Introduction

My name is Liz. But when I post things online, I really like reading my name as lizzi. The lowercase l AND the trendy little i ending. For some reason, I feel like these things communicate something about my identity as a writer.

Maybe that I still want to think of myself and my writing as childish – but that scary kind of "wisdom beyond her years" childish. Maybe that I still want to believe that I am smarter and more mature than my age... despite being behind schedule on a few developmental tasks (read: career, marriage, throwing away t-shirts with sarcastic sayings on them).

My room still looks like that of a college dorm. And I suppose that is fitting because I am in grad school. But somehow, I don't think that’s any sort of valid excuse.

My cousin, Tina, sent me a link to this article on the subject of our generation being a little slow to warm in regards to "adulthood." I wish I could tell you all of the thoughts it provoked, but it was far too long for me to actually read. But it is the thought that counts, and I think of my cousin often. Even tonight, as I am reading Eat, Pray, Love (shut up, I know I should have read it when it first came out, but I am late to almost everything), I do not picture Julia Roberts as the main character. I picture Tina.

When people tell me things that could indicate or imply that I am a strong, independent woman... I don’t believe them. I mean, I do believe them... but the concept of a "strong, independent woman" is quite cliché, overused and frankly, something that I don’t really want to be associated with at this point in my life. Namely because I don’t have the time, money, figure, or desire to be that fashionable.

Fall semester starts this week. My goal is to not end up as fucked up as last year. Physically. Mentally. Socially. Creatively.

Pray for me... If you do that sort of thing.