Two 10.24.2013

1979

I was born on the first day of spring. In Plattsburgh, NY, though, it is only spring by definition.

1981

I was walking, talking, and asserting my independence with a voracious use of “no”. This is a phase I never grew out of.

1983

I went to preschool in the Philippines. After lunch, we all held hands and sang “It's a Small World” in a courtyard lined with banana trees.

1985

I learned to snap my fingers. My teacher taught me to lick them for maximum pop.

1987

By the time I was 8, my dad had re-married and I had gained a little sister. We spent the entire summer riding our bikes in the blistering Alabama heat and eating Otter Pops for lunch.

1989

Every Wednesday after school, I walked 5 blocks out of my way to lurk the library book sale. I never had money to buy, but my heart raced thinking about the smell of the musty stacks of Reader's Digests.

1991

A pregnant doe was hit by a car outside my house shortly before Thanksgiving. I never ate meat again.

1993

I fell in love for the first time with my neighbor's cousin. We almost kissed once... then the phone rang.

1995

Friendships, photography, and music. These are the reasons I survived high school.

1997

The night before graduation, as I headed out the door to a Converge show, my mom said “don't come home with a black eye!”. So, I came home with two.

1999

I spent the last months of the year preparing for the imminent apocalypse. I still have a sub-zero sleeping bag tucked away in my closet.

2001

My brother and I broke the lease on our Madison Ave apartment, gave away everything we owned, and hitchhiked south. I have never been more rich than those months when I had nothing.

2003

I volunteered as an escort at an abortion clinic, trying my best to create a sense of safety amidst the chaos of Bible Belt protesters. That same year, Paul Hill was executed in Florida for murdering a doctor at that clinic.

2005

When Pippi came into my life, I wasn't looking for a cat. So, naturally, we became inseparable.

2007

I skipped my high school reunion to eat pizza and watch movies in my underwear. No regrets.

2009

I let my guard down enough to fall in love with someone who lived on the other side of the country; a kind of love that was intoxicating and decadent. Then my heart got obliterated.

2011

Extreme workplace violence and a devastating hurricane tagged-teamed to punch my town in the gut. I used these tragedies as a catalyst to get the hell out of there.

2013

When this year began, I was overwhelmed with the fear of not having it all figured out. As this year ends, it's the only thing that comforts me.