the princess diaries (sort of)
“Me? A princess…shut UP.”
— Amelia Mignonette Thermopolis Renaldi, Princess of Genovia, The Princess Diaries (2003)
I had an acting professor in college who, at least once, every time we worked on song technique, would remind us in a commanding cry:
“You have to ask yourself…WHY are you DISTURBING the SILENCE of the UNIVERSE with WHATEVER it is you’re SAYING!”
Brown corduroy arms would shake with significance and someone would start from the top singing Seussical again. I think about theses moments often, and even more in the past year; what do I have to say that is worth putting into the ether and taking up space?
In a grand sense, maybe nothing that hasn’t been said or thought before. In a personal sense, a lot, all the things that I’ve never had the courage to say before. I turned twenty-four less than a month ago, which is a strange, grey, in-betweener age. It’s not shiny and new and twenty-two, it’s two years away from no longer being on my mom’s health insurance, it’s the number of hours I have available in a day to embarrass myself or laugh or accomplish something meaningful.
But the thought of accomplishing anything world-changing right now actively makes me feel like a belly full of yogurt, so I think I’m going to start small. Just telling something true, once a day.
Therefore, in the words of my girl Mia (and Julie Andrews), “Thank you for being here today.” (Imagine that came with a properly princess-y wave and nod of the head.) But genuinely, thanks for stopping by and taking the time to read this mishmash of poetry, essays, word salad, overheard conversations, rants/raves/rambles. I really appreciate it.
