Blind Date With A Journalist
Buy me a drink and maybe I'll overshare about my personal life. It's what I do best.
As far as first dates go, I never get my hopes up. It’s more of a “you talk about yourself and get a free meal” sort of situation. That’s a joke. Don’t hate me yet. I always pay my half if I can. So this is like a first date, but more like a blind date since you don’t know me yet. Like a real date, though, I don’t care much about getting to know you. Again, joking, but you’ll get used to it. Seriously though, this relationship feels a little one-sided. Tell me a little about yourself while I pretend to listen.
I could describe myself how I wish to be portrayed, but in hindsight, it would probably just be depressing. I’m also determined for this first post to be more than a list of things I like and dislike. One thing I do know about myself is I am very ostentatious while not very egotistical. A walking contradiction.
Let’s get past the “blind” aspect real quick.
That’s me before my 10 tattoos and nose piercing. I’m just too lazy to take a new picture right now. Just picture your average, white girl, college student. Then imagine her with the familiar look of discontentment on her face. That’s more like it.
I describe my style as sort of the 80s meets comfy. I wear a load of tie-dye and have a different pair of funky-designed flare pants for each day of the week. If I don’t give off the vibe that I probably smoke weed, then I must not be feeling good. I don’t smoke weed, in case my mom is reading, but I do draw a lot of inspiration from hippie icons who definitely did. The picture above isn’t the best example of my style, but I had to tone it down a bit since I absolutely care what people think of me, much more than I’d like to admit. Denim. I’m also obsessed with acquiring all kinds of weird denim.
One day I’ll give a tour of my bedroom. Maybe after our second date. It’s very indicative of my style. Actually, not too long ago, I spontaneously finger-painted my own rainbow rendition of The Starry Night on my wall. The rest of my walls are covered in posters. The tabletops are all littered with books and Playboy magazines I’ve collected. I also collect vinyl records and CDs. I’m a big fan of physical media.
Now for the fun stuff. “The martyrdom of Saint Me” (Palahniuk)1. The politics. The reason why it’s not you, it’s me. I’m a democrat. I am very liberal. My pronouns are she/they. I partake in protests and activism in whichever way I can— part of my reasoning behind becoming a journalist. I love transgressive fiction and everything controversial. My idols are Chuck Palahniuk, David Foster Wallace, and David Farrier. Favorite band: Arcade Fire. And here we go, getting into listicle territory.
As far as music goes, I’m pretty pretentious when it comes to what I like. Obviously, my music taste is superior, and no one will be able to convince me otherwise. Music has always been a big part of my life. No matter what I’m doing— reading, sleeping, or typing up a new story— I have to have music playing. It’s never one cohesive sound though, it always depends on the day. Other artists worth mentioning are Childish Gambino, Saint Motel, Pixies. . .. I think you get the idea.
I also consider myself an artist. True, a starving one, but one who is on antidepressants at least. I mainly do mixed media portraits. I’m great at drawing hands, and my style is more realistic and illustrative than animated. Though, I have begun to dabble in the abstract field. I won’t give too much away, though. I’ve gotta keep some secrets to myself that way I still have things to write about later. Sooner or later, I’ll just regurgitate my old thoughts that no one ever heard, but, of course, whoever listens next time won’t know that.
Writing this, I’m reaching a point where, in this one-sided relationship, I don’t know what you specifically want to know about me. I could be beating a dead horse with all my yammering for all I know. I think I’ve given the gist of what you can expect me to be like. If you really want to know more, try subscribing first. We wouldn’t go on a second date if you don’t text me about how you enjoyed the first one, right? Speaking of which, this was fun. Next time, though, let’s discuss something more interesting than me. And yes, I am the first girl to say that. 2
Choke by Chuck Palahniuk is a book that changed my life. It definitely has impacted who I am. Not necessarily for better or worse, but drastically. It essentially opened my eyes to perceiving life in ways I hadn’t considered before. Especially those parts of life that are best left unmentioned.
If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading my first post! I’m not sure how consistent I will be with posting, as I am in college, but I hope it can be something I do more frequently. Any feedback is good feedback, so don’t take it easy in the comments. I look forward to seeing you again!
I loved this! "Buy me a drink and maybe I'll overshare about my personal life." So good.
Hey, it's cool to see a fellow young person in Chuck P's substack. How's the writing going?