The Quest to Be More Interesting

Thursday, October 6, 2011

It's funny how some simple little thing can lead, through a series of mental connections, to an idea you can't get out of your head. The other day, I stumbled across a gold-plated four-leaf clover necklace on Etsy, & it got me thinking about my college friends - we called ourselves The Clovers (long story). I started wondering what my freshman & sophomore-year roommate, Alison, is up to; I didn't leave Ohio University on the best of terms with the Clovers, & it's been years since I've spoken with any of them. I guess I probably never will.

Still, Alison (we called her Kiko) was so interesting. She was (is, I suppose) an artist, a graphic designer, a photographer - but also very into sports, especially skiing & biking. She also knew a lot about cars, specifically Volkswagens. In short, she was a jack of all trades, & remembering her got me thinking about how interesting some of my current friends are. It's a pretty impressive list.

Rachel is a public policy wonk with a passion for Ultimate Frisbee and environmentalism. Allison is a fashionista with a masters in international relations who makes her own ice cream. Jill is a runner & an NCJW board member getting a degree in urban planning. Sam is a professional feminist with a food blog who bikes more miles than I've probably ever walked, total. Emily is a technology junkie by trade, a wedding photographer by hobby & a reproductive choice activist by nature. Elissa is a civil rights lobbyist & rabbi-to-be whose walls are covered in her own artwork.

The list goes on: Arielle is a church/state expert with an impressive Broadway habit. Jason is a tap-dancing criminal justice advocate with a rabbinic degree in his future. Rebecca is a jewelry artist and anti-death penalty advocate. Christina (no link - lame) is a musician & special ed teacher who makes her own jam & sugar scrubs.

My friend Jonah (law student, squash player, world traveler) is known for greeting everyone he meets with the same question: "What are your hobbies?" The best answer we ever received was from my friend Micaela: "Genocide prevention activism & dancing," were her answers, I think. See what I mean? These people mean business.

So I've been thinking. What are my answers? If one of my friends wrote a post like this, what would they think of when they got to me? And this is the gist of what I came up with:

"Kate writes a blog, goes to the movies alone & is a prolific napper." 

That's not exactly how I want to be known, you know? But I don't know what I'd rather be doing, either. What do I like? What can I do? What should I try? It's not like there's something I'm dying to do that I've just yet to try. I honestly can't figure out what sort of hobbies I'd even like to have - but I know that I want to be more interesting than the CW-watching, Target-shopping, Starbucks-drinking person I currently am.

There's more to me. I just need to figure out what it is.


Photos: 1, 2

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