Oftentimes, it seems to me like I hear people say they want to make a big move in life in one way or another to "reinvent" themselves. Now, as I may have mentioned before, the driving force behind me moving to South Carolina was the fact that I wanted to experience warmth, sunshine, palmettos, and the beach just because I could. It was never my intent to become someone different, but nevertheless, when I heard this line I started thinking: Have I changed? Am I essentially the same person, just in different circumstances? Am I just over thinking this whole thing? (Always a safe bet to go with #3!) So I thought about it for all of two seconds and then promptly proceeded on to the next big thing in the day, whatever that was. Earlier this week though, I couldn't help but realize that there's probably a little of all three option going on in my life. Then I came up with the theory that there is an "Ohio Kate" and a "Carolina Kate."
"Carolina Kate" is nice to her neighbors. She is polite and talks to each one as they pass by the patio and she does her best to keep her area neat and doesn't want to be noisy. "Ohio Kate" is currently thinking about going outside and telling her neighbor's friends that actually walking to said neighbor's door and knocking on the door is just as effective as their obnoxious habit of honking at them from the parking lot. "Ohio Kate" also occasionally contemplates launching all of their beer bottle tops and cigarette butts back on to their patio.
"Ohio Kate" pretty much obeys traffic laws while driving. She most certainly NEVER runs a red light and will actually stop at a light that is just turning yellow, because that's the law. "Carolina Kate" joins thousands of other South Carolina drivers in their perpetual game of "chicken" with the traffic lights, which pretty much means that if you even THINK you can make it through the changing light, GO!!!!!!!!!! As a side note, if you ever travel through South Carolina, I would just like to make you aware of an unwritten law that I have just recently become aware of. Apparently, if you are behind the last car that was legally able to make it through the intersection, you also are allowed to go through the light, especially if you were tail-gaiting and pretended that your car is magnetically attracted to the car ahead of it.
"Carolina Kate" is pretty nice to her clients and co-workers. Challenges are described as learning experiences and even when people tell her dumb things she just smiles and nods. "Ohio Kate" has this INCREDIBLE sarcastic streak running through her. Find a baker named Ted and ask him how many times Kate ran her mouth and said something sarcastic to him or some of the other "managers" at Buehler's. I guarantee he would get a huge smile on his face and probably laugh. This week, "Ohio Kate" showed up to "Carolina Kate's" office. I don't think her co-workers knew what happened to her that day! (Note: As glad as I am that I am acting more professional, I miss this sarcastic side of me!)
"Carolina Kate" expresses her feelings in a nice way. She hasn't said "bless your heart," but she also doesn't respond to her mother's goading with an answer of "I hate you" like "Ohio Kate" did last night! "Carolina Kate" also thinks she has avoided using the word "damn" when frustrated, which is actually a pretty big step. "Ohio Kate's" co-worker Keri used to laugh at her while she was moving stuff around in the freezer at work, listening to her curse the bread flats and cabinets on a nightly basis.
So I guess it really is a mix of all three. I have changed a little, which makes complete sense. You can't move 681 miles away from home and not change. But, like the line from the show, changes in our lives usually just expose what was already there. And last but not least, the fact that I came up with an entire post about my two alter egos attests to the fact that I spent way too much time thinking about this topic.
Well, seeing as how this is a special Mid-Week Edition of my blog (sort of, depending on your definition of mid-week!), I have ruined my schedule for the evening and I must now return to bill paying and making my grocery list. See, some things never change! Sleep tight and have a good night everyone, and watch out for all the little holes the squirrels are digging in the yard as they try to find everything they buried last winter! (Seriously. They're everywhere.)
"Carolina Kate" is nice to her neighbors. She is polite and talks to each one as they pass by the patio and she does her best to keep her area neat and doesn't want to be noisy. "Ohio Kate" is currently thinking about going outside and telling her neighbor's friends that actually walking to said neighbor's door and knocking on the door is just as effective as their obnoxious habit of honking at them from the parking lot. "Ohio Kate" also occasionally contemplates launching all of their beer bottle tops and cigarette butts back on to their patio.
"Ohio Kate" pretty much obeys traffic laws while driving. She most certainly NEVER runs a red light and will actually stop at a light that is just turning yellow, because that's the law. "Carolina Kate" joins thousands of other South Carolina drivers in their perpetual game of "chicken" with the traffic lights, which pretty much means that if you even THINK you can make it through the changing light, GO!!!!!!!!!! As a side note, if you ever travel through South Carolina, I would just like to make you aware of an unwritten law that I have just recently become aware of. Apparently, if you are behind the last car that was legally able to make it through the intersection, you also are allowed to go through the light, especially if you were tail-gaiting and pretended that your car is magnetically attracted to the car ahead of it.
"Carolina Kate" is pretty nice to her clients and co-workers. Challenges are described as learning experiences and even when people tell her dumb things she just smiles and nods. "Ohio Kate" has this INCREDIBLE sarcastic streak running through her. Find a baker named Ted and ask him how many times Kate ran her mouth and said something sarcastic to him or some of the other "managers" at Buehler's. I guarantee he would get a huge smile on his face and probably laugh. This week, "Ohio Kate" showed up to "Carolina Kate's" office. I don't think her co-workers knew what happened to her that day! (Note: As glad as I am that I am acting more professional, I miss this sarcastic side of me!)
"Carolina Kate" expresses her feelings in a nice way. She hasn't said "bless your heart," but she also doesn't respond to her mother's goading with an answer of "I hate you" like "Ohio Kate" did last night! "Carolina Kate" also thinks she has avoided using the word "damn" when frustrated, which is actually a pretty big step. "Ohio Kate's" co-worker Keri used to laugh at her while she was moving stuff around in the freezer at work, listening to her curse the bread flats and cabinets on a nightly basis.
So I guess it really is a mix of all three. I have changed a little, which makes complete sense. You can't move 681 miles away from home and not change. But, like the line from the show, changes in our lives usually just expose what was already there. And last but not least, the fact that I came up with an entire post about my two alter egos attests to the fact that I spent way too much time thinking about this topic.
Well, seeing as how this is a special Mid-Week Edition of my blog (sort of, depending on your definition of mid-week!), I have ruined my schedule for the evening and I must now return to bill paying and making my grocery list. See, some things never change! Sleep tight and have a good night everyone, and watch out for all the little holes the squirrels are digging in the yard as they try to find everything they buried last winter! (Seriously. They're everywhere.)
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