Hello! My name is Brooke. I've been wondering what to post about for my first blog post. I've been sitting at my computer off and on for a couple of days staring at a blank screen. Today, I've been listening to Pandora, and it came to me.
A couple of weeks ago my boyfriend, Sean, and I were talking about the music that we miss most - punk rock, etc. He said to me "I miss angsty white guys singing about life's problems, politics, and relationships." So ever since then I've been on a pretty hard punk rock/pop punk binge phase.
Sitting here tonight, listening to bands like Sum 41, Green Day, and Blink 182, I realized that I wanted to write about how hard it is to hang on to the teenager/genuine person you were and turn that person into a successful adult.
When I met Sean, I was thirteen years old, and I sat next to him on the bus wearing a Slipknot t-shirt, ripped jeans, and I had purple hair. Let's be honest, that was the coolest I will ever be. For years I spent so much of my effort trying to come across as "grown." I tried to dress more girly, with nicer clothes that I thought I was supposed to wear, I bought expensive makeup, got my nails done regularly, and bought expensive perfume and handbags. As I have moved further into my mid twenties, and I work in a professional environment, I have to have "natural" hair (no purple for me), and I have to dress professionally. What no one said was that I couldn't still be edgy - or be myself; so it has been my mission for the last couple of years to mix "adulting" with who I perceive myself to be - I'm still that edgy thirteen year old somewhere inside who wants to dye her hair fun colors, and wear band tees and studded belts. I am also a twenty-five year old professional, who has to lead others, go to meetings, and do adult things. What did I do? I channeled that thirteen year old and said "F it, I'm going to be me."
Since I started incorporating more "me" into my life, I feel like I've been a much happier and healthier person. I'm no longer ashamed to tell my coworkers that with my vacation time I am driving to Ohio with my boyfriend and friends to see a three day metal concert, I'm not trying to pretend I want to go see Drake concerts with them, or any of that.
I won't say it it's easy, but it's important not to lose sight of who you are in order to portray yourself as a professional/acceptable adult. It's okay that my favorite designer isn't Lilly Pulitzer - that it's Alexander McQueen.
Whatever that means for you, just hold on to who you are. And remember - no one likes you when you're twenty-three anyways.
