Lists of Love
In second year, I went through a phase where I made lists of the things I loved. These lists would not be of boring things like ‘music’ or ‘the colour blue’, but instead they were filled with random things like ‘organizing my iTunes library,’ ‘laughing so hard I start to cry’ or ‘eating a greasy breakfast with friends after a crazy night out’.
Home(s)
I remember hanging out at my parents’ house in Toronto one weekend while in university. Sunday came around and I mentioned to my Mom that I was heading home. Heading “home” meant back to my student house in Waterloo, but wasn’t I at home already?
Cruise Contol
It’s tough to be a queer gal trying to find a mate. Not only are you faced with the general…
The Whore’s Breakfast
She was enjoying the whore’s breakfast: coffee and cigarettes. She had considered stealing a piece of bread from her roommate, but she wasn’t even that hungry. She was at peace just sitting there on the balcony, smoking and drinking coffee.
Top Twenty Pieces of Laurier Advice
I came. I saw. I conquered. That is not what veritas omnia vincit means, but it is how I feel after over five years at Wilfrid Laurier University. I experienced it all – late nights in the “libe”, running out of money on my OneCard, three years at a student job on campus, getting involved with student groups and services, sitting on boards, writing for a student publication – and somehow I’m managing to come out of it all with a degree.
Onward
For any of us in the 22-25 age range, who either have graduated, are currently graduating, or will be graduating soon (God willing), we are in a stage of transition. We’re leaving the One Card existence and entering something totally new – which I will not call the real world, because it’s either always been real or never has. This something new, whatever it is brings with it doubt, fear, discomfort, excitement, anxiety, and everything in between.
Thank You Grace
Lately I’ve been really fascinated by fashion. I never used to care much about clothes; I’d pick up some things that I thought looked nice or appropriate, and that was that. More recently though, I’ve felt a shift; longer pauses at my closet, more poses in front of the mirror, and a slightly more daring attitude when putting an outfit together. I think it’s partly due to spending most of my time with people who are really interested in fashion, but it’s also due in large part to the documentary The September Issue.
I Could Tell You
For what it’s worth, I’d like to tell you something about love as I know it. The trouble is, I’m not quite sure what to say.
I could tell you about unrequited love. That it once gave me pain so deep I thought I’d die. Pain so real and raw I spent my days doubled over, tears rolling down my cheeks. I could tell you that every relationship portrayed on television moved me to tears, that I played “Iris” by the Goo Goo Dolls on repeat.
Ode to My Favourite Food
First – the green tape
Sealing the deal of my favourite meal, it is usually found other places
Namely, drifting side to side under the sea
This is the glue that holds it all together
Here it plays a necessary role
Here it is the foundation
Next – the white
Like a mattress atop a bed frame, it is the support
On the Defense
I recently had a discussion with some fellow students about Diversity at Laurier. I write that buzzword with a capital “D” because I truly believe that at Laurier, we strive to respect and honour the diversity of our student body – the many paths each of us took to get here, our backgrounds, our unique experiences.
While I Have The Time
The number of calls I made to my best friend in British Columbia this summer almost made me broke. Long-distance is expensive and I don’t have a good phone plan. Here’s the thing though:
How Strathy Got Her Groove Back
Electro music saved my life.
Seriously.
I used to listen to mellow music almost exclusively. Mellow is a pretty broad descriptor, so to narrow it down a bit, I’m talking about Death Cab for Cutie, Ben Harper, Norah Jones, Dave Matthews Band, The Shins, Damien Rice… not a particular genre, per se, but more of a vibe.
Any Chimp
“Why do you like her?” she asked
The first thing I thought of was that you were creative
“What does she do or play?” she asked
Well
I resented that question right away because creativity is not just about doing or playing, is it?
What Does It Look Like?
Peripheral vision is defined as the ability to see objects and movement outside of the direct line of vision. Peripheral vision is what we see, but what we can’t see clearly. The peripheries are those unclear, blurry, fluttering shapes and images that we see out of the corners of our eyes – the person sitting next to us in class, oncoming traffic, whatever.
Be You, Be Proud
When I was in high school I was loud and proud, here and queer, out and about… you get the idea. I went to bars and clubs in the Gay Village in Toronto, I had other queer friends, and I even went to a Gay Youth Group. I knew who I was, my family and friends knew who I was, and I loved myself. All was well.
Reflections
I wouldn’t call myself a cynic – just a deconstruction worker.
That said, you may have noticed throughout this year’s issues of Blueprint that I write and rant a lot about the counterculture. I consider myself to be a part of the counterculture, but lately – especially this year – I’ve become increasingly frustrated with and pessimistic about all things alternative.
I’m Coming Out!
The coming out process. Things that come to mind – fear, anxiety, honesty, liberation… There’s a lot that can come out of this process (pun intended!), both positive and negative. All I know is my own process, nobody else’s; the problem is, I can remember how my process went.
Brand Me
Protecting the environment is something we can all appreciate, I think. We live on this beautiful Earth, so let’s take care of it! The thing that I can’t handle though is the trendiness of it all. If I hear another celebrity say that they’ve “gone green” I think I’ll punch a small child.
Who Am I Forgetting?
As much as places, words, stories, and times are forgotten, so are people. So many people walk the world unnoticed. Ignored. Silenced.
Some people are deliberate in their silencing of other people. Some people say or do things to shut people up. To shut people out.
Some people have no clue they’re silencing others. They don’t question or try to become aware of their assumptions or privileges.
This is Global
I am queer.
What does it mean to identify as queer? It means many different things to many different individuals. To me it means fluidity; fluidity of gender identity and fluidity of sexual orientation. It also means freedom; freedom to live, freedom to love, freedom from gender and sex-related social constructions, and freedom to grow.
River
My identity is a river
Ever flowing, ever moving
Fluid, in and out of bigger bodies
My body is a river
It is mine to have and to hold
It is free; free to be molded and changed
You cannot grab rivers
You Say You Want A Revolution
Protest music has always been around us, mostly because there have always been things to protest. Joni Mitchell did it, so did Bob Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel, and Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young. In the 1960s and 1970s, protest music tended to be most concentrated in folk music, such as that by the artists previously mentioned.
Access to Alternative Culture
Alternative culture is anything aside from the norm. It includes everything from vegetarianism to underground punk bands to independent films. Although many individuals partake in alternative lifestyles, the access to alternative culture has been limited in the past. If you were sick of the mainstream or popular culture you’d really have to dig deep to find alternatives.
Fashion & Time: The Ultimate Shoplift
All around us we hear words like “vintage”, “funky”, “retro”, and “oldschool” that are used to describe the latest trend in fashion. Isn’t that a bit of an oxymoron, though? How can vintage styles be the “latest” in mainstream clothing? It’s true, though, isn’t it?
