In Which I Shamelessly Generalize Generalizations

Real quotes from Art3mis Took's head: 

It's so annoying how modern YA novels are all dystopias with pointless love triangles.

I can't stand how modern music objectifies women.

Wow, every word that comes out of Tyler Joseph's [or insert favorite music artist's or author's] mouth is pure poetry.

Dear world, 

And most of all, dear me,

Please stop.

I know that generalizations are necessary. If we didn't have them we wouldn't have words--for example, if I didn't have a general idea of a computer, I wouldn't be able to say that my HP laptop is just as much a computer as a mac, and if I didn't have a general idea of what a Christian is I wouldn't be able to say that Lutherans and I have many theological differences but are still both Christians.

But I find myself generalizing so many things all the time, based on something I've read or heard, on my past experience, or on nothing at all.

A real-life history of Art3mis Took's generalizations

Everything by Justin Bieber is trash.
Everything by Justin Bieber is actually awesome--why do people keep hating on him?

Everyone who follows their religion to the t is trustworthy.
Um, actually my recent experience has made me an expert and no one who follows their religion to the t is trustworthy. Sorry, naïve younger self.

Liberal people are all pretentious jerks.
Conservative people are all pretentious jerks.
No wait, everyone is a pretentious jerk. Except for me, of course.

                                                                  

See, when I was younger I had a lot of generalizations, stereotypes, ideological clumpings, whatever you wanna call them, mostly borrowed from my family and friends, my own personality, and above all, the books that I read. I wasn't even conscious of these generalizations until events in my life started challenging them. And as my teen years have become increasingly angsty I've taken these dispelled generalizations and replaced them with...

...wait for it...

new generalizations.

Which aren't any closer to my own life experience.

What, you and I both ask, is my life experience?

A real-life history of Art3mis Took's real life


Well, Justin Bieber has some good songs like "Love Yourself," but that was written by Ed Sheeran so it's kind of a toss-up whether it actually counts to Justin's credit.

I've been hurt by people who are strongly religious but my strongly religious friends have also been the ones who helped me through that hurt.

And I don't think I've ever met someone who's really a pretentious jerk at heart...in real life, that is.

*waits for fallout from the Sherlock fandom*

                                                                    

The point is that real life is complicated, and I'm starting to realize more every day that where I'm tempted to think there's pure evil, there's always good in this world. And it's worth fighting for. (Why does everything always turn into a Tolkien quote?)

In conclusion:

Unwind, by Neal Shusterman, is a glorious modern young adult novel that handles pretty much everything, including a love triangle that is relevant to the story's themes, in an insightful and tasteful manner.

Sure, Ed Sheeeran has put out some objectifying songs *glares at "Shape of You"*, but his other hit "Perfect" is fairly clean and has lines like "I don't deserve this, darling you look perfect tonight." Interpret as you will but that's pretty adorable.

Actually I don't like all of Tyler Joseph's lyrics. For example...
*racks brain for a lyric that I don't like* 
...Never mind, Tyler's lyrics are, in fact, 100% perfect. 
But you get the point.

Your fellow citizen of this complicated planet, 

Art3mis Took

Why I Chose a Secular College Over a Christian One

In the middle-class conservative Christian subculture that I've been born into, college is nigh a given. Going to a Christian college is highly, highly recommended unless you want to become a partying relativist who makes Cheese-Whiz towers in his or her spare time.

Thus when I chose to go to a local community college I did it to save money and perhaps to be a rebel.

But after a few weeks of commuting to classes (look at experienced me  :P) I think even if I did have the money to pay the steep admission rates of a Christian private school, I would still make the same decision in a heartbeat. I know this will come as a shock to many, so here are some of my reasons (in list format, of course, because my brain is too fried right now for a logical sequence of ideas):

1. Exposure

My college English professor is a somewhat angry liberal who pushes the PG-13 rating in every class, and I wouldn't have it any other way. As a homeschooler I haven't had much interaction with the rest of the world except for online, and it is SO different in real life. I think going to a Christian college would have been nigh similar to homeschooling because I would still be around people who have the same general beliefs and language and boundaries, whereas here I can practice appreciating and learning from people who are vastly different from myself.

2. Faith

Even thinking about God in college is SO HARD. I've realized that for my whole life I've been just going with the flow around like-minded people.

3. Practicality

Now for the obvious: this college is much cheaper than any private college. Not only that, but here I can actually major in the subject that I love the most: music. And the professors and students are all plugged into my hometown community, which means that getting a job in music will (hopefully) be relatively easy. Also the professors here are amazing at what they do, and chosen specifically for their abilities rather than for their religious background.

In conclusion, I figure that I might as well pay for challenging and practical lessons in my area of study than for a Christian community that I'm already plugged into for free.

So there you have it! A condensed version of my current thoughts.

*ducks a barrage of Bibles and VeggieTales DVDs*

What do you think about going to a Christian college? Feel free to disagree!