Essential // Personal

Things that say a lot about a person.  What things are essential to them? Do they have anything interesting in their bag?  Do they have a lot of things, or just money?  I don't know, I just think it's cool.  I'm definitely the person who wants all of the "essentials" in her purse, but i pare it down as much as i can and organize it a lot.

i.  the bag.  I got my bag from goodwill.  It was probably like six dollars, and it's kind of oddly colored on the side, but I like the shape and how slouchy it is.  I tied a little scarf around the strap.  It's a bit of a security blanket for me.  I feel much better if I know I have all the things i "need" with me, and can hold the cross-body strap in my hands.

ii.  ipod.  it's a little bit pathetic how essential this is to me.  I have it with me pretty much always.  I could probably do without it more often, and that would be a good thing.

iii.  notebook.  just got a new notebook.  I fill them up quickly with lists, poems, words, journal entries, information i need to remember, reminders, doodles, sketches, letters, and sometimes even gum i don't want anymore folded on the last page.

iv.  pens.  many pens. all sorts of pens.  pencils.  I took out a complete handful of other pens for the picture, I usually add to the pens in my purse over the week, and eventually take them out, and start all over. I like different pens for different things, and my handwriting changes a lot with different pens.

v.  wallet.  i have lots of member/gift/hotel key cards and sometimes cash if i don't spend it all on food.  but i keep my change in a jar on my desk for adventures.  i got this wallet from a "souvenir barn" in northern Michigan last summer.  i like the colors.

vi.  chapsticks.  lipsticks.  mascara.  sweets.  cough drops.  hair clippies.  more chapstick.  fingernail clippers.  key chain game.  rings.  i keep them all in various little pockets so i don't have to fish around for them.

vii.  camera.  always.  I carry it around with me separately slung over my shoulder, but it still counts as "in my bag".  I bring it everywhere, always taking pictures.  I really like it a lot.

Heavy Light

"the way in which they treat the waiter/waitress
how they feel about the weather
whether they dog ear pages or highlight in books
fingernails
and hands in general
their preferred creative outlet
how much they dread/enjoy talking on the phone
whether or not they drink coffee
if they ever forget to eat
how honest they are with themselves (and others)
if they correct your grammarand whether or not they get nervous before haircuts." from here via her

I don't usually like ordering food.  It's awkward and sometimes I forget what I was ordering the moment I hand my menu away and try to say what I want.  I try to be nice, and mostly because I'm bad with math and I think weird cents is an odd tip I usually tip well.  But I don't really go out by myself that often ever.  

Depends on the weather.  I like dark, and clouds and rain a lot.  But I live in sunny colorado, so I complain about sunshine a lot.  Which is a terrible thing to do, but it makes me sad when the sky is so persistently bright.  I wish for clouds and dark and being able to take a breath and listen to music.  When the sky is bright I always feel obligated to love it, but I don't always.  I suppose it's weird how sunshine can make me feel guilty.  

I don't always write in books, but in the really good ones, and in school books I underline and highlight and write and dog ear books.  I fold over the corners in library books too.  Maybe it's something against bookmarks, those bulky things, but probably more because I'm lazy.  But I do love books with other people's notes.  I bought used books for school this year for that particular reason.  I wanted to hear what other people thought when they read what I am now reading.  It makes me happy.  

My fingernails are always short, because when they get long, I'll probably pick at them.  It's a terrible habit and I hate it, so short nails it is.  Right now I don't have nailpolish on, but if I did it would probably be a dark dusty purple or almost black purple.  

In general, I don't think of my hands much.  My laptop heats up awfully, so my palms get sweaty as I type sometimes.  I wash my hands a lot because I hate sweatyness or stickyness or things like that.  But I don't really like hand sanitizer, it feels eerie, the cold meltyness.  I've been told my hands are soft though.

I love to capture everything around me in pictures.  Each little moment of beauty.  Color, space, laughter.  And when the light is dark, I like to write.  I like to write about emotions and circumstances of things I imagine, though I seep into all my writing.  When I feel like I don't care, and I can do anything, I like to play guitar, but I'm at such silly beginning stages of "playing" guitar that I have to have courage or I give up.  

I don't mind talking on the phone, but if I'm going to see you in a few minutes don't try to tell me a funny story or ask me about my day, I just don't get that.  I always try to confuse telemarketers, and so far, it's been proven that they hang up if you answer the phone with "Mike's Pizzeria, how may I help you".

I don't really drink coffee that often.  Only sometimes, and I prefer Hazelnut coffee at the one bagel place in this cool little town near where I live.  I usually get too jittery if I drink it, and I don't really like super hot beverages, so it's not really my thing.  But I really like the smell of it, and it does taste pretty good.  

I don't really forget to eat, I just only eat when I'm hungry.  But yes, I guess I do forget to eat sometimes. I just snack all the time, so it doesn't really matter.   

I try to be honest with myself, but I think that I am constantly fooling myself.  Maybe?  I wish that I could have an outside view of how I look.  I wish someone could tell me exactly how I look or what they think of me.  It's a big thing to me.  I'm not very good at being honest to people in general, I am vague and smiley, especially if something is wrong.  I have pre-answers, and I don't really care to share my deepest thoughts with a lot of people.  But I'm as honest as I can be with the people I love the most. The people who understand me, know what I mean.  

I tease people a lot, and certain people I'll correct their grammar just to be annoying.  Some things I correct out of habit now I guess, but my own grammar is not flawless in the least so it's a bit silly.  

I don't get nervous before haircuts, It's neither scary or exciting for me.  If I'm getting a big change, like when I cut my hair shorter than my brother's hair, I'll be a bit excited.  But I don't get nervous.  I don't really like haircuts, because it's weird being all chatty with this woman who I barely know, but who knows me because she talks to my mom a lot when my mom gets her hair cut.  It's easy to be fake and smiley there which is weird.  

So I guess this is a fairly accurate picture of me.  But I'm a bit more heavy than happy right now, so I guess that affects who I think I am.  Sometimes I do like talking to strangers.  But right now I wouldn't.  

writing.  laughing.  answering(this is super fun, katie interviewed me!)

lillian rachel.