Sophisticated Lady: Also Answers to Megalicious

I like to put things together in ways that make sense, which is probably why I'm currently getting a Master's degree in Library Science. Also because of this, I like to make playlists, and I do it most frequently when I'm trying to figure something out about the way I feel. I have this ongoing playlist of songs that I feel particularly apply to me in general. A few of the songs are pretty self-explanatory - "Green Eyes" by Coldplay, "Megan" by the Smoking Popes, "Wrapped Up in Books" by Belle and Sebastian, "Brainy" by The National (just go with it). However, since I want you to get a feel for me, I'm also going to share some less obvious lyrics that spoke to me. In some superficial way I feel like people understanding why I picked a specific song for my personal soundtrack will mean they'll know me, but I'm beginning to realize that there is more to people than pop song lyrics. (Yes. Beginning.) In any case, it might at least give you a feel for why I feel strongly about this blog.

• From "Pretty (Ugly Before)" by Elliott Smith: "Is it destruction that you require to feel like someone wants you - someone that's more for real?"
• From "Clark Gable" by the Postal Service: "I want to badly to believe that there is truth, that love is real."
• From "The World You Love" by Jimmy Eat World: "We're only just as happy as everyone else seems to think we are."
• From "Darlin' Do Not Fear" by Brett Dennen: "Sometimes your path is marked in the sky, sometimes you're forced to fit in between the lines. Sometimes all you can do is say no; darlin' do not fear what you don't really know."
• From "I Am Ready, I Am" by The Format: "I'm trying to find truth, in words, in rhymes, in notes, in all the things I wish I wrote."

So there's that. You may proceed to draw conclusions now.

Other things that are relevant for you to know about me:

I have four brothers, and I'm crazy about them, but most of what I learned about how to enjoy being a girl (which is at least partially what this whole thing is about, right?) came from my mom (who is amazing and the most loving person I know) and my friends, particularly my college roommates (a couple of whom contribute to this blog). I love and currently miss my parents while I'm several states away from them - which would make me feel like a little kid if they didn't cry about it more than I do. My nieces and nephews are turning into lovely, amusing people, and I like being friends with them.

I love strong female characters in books and movies. Beatrice. Viola. Jane Eyre. Elizabeth Bennett. Princess Leia. Buffy Summers. (Okay, Princess Leia is kind of a joke. Buffy Summers - not so much.) It's all good stuff, even when it's geeky. I'm definitely not afraid of being a nerd or a geek (and yes, I know the difference). I love books and movies in general (Remember? Librarian?) and will surely talk about both more as this blog goes along.

I don't particularly want a huge house when I finally get on top of my life, but I would like to have a walk in closet, and to finally have enough space to store all of my books in one room.

My favorite punctuation marks are parentheses and semicolons. My favorite board game is Trivial Pursuit.

My dad taught me that it was always okay to do what made me happy, even if it wasn't what was popular or cool. That's probably why I'm so cool now. I've always believed that going along with what everyone else is doing only gets you so far, and then suddenly you aren't interesting because you don't know what you like. I know what I like, and for the most part, I know who I am (although you'll probably read several posts here that contradict that). You can't be happy if you're only try to be what other people think you should be. I firmly believe that happiness comes from being the person you want to be.

A final song for the playlist:

• From "Time Has Told Me" by Nick Drake: "I leave the ways that are making me be what I really don't want to be, leave the ways that are making me love what I really don't want to love."

And that is who I am and why I'm here. Let's do this thing.

(P.S. if you're wondering where the title of this post comes from, the first part comes from a song Ella Fitzgerald sang. The second comes from Lindsey.)