My 17 year-old self

Lately, I've been on a quest to become the person my 17 year-old self wanted to be. This means not living in Texas my entire life. It means being wildly original. It means getting that tattoo that I've always meant to get. It means flirting with men everywhere. And, the result is completely empowering. I feel almost as invincible as I did crossing Sihanouk Boulevard in Phnom Penh. I feel an urgent need to spread this message of empowerment to everyone I meet. If there's nothing really stopping you from doing something, then why not do it? To quote my kindergarten hero, "I'm starting with the man in the mirror. I'm asking him to change his ways." (Yes, Michael Jackson was my kindergarten idol -- the sequined glove, the red leather jacket, the moonwalk...)

Heady with the intoxicant that is nostalgia, I've been thinking a lot about former friends. Specifically, my best friend from 4th to 12th grades, Amber. Unfortunately, she became someone that I didn't really enjoy being with, and our shared bond of common history wasn't enough to keep the friendship alive. Essentially, the friendship ended in divorce. She used to be fond, though, of asking people what their theme song was. Without consultation from me, she determined mine to be Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon," which is obviously cannot, by definition, be my theme song, as it's a whole album! After 15 years of pondering this theme song question, I think I've decided on the Jesus and Mary Chain's "Head On." It certainly expresses my mood of late, happens to be one of my all-time favorite songs, and is totally danceable.

And so, I'll continue on my quest to make my resurgent 17 year-old self proud. Now, I just need a "Fuck Y'all, I'm from Texas" t-shirt. Fortunately, I know just the place to get one... A place I discovered at 17.