Hello, I'm Lena. I figure most people who might read this know me, but I'm gonna pretend you don't. You don't have to read all of it- you can just skim, I won't mind.
I'm a senior at Columbus State University in Georgia fervently pursuing a Theatre performance degree. Acting is the center of my life, I love it and want to chase after it for the rest of my life. I get defensive about the arts and feel like American education is headed in a dark direction by ignoring the beautiful benefits of creating generations with out a true appreciations for the fine arts. In every tyrannical society, the arts were their first target.
As far as family goes, it gets a little complicated. I don't really like opening up about it-unless I'm tipsy. I will say I have a wonderful sister who is stronger than I had ever anticipated. I have an adorable nephew who could kick your nephews ass, as well as a fairly new niece who is already a ball of cute with a ton of attitude. I love them and feel so lucky that I'm part of that beautiful family. I have a great mother who gave everything she was into raising my sister and I. I'm only beginning to understand how much of herself she sacrificed, and how hard it is for her to find a new place in the world. She was always a mother first, and now everything is different. My dad lives in my hometown in Blackshear, Georgia (po-dunk, boonies, country, etc.).
I'm getting really nervous about wrapping up my college career. My high school graduation, was the biggest turning point in my life to date...far a million reasons. Everything I had used to define myself was turned inside out and upside down. It was really hard to watch and even cause all those changes back to back. I still don't feel comfortable with all that happened; not that I don't like the changes, just that it was a lot of change. I feel like my college graduation is going to be just as unsettling. I can't deny I'm excited, but theres no way I can hide that I'm scared. There's something really isolating about leaving college. People look at you as a bona fide independent member of society, and I know I'm gonna be a pretty lame member for a while.
This past summer has done a lot to readjust my outlook on a lot. Ask any friend or member of my family my thoughts on having children and they would have said (almost instantly) "Lena hates kids"; which was true. I am spending most of this summer teaching at the Springer Opera House (state theatre of georgia). I'm the teaching assistant for Voice and Movement for the stage. Basically, all day long I am surrounded by hundreds of tiny people ages eight-ish to seventeen-ish. I'm still terrified of being a mother, its definitely not a goal of mine. Yet, seeing these awesome kids and how young people can be just as excited about life and theatre as I am, makes me want one of them to be my little buddy. It'd be cool to teach someone about everything-wouldn't it? They would have to take my word on everything for a large chunk of their life. The best part would be when they wanted to abandon everything I ever said, and I get to watch who they want to become. As long as I could teach them to get passionate about something and not let people take that from you...I'd be happy with who they were. Don't let this fool you into thinking I wanna have kids soon or even at all- I can't stress that enough. I just don't hate kids anymore, or at least as much.
I can't believe my longest paragraph was about children...weird. I love literature, as you can tell by the Mark Twain ripoff in my title. So I will leave you with my favorite poem. To me, its about inspiration and how if you are truly passionate your drive cannot be squelched.
You cannot put a fire out
A thing which can ignite
Can go itself without a flame
Along the coldest night
You cannot fold a flood
And put it in your drawer
Because the wind would find you out
And tell your cedar floor
Emily D.
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