Give Your Parents a Break

I leave for Savannah in three short days. Three days people. This is insane to me, I’m partially ecstatic and partially panicky. I’m sure my poor parents are going through a range of irrational emotions as well. But, this entire post is pointed at teenagers, those going to college this fall and those still at home. Parents, I’m trying to stand up for you right now.  So I’m partially expecting a slow clap from the Rents here (psst especially my parents. John & Dawn, mad respect for you two)

When you think of the word “teenager” I really hope the mental image of a little blonde thing in a miniskirt rolling her eyes rises to the forefront of your consciousness. This is the image that I at least get. The goal of this post is to hopefully inspire teenagers to give their parents a break, stop rolling your eyes for ten minutes and realize that they’re doing the best that they can.

So you see, I’m 19 years old. I’m still one of you, promise, and I’ve been standing in my kitchen countless times saying the line “What? Mom, seriously, I didn’t even say anything!” Most of you know that means that you had a less than satisfying response to mom, personally my automatic response is to start laughing but that’s solely because I think my mother is hysterical. Mostly when she’s not trying to be humorous, which is what gets me into trouble. Now laughing may not be what gets you into trouble, it may be an eye roll or back talking or what have you but we all know there’s something. I’m not here to tackle teenage rebellion, that’s not particularly my cup of tea nor do I understand why it happens in the least. I’m here to tackle the idea of giving your parents a little more slack as you go through these times of transition.

When your parents want to take a picture of you on your first day of senior year, let them. When they want to video tape you unpacking in your dorm, let them. When they want to meet all your friends, let them. Do you realize that these weird and awkward adults have dedicated their lives to making sure you are fed and at least halfway stable? Of course no parent is perfect, but lets stop pretending and just put it out there that no child is perfect. They are doing the best they can because they care. Repeat that to yourself when your mom calls you to ask if you brushed your teeth or your dad threatens whichever guy is in your life this week.

The transition from high school to college, sure, it’s difficult for the student. All new people, new environment , first time experiences, the whole shebang. But how many of you have thought about how hard this is on your parents? Taking care of you is a full time job, and as you move out and make your own life they’re losing their job. That’s terrifying for them. Some days it might be frustrating. Now, some parents have such a strange way of dealing with this transition. The two primary reactions are going to be either 1) holding on to you so tight you may or may not suffocate or 2) deciding you’re leaving home soon so lets just treat you like an adult all the sudden. Both of these are difficult. With the first scenario, insanity is almost inevitable. You’ll feel coddled and likely like you want to run for the hills, in their attempt to make you a child again you will lose your ever loving mind. In the second scenario, you will probably panic. For goodness sake you aren’t ready to face the world, yesterday mom put your Poptart in the toaster for you and all the sudden you’re supposed to act like an adult. Of course, there are other reactions but these are the ones I’ve observed. Sadly, there’s nothing you can do about it.

What a fun reality, am I right or am I right? I’m just begging to let your parents love on you. Go give them a hug before bed, help make dinner, say ‘love you!’ as you walk out the door. Right now you may be frustrated with them, but you’ll miss them once you move into your new life.

To the parents: let your kids be under the delusion that they are independent adults but just keep up the good work. We’ll realize how hard your job is eventually and we’ll respect it. Promise.

I will update everyone as going to college gets more and more hectic, because I’m so sure that it will.

Why Human Emotion is Uncomfortable

It has been an ongoing joke for as long as I can remember that I have no "human emotion." Crying makes me uncomfortable, so does having people know that I'm irritated with them, or being visibly distressed in any way, shape, or form.. If you had asked me a few months ago, I likely would've told you that it was weak somehow to show those emotions. But, if I am being entirely honest here, it is so brave to be able to show that you're heartbroken or angry. For me, it is easy to laugh and say I'm ok. Don't misunderstand me, I don't laugh to cover when I'm hurt. I laugh in spite of my hurt, as if being hurt never happened. I love laughing. I laugh louder than any person in the room at every single joke you'll tell if I respect you.One day my best friend and I were sitting on the couch and I was talking about the latest tv show that I had been binge watching (which happens way too much, people) that happened to be The Office. He laughed and asked what happens whenever a series ends, and I said that without fail I will bawl through the entire finale of every show. He thought this was funny, considering he'd only seen me cry one time in our entire friendship and that was out of sheer anger and frustration. He told me that I like to pretend that I have no emotion, that the whole facade is to hide that actually I have intense emotion. With a roll of my eyes I told him that, like Sue Sylvester of Glee, I had my tear ducts removed because they simply weren't being used anymore. Did I mention I watch too much TV? However, the realization that maybe he wasn't being a dimwit is finally coming to me.  
Maybe, just maybe, I actually am very emotional. Just like every single human out there.  There should be no shame in being upset because a friend betrayed your trust, or a boyfriend decided you weren't right for him, or because you made a wrong decision, or whatever is wrong that day. Emotion is what makes us human, what gives us the ability to communicate and create relationships. However fickle they may be. Now this is all very sentimental and easier said than done, which is why I'm getting to the point now. For some of us, portraying emotion is so much harder than it is for others. My mother can show her emotion so easily, she fell in love young and she is no stranger to telling someone she needs space before she can calm down. Myself, on the other hand, will quiet literally run away from emotion if the opportunity arises. Ask anyone. It happens constantly. However, just because I don't know how to express my sentiments does not mean I don't have them. I'm wagering that there are plenty of people who are just like me. Maybe your son or daughter is like me, your best friend, your significant other, what have you. Expressing can be so difficult.Don't give up on me quiet yet, we've established that expressing emotion is incredibly difficult for many of us but I haven't even gotten to my epiphany yet. Here it is. We all express our emotions in a different medium. What I mean by that is each of us connects to something on a very personal level, maybe that's another person. Your grandmother, your husband, your best friend, etc. Or maybe it is literature. You connect to Romeo and Juliet more than anyone else. Or maybe you connect or art and music. There are millions of things in this world that we relate to every single day, that we feel connected to. For me, I find my connection in film and television. That sounds silly, I know. But, these characters help me understand how I'm feeling in the strangest circumstances. They help me realize different aspects of myself and how I come off to the people around me in every imaginable situation. Liz Lemon showed me my dark sense of humor and love of food, April Ludgate with my love of all strange and unconventional things, Blair Waldorf with my prioritization of everything before my emotions and my intensity, Jo March with my inability to settle for anyone and independence,  and Gwen Stacy with my need to find hope in the people around me.  Maybe I do cry when I finish a series, but that could be because with every new love of a character I realize something new about myself. So maybe I have a really difficult time accepting compliments and maybe I am terrified of affection and what it means, but don't assume I don't know that. We are all a work in progress and I'm just as broken as the next person.
I encourage you to really think about what helps you express yourself, because where your emotion lies is where your passion and excitement for your future also is.

Why did I choose an art school?

I am a terminally creative person.

Let me back up a second and explain a bit about who I am and why I'm starting this blog. My name is Macey, I'm 18 years old and about to attend Savannah College of Art and Design. Otherwise known as SCAD. All throughout high school I was an oddity, as a theatre student that was to be expected in multiple schools I attended that gravitated around athletics. Don't get me wrong, I love athletics. I love the sense of family that happens with a team, being that I played sports all through my childhood. However, after my first move I quit playing volleyball and began to take theatre a little more seriously. Not seriously as in I'm searching for an Academy Award, but as in I have become deeply involved in local theaters. I love to act and to write, quite simply. Tv, movies, plays, and books are what my life revolves around.

Being a theatre kid in high school is a difficult cup of tea, somewhere near the very bottom of the food chain. This is because the stereotype says that we are all self centered, obnoxious, or generally strange. Now the last one may be generally true across the board but, hey, lets not make assumptions. I can't speak for all actors, but I can say that life in high school theatre is not always pleasant. Nor is high school all that pleasant for anyone if we're going to be honest with ourselves. This is what drove me to choose a college that I felt I could fit in more easily and feel at home with the talents and disadvantages I have. I'm not brilliant with math, but I know my way around a sound board. I'm terribly queasy in Chemistry, but I've written and directed my own show. I may never understand football, but I'm a writer and actor for a local TV show. Everyone is unique, everyone has different talents. I can respect and have life long friends who love the aspects of life I will never understand, like chemistry, math, and football. I went to prom with a football player, twice. This is to say I was not completely out of touch with the rest of the world. But, when choosing a college I needed a place that was just as "different" as I was. Thus, SCAD. 

Summer orientation was a few weeks ago, and, I kid you not, I was on the verge of tears the entire time because I had never had so much in common with so many people in one place. I had never felt normal. Or accepted. This was the most liberating feeling I had in my life. However, now that I'm "average" I discovered a double edged sword. I'm no longer the most talented in my field solely by default because of lack of competition. Talent is so palpable in the air on this campus, but the fact that the opening speech of orientation assured everyone that we were all terrified of this fact was comforting. We were all accepted to this "University for Creative Careers" so we must all be up to par.

So, as I begin my journey as an Art College Student I will tell you about each step. Every tip I can give to future freshmen, every comfort I can give to current freshmen, and every affirmation that this is actually a viable life choice to the parents of creative children will be posted here. It's just so collage.