part! Even so, my interest in "Glee" has been wavering and I'd much rather have a lead role on "Smash" these days. I'd also love any role that involved being in the same room as the cast of "How I Met Your Mother." So yes...I'd go the TV star route and I'd even go as far as earning an Emmy for whatever role I played because....I wouldn't fail!
Then there's the ultimate experience...winning big on a game show. I could rake it in on "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" (Is that show still around?) I wouldn't fail, so I'd reach the million dollar point. Along those lines, I'd spend lots of time in Vegas making big bets. Since I wouldn't fail, I could pay for my kids' futures and some nice vacations.
I'd do things I normally wouldn't for fear of failure. I'd finally drive the van, learn how to dive into a pool and write a novel. The failures I've feared with each are different in nature and magnitude, but still enough to keep me from doing those things.
I'd cook a gourmet meal for a big group, just because I could actually do it without sending anyone running for the hills. (I am a decent cook when I want to be, but nothing like my husband.)
Finally, I'd go to grad school, get a degree that would enable me to actually use my bachelors degree in psychology and start a counseling practice. Knowing I'd be incapable of failing would totally be the push I needed to do this!
This week, Froggie picked the topic: What would you do if you knew you wouldn't fail?
Before reading ahead, first see what everyone else had to say on this topic:
Froggie
Mom of Many
Moma Rock
When I first saw this topic, I thought of the song "Crazy Dreams" by Carrie Underwood, which was featured in one of the first episodes of "Smash." It's on Carrie's second album and I've always liked it. It's a fun and whimsical song.
I'm one of those crazy dreamers who would probably take a dream as far as it could possibly go if I knew failure weren't even a possibility. There was a point in time when I wanted to be on "American Idol." However, it would have had to be the group that Adam Lambert was in. Since then, I lost interest in the show. These days, I'd rather be on a show like "The Glee Project" and have the chance to appear on "Glee." I'd want Ryan Murphy to write me a part that would take the show to a whole new level. Since I wouldn't fail, I'd totally rock that part! Even so, my interest in "Glee" has been wavering and I'd much rather have a lead role on "Smash" these days. I'd also love any role that involved being in the same room as the cast of "How I Met Your Mother." So yes...I'd go the TV star route and I'd even go as far as earning an Emmy for whatever role I played because....I wouldn't fail!
Then there's the ultimate experience...winning big on a game show. I could rake it in on "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" (Is that show still around?) I wouldn't fail, so I'd reach the million dollar point. Along those lines, I'd spend lots of time in Vegas making big bets. Since I wouldn't fail, I could pay for my kids' futures and some nice vacations.
I'd do things I normally wouldn't for fear of failure. I'd finally drive the van, learn how to dive into a pool and write a novel. The failures I've feared with each are different in nature and magnitude, but still enough to keep me from doing those things.
I'd cook a gourmet meal for a big group, just because I could actually do it without sending anyone running for the hills. (I am a decent cook when I want to be, but nothing like my husband.)
Finally, I'd go to grad school, get a degree that would enable me to actually use my bachelors degree in psychology and start a counseling practice. Knowing I'd be incapable of failing would totally be the push I needed to do this!
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
The American Bridget Jones
Today, I was listening to a Vonda Shepard CD I had found at the thrift store. I got it because I remembered her from “Ally McBeal” and liked her voice a lot. When I put it on in my car, the first song was, of course, “Searchin’ My Soul” and it transported me back into my “Ally McBeal” watching days.
I wasn’t interested in the show at first. Then I was home from college on spring break and an episode with Jessie L. Martin came on. Since he was in the Original Broadway Cast of “Rent,” I knew I had to watch this episode. And you know what? It was pretty good. I think this episode also had the first appearance of the dancing baby. After that, I was hooked and started watching it all the time, including reruns of the episodes I missed. (I found out that Taye Diggs was on after I stopped watching the series.)
Ally McBeal is like the American version of Bridget Jones with her short skirts and all her quirks and insecurities. Watching Ally was almost equivalent to reading about Bridget. There are a lot of fun things I remember about that series. First, there was lots of music all the time, including scenes where the characters break out into a song and dance routine. I’m a musical theater junkie so that was definitely appealing. Then Vonda Shepard would sing whatever song fit the mood of a particular scene. She’d also be playing piano at the bar where all the lawyers congregated after work.
The characters really made the show what it was. Ally had such a fun group to work and hang out with. John “The Biscuit” Cage was this adorable, neurotic guy, from what I remember. Then there was the misogynistic Richard Fish, who found this one area of a girl’s neck attractive and called it the “wattle.” (For some reason, I could see Will Arnett playing him if the show was ever recast for the 21st century.) I liked Elaine a lot, as she made it look cool and fun to be an administrative professional. Jane Krakowski, who played her, is now on “30 Rock.” She has a good singing voice too. There was the really old judge who died and they did a tribute for him in one of the episodes. It was hard not to get teary-eyed from that. And we can’t forget about Ally’s unrequited love, Billy Thomas. However, I felt the show jumped the shark after Billy died and came back as a ghost. Lucy Liu and Portia de Rossi also got their start on this show.
There were also the fun quirks the show had, such as co-ed bathrooms and dancing babies. The “theme song” concept came from “Ally McBeal” too. I loved the song she picked (“Tell Him”) and how she was dancing to it on the street. Then there was Fish always saying “Bygones” or the Biscuit doing gymnastics in the bathroom. Ally's dorky nervousness around guys was hilarious too. She'd always fall over or say something embarrassing when she was around a guy she found attractive.
I bailed on the show as soon as Billy started making appearances as a ghost. I just thought it was a little far-fetched. At that point, I was starting to find Calista Flockhart to be a bit annoying too. So when I talk about “Ally McBeal,” I talk about the period of time when I did find the show cute and amusing. It was like a precursor to chick lit for me.
I wasn’t interested in the show at first. Then I was home from college on spring break and an episode with Jessie L. Martin came on. Since he was in the Original Broadway Cast of “Rent,” I knew I had to watch this episode. And you know what? It was pretty good. I think this episode also had the first appearance of the dancing baby. After that, I was hooked and started watching it all the time, including reruns of the episodes I missed. (I found out that Taye Diggs was on after I stopped watching the series.)
Ally McBeal is like the American version of Bridget Jones with her short skirts and all her quirks and insecurities. Watching Ally was almost equivalent to reading about Bridget. There are a lot of fun things I remember about that series. First, there was lots of music all the time, including scenes where the characters break out into a song and dance routine. I’m a musical theater junkie so that was definitely appealing. Then Vonda Shepard would sing whatever song fit the mood of a particular scene. She’d also be playing piano at the bar where all the lawyers congregated after work.
The characters really made the show what it was. Ally had such a fun group to work and hang out with. John “The Biscuit” Cage was this adorable, neurotic guy, from what I remember. Then there was the misogynistic Richard Fish, who found this one area of a girl’s neck attractive and called it the “wattle.” (For some reason, I could see Will Arnett playing him if the show was ever recast for the 21st century.) I liked Elaine a lot, as she made it look cool and fun to be an administrative professional. Jane Krakowski, who played her, is now on “30 Rock.” She has a good singing voice too. There was the really old judge who died and they did a tribute for him in one of the episodes. It was hard not to get teary-eyed from that. And we can’t forget about Ally’s unrequited love, Billy Thomas. However, I felt the show jumped the shark after Billy died and came back as a ghost. Lucy Liu and Portia de Rossi also got their start on this show.
There were also the fun quirks the show had, such as co-ed bathrooms and dancing babies. The “theme song” concept came from “Ally McBeal” too. I loved the song she picked (“Tell Him”) and how she was dancing to it on the street. Then there was Fish always saying “Bygones” or the Biscuit doing gymnastics in the bathroom. Ally's dorky nervousness around guys was hilarious too. She'd always fall over or say something embarrassing when she was around a guy she found attractive.
I bailed on the show as soon as Billy started making appearances as a ghost. I just thought it was a little far-fetched. At that point, I was starting to find Calista Flockhart to be a bit annoying too. So when I talk about “Ally McBeal,” I talk about the period of time when I did find the show cute and amusing. It was like a precursor to chick lit for me.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
You only get what you give...
Remember the blog project I did last year with three other women? Well, Froggie decided to resurrect it with me and we each got to invite another friend to join us. She invited a mutual friend (someone I met through her) and I invited a friend whose blog I really enjoy reading. So now it's Froggie, Mom of Many, Moma Rock and Merrylandgirl. Hope you enjoy the topics that we'll be exploring!
This week, Mom of Many picked the topic: Hypothetically, a credible authority from the universe reveals that the meaning of life is one big talent show. Success is measured not by money, but the extent to which your contributions to society actually increase the quality of life for others. If the reward for winning was truly exquisite, how would this revelation change your game plan?
Before reading ahead, first see what everyone else had to say on this topic:
Froggie
Mom of Many
Moma Rock
I had no idea what Mom of Many was originally asking and felt like I was on an episode of "Dawson's Creek," so I asked her to clarify.
The question is, how would you change your goals and objectives if you were being judged based on how you make the world a better place (increase the quality of life for others). In our current structure, the folks that are revered tend to make a lot of money and don't necessarily improve the world much. Think athletes, actors, Wall Street dudes, etc. Money is power in our society.
Something about this question made me think of the movie "In Time," where success is measured by how much time is showing on your arm. It was based in this futuristic society where people get these watches embedded in their arms and time ticks down until you die, unless you can earn more of it. Those who are the most successful have the most time. The scary part is, once you run out, you really do die. If you run out of money, you're living on the streets, but you don't necessarily die unless you completely give up on life.
Anyway, I'm not sure where I'm going with this. I'm incredibly burnt out from Passover prep, daily grocery trips and errands and towing at least one kid around at all times. I'll be glad when the holiday starts back up tonight and I can just relax without having to worry what is going on in cyberspace.
I don't really know if I have an answer to this question. If I'm going to increase the quality of life for others, I would do it because I WANT to and because I genuinely care...not because society is dictating that I'll be more successful as a result. I work in non-profit, at an organization that brings in money from donors to help out a specific religious sector of the region where I reside. By working there, I feel I am contributing to society. I'm not the one going out to solicit for the money, but I am still part of the greater good. I like working someplace meaningful.
In my personal life, I feel that my book blog helps increase the quality of life for authors, whether they are just starting out or whether they are on their 15th novel. I heard from Jodi Picoult that women writers don't get as many book reviews as men writers. Just reviewing a book is a huge shout-out for an author, as there are a lot of people reading my blog and the reviews could potentially help their sales. They also help the authors know what to do when they write their next books, as I feel I give fair and honest constructive criticism. There are more books than there are people like me to read them, so I started a new feature to spotlight some new books that people may or may not have heard of yet. I like to consider myself (and everyone with whom I work on the blog) a book cheerleader. I never was a cheerleader for sports, but I have always loved to read and this is my way of spreading the love.
I also love to network for people and/or do whatever I can to make someone else's dream come true in some way or another. It could be something small or something huge. It just comes out of me caring about people. If I was able to help someone find a job or meet their true love, while it would be a head trip for me, I would genuinely be happy for the recipient because something good happened for them. I can't reach out far and wide because that's just overstretching my boundaries and resources and I also have my family to take care of and my own life to maintain. However, if and when I can do something to help someone else, it makes me truly happy. Last fall, I was able to network so that my friend's son could meet his favorite singer after her concert. I did it because he is a sweet kid and I know how much he likes this singer. It made me so happy to see a video of him meeting her and the look on his face was priceless. This kind of experience is related to what I mentioned earlier...I did it because I care. No one was dictating to me that I would be more or less successful if I did or didn't do it. I was just glad that my friend's son got to have such an experience. I love giving things to people, as well. Even just little presents or things I picked out that made me think of them. Again, I do this on a smaller scale, but it's a nice feeling nonetheless. It makes me happy when I can make someone's day by doing something simple. I would rather continue doing that voluntarily than ever use it as a means of societal success. The success for me just comes from within. Now I'm motivated to volunteer for "Make a Wish Foundation," even though I don't know if I could handle the emotional involvement, now that I'm a parent. Granting a dying wish seems so meaningful, but also so final. I'd also feel like a hypocrite sending someone else's kid to Disney World when I have yet to take my own, but it might also be a good way to teach my kids about being grateful for what they do have.
This week, Mom of Many picked the topic: Hypothetically, a credible authority from the universe reveals that the meaning of life is one big talent show. Success is measured not by money, but the extent to which your contributions to society actually increase the quality of life for others. If the reward for winning was truly exquisite, how would this revelation change your game plan?
Before reading ahead, first see what everyone else had to say on this topic:
Froggie
Mom of Many
Moma Rock
I had no idea what Mom of Many was originally asking and felt like I was on an episode of "Dawson's Creek," so I asked her to clarify.
The question is, how would you change your goals and objectives if you were being judged based on how you make the world a better place (increase the quality of life for others). In our current structure, the folks that are revered tend to make a lot of money and don't necessarily improve the world much. Think athletes, actors, Wall Street dudes, etc. Money is power in our society.
Something about this question made me think of the movie "In Time," where success is measured by how much time is showing on your arm. It was based in this futuristic society where people get these watches embedded in their arms and time ticks down until you die, unless you can earn more of it. Those who are the most successful have the most time. The scary part is, once you run out, you really do die. If you run out of money, you're living on the streets, but you don't necessarily die unless you completely give up on life.
Anyway, I'm not sure where I'm going with this. I'm incredibly burnt out from Passover prep, daily grocery trips and errands and towing at least one kid around at all times. I'll be glad when the holiday starts back up tonight and I can just relax without having to worry what is going on in cyberspace.
I don't really know if I have an answer to this question. If I'm going to increase the quality of life for others, I would do it because I WANT to and because I genuinely care...not because society is dictating that I'll be more successful as a result. I work in non-profit, at an organization that brings in money from donors to help out a specific religious sector of the region where I reside. By working there, I feel I am contributing to society. I'm not the one going out to solicit for the money, but I am still part of the greater good. I like working someplace meaningful.
In my personal life, I feel that my book blog helps increase the quality of life for authors, whether they are just starting out or whether they are on their 15th novel. I heard from Jodi Picoult that women writers don't get as many book reviews as men writers. Just reviewing a book is a huge shout-out for an author, as there are a lot of people reading my blog and the reviews could potentially help their sales. They also help the authors know what to do when they write their next books, as I feel I give fair and honest constructive criticism. There are more books than there are people like me to read them, so I started a new feature to spotlight some new books that people may or may not have heard of yet. I like to consider myself (and everyone with whom I work on the blog) a book cheerleader. I never was a cheerleader for sports, but I have always loved to read and this is my way of spreading the love.
I also love to network for people and/or do whatever I can to make someone else's dream come true in some way or another. It could be something small or something huge. It just comes out of me caring about people. If I was able to help someone find a job or meet their true love, while it would be a head trip for me, I would genuinely be happy for the recipient because something good happened for them. I can't reach out far and wide because that's just overstretching my boundaries and resources and I also have my family to take care of and my own life to maintain. However, if and when I can do something to help someone else, it makes me truly happy. Last fall, I was able to network so that my friend's son could meet his favorite singer after her concert. I did it because he is a sweet kid and I know how much he likes this singer. It made me so happy to see a video of him meeting her and the look on his face was priceless. This kind of experience is related to what I mentioned earlier...I did it because I care. No one was dictating to me that I would be more or less successful if I did or didn't do it. I was just glad that my friend's son got to have such an experience. I love giving things to people, as well. Even just little presents or things I picked out that made me think of them. Again, I do this on a smaller scale, but it's a nice feeling nonetheless. It makes me happy when I can make someone's day by doing something simple. I would rather continue doing that voluntarily than ever use it as a means of societal success. The success for me just comes from within. Now I'm motivated to volunteer for "Make a Wish Foundation," even though I don't know if I could handle the emotional involvement, now that I'm a parent. Granting a dying wish seems so meaningful, but also so final. I'd also feel like a hypocrite sending someone else's kid to Disney World when I have yet to take my own, but it might also be a good way to teach my kids about being grateful for what they do have.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Magenta
Remember the blog project I did last year with three other women? Well, Froggie decided to resurrect it with me and we each got to invite another friend to join us. She invited a mutual friend (someone I met through her) and I invited a friend whose blog I really enjoy reading. So now it's Froggie, Mom of Many, Moma Rock and Merrylandgirl. Hope you enjoy the topics that we'll be exploring!
This week, I picked the topic: What part of your personality is now extinct?
Before reading ahead, first see what everyone else had to say on this topic:
Froggie
Mom of Many
Moma Rock
I based this week's topic off of an episode of "How I Met Your Mother," where they go to a museum for a party. At one point, Lily is talking to an exhibit that features the college version of Marshall, complete with his college personality. It was showing that this personality was now extinct, since he was married and working in the corporate world. It got me thinking about aspects of our personalities that are now extinct. There was another episode where they talked about a concept called "revertigo," where people turn into a different version of themselves to adapt to the friends that bring out that personality.
Before I started my freshman year of college, I became involved with a local Rocky Horror cast (a group that performs “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” in front of the screen). It was a way for me to let out my personality without fear of being judged or made fun of. I felt real acceptance there. Along those lines, “Rocky Horror” became an obsession of mine. I would play the music in my car all the time and sing along with it, as well as shout out the comebacks. Luckily my non-“Rocky Horror” friends tolerated it, even though they thought I was crazy. I also got a nickname...Magenta. After someone told me I looked like Magenta (the maid) with my wild curly hair, I knew it was a persona I had to take on. I joined the cast and got to play Magenta every so often. I even perfected the look and kept updating my costume to be even *more* similar. I even got my hair dyed red. Being Magenta gave me more confidence and I took that with me when I went to college. My Magenta personality went along with my college personality in some ways. I was less inhibited and flirted a lot more than I ever did at my high school speech tournaments. I was also more obnoxious and would laugh about the most random things. My nickname from "Rocky Horror" carried over and my friends would call me Magenta instead of Melissa. They even got their family members and friends to call me Magenta too. I took on the name for chat rooms and called my first website “Magenta’s Vunderful Vorld.” (She said her W’s as V’s.)
If I were to go to a museum of past personalities, I would definitely find a display for “Magenta.” It would be a combination of my “Rocky Horror” personality and my college personality. I’d be wearing a t-shirt and jeans, along with a flannel shirt and a pair of Chuckies (Chuck Taylor high tops) or imitation Birkenstocks , depending on the season. My hair would be long and my wild curls would be flowing. I’d probably have a hemp necklace on too. All my “Rocky Horror” videos (I only had a VCR back then), CDs, pictures, posters, etc. would be in a replica of my college dorm room. (I’d choose the single room in Watterson that I inhabited for two years.)
I definitely am different than I was in those days. While I do miss college and look back on it with fond memories, as soon as I graduated, I felt like I could never fit into that world again. I had gone back for visits and I just felt so out of place. The longer I had been away from school, the stranger it felt to come back for visits, regardless of some of my friends still being there and trying to keep things the way they were during our college days. I tried going to some “Rocky Horror” shows in my mid-20’s, but even that felt wrong to me. I would be so tired at a show that I would fall asleep halfway through. Even when I was asked to reprise my role of Magenta, it just felt foreign to me. The people at the show were so different and I only knew a few people who had stuck around over time. I just felt like all the new people there were posers. (I wonder if people felt that way about me when I first was going to shows a lot.) I eventually stopped going altogether. While I still like some things about “Rocky Horror,” most of it is just a bunch of fond memories, as well.
Now that I’ve been out of college for about 13 years and away from the “Rocky Horror” scene for about 10, I am a completely different person. I’m sure I shocked a few people from my past when I told them how I’m Modern Orthodox Jewish and married with three kids. That definitely was a far stretch from who I was back in those days. I don't really experience "revertigo" either. I had in the past, but I definitely am more true to my current personality while talking to friends who knew me during my college and "Rocky Horror" days. Sure, I'll bring up certain inside jokes with them, but I'm definitely more reserved in person than I used to be. I still continue to love some things I loved during my college days though... “Friends,” “Rent” and 90’s music. I also love “Animaniacs” and am glad I can share my love for them with my kids. However, “South Park” and V.C. Andrews novels can go into my museum display.
This week, I picked the topic: What part of your personality is now extinct?
Before reading ahead, first see what everyone else had to say on this topic:
Froggie
Mom of Many
Moma Rock
I based this week's topic off of an episode of "How I Met Your Mother," where they go to a museum for a party. At one point, Lily is talking to an exhibit that features the college version of Marshall, complete with his college personality. It was showing that this personality was now extinct, since he was married and working in the corporate world. It got me thinking about aspects of our personalities that are now extinct. There was another episode where they talked about a concept called "revertigo," where people turn into a different version of themselves to adapt to the friends that bring out that personality.
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| The hand is not "Thing." It belongs to a friend. |
If I were to go to a museum of past personalities, I would definitely find a display for “Magenta.” It would be a combination of my “Rocky Horror” personality and my college personality. I’d be wearing a t-shirt and jeans, along with a flannel shirt and a pair of Chuckies (Chuck Taylor high tops) or imitation Birkenstocks , depending on the season. My hair would be long and my wild curls would be flowing. I’d probably have a hemp necklace on too. All my “Rocky Horror” videos (I only had a VCR back then), CDs, pictures, posters, etc. would be in a replica of my college dorm room. (I’d choose the single room in Watterson that I inhabited for two years.)
I definitely am different than I was in those days. While I do miss college and look back on it with fond memories, as soon as I graduated, I felt like I could never fit into that world again. I had gone back for visits and I just felt so out of place. The longer I had been away from school, the stranger it felt to come back for visits, regardless of some of my friends still being there and trying to keep things the way they were during our college days. I tried going to some “Rocky Horror” shows in my mid-20’s, but even that felt wrong to me. I would be so tired at a show that I would fall asleep halfway through. Even when I was asked to reprise my role of Magenta, it just felt foreign to me. The people at the show were so different and I only knew a few people who had stuck around over time. I just felt like all the new people there were posers. (I wonder if people felt that way about me when I first was going to shows a lot.) I eventually stopped going altogether. While I still like some things about “Rocky Horror,” most of it is just a bunch of fond memories, as well.
Now that I’ve been out of college for about 13 years and away from the “Rocky Horror” scene for about 10, I am a completely different person. I’m sure I shocked a few people from my past when I told them how I’m Modern Orthodox Jewish and married with three kids. That definitely was a far stretch from who I was back in those days. I don't really experience "revertigo" either. I had in the past, but I definitely am more true to my current personality while talking to friends who knew me during my college and "Rocky Horror" days. Sure, I'll bring up certain inside jokes with them, but I'm definitely more reserved in person than I used to be. I still continue to love some things I loved during my college days though... “Friends,” “Rent” and 90’s music. I also love “Animaniacs” and am glad I can share my love for them with my kids. However, “South Park” and V.C. Andrews novels can go into my museum display.
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