Well, I hope you all are ready for some honesty here.

I’m falling apart.

Which is odd, because I should be used to it by now, but what I’m not used to is bawling when strangers ask me if I need help finding where I’m going, or coming home, sitting down on my bed and crying because I’m too tired to take my shoes off. I’m not used to crying over a scripted MTV show within the first 60 seconds of my five minutes watching while I inhale my cereal if I remember to eat breakfast. Having zero control of my emotions is new. I’m also scared that my heart keeps skipping beats when I’m a healthy 21 (okay I’ll be 22 in about a week, but still) year old, and that I’ve struggled to keep food down over the last four days because I instantly get sick as soon as I eat. I know I’m doing too much. Enough people have told me, and I believe it now. I’ve finally adjusted myself to the fact that too much CAN be too much, and that I can’t do everything.

So, now I get to make decisions.

And I suck at making decisions. Because making decisions means knowing what you’re chasing. And chasing something means not chasing other things, and focusing on certain things means not focusing on others. It means acknowledging that you will close doors, and choose to miss out on opportunities. I’ve described myself as an ADHD perfectionist, which basically means have chronic stress, hehe. I throw myself into new interests left and right, but won’t be happy unless I can do them all well. I also seem to have an inordinate amount of compassion – and I’m not quite sure it’s the healthy kind. When I see a hurting person, or an imperfect situation, I can’t rest until I’ve done all I can to make it better. And if I can’t, it eats and eats and eats at me, and usually makes me physically sick.

So, right now I’m working 40 hours a week, taking 16 credit hours at OSU (and have all A’s so far, thank you), balancing some of the most draining & challenging family issues out there, still adjusting to learning how to not have parents to talk to, taking care of and supporting my 17 year old brother, and trying to appease my craving for photography, painting, making jewelry, decorating my house, web & graphic design, cooking, and on and on. [sidenote: my heart has skipped four times since starting this post – should I be worried?] All of the weight has been placed on my shoulders for every relationship within my family, and it’s set up for me to lose, and be at fault or responsible, for everything. I’m only a daughter, and a sister, and these are two roles I haven’t been able to experience for 6+ years.

I don’t know if my major (comparative studies) is actually what I want to do. I don’t know if I should justify switching back to an art program for school. And I don’t know if I should quit my job so that I can ACTUALLY learn what I’m going to school for and be able to sleep and make friends and study abroad and eat food and all of those some-fun-some-necessary things. And go back to being an honors student and make use of the mind God blessed me with. And honestly, I don’t even know if I want to be in the States right now. There is a really strong argument for me needing to get out and get away and see the world while I can – and I could, if I wanted, and if I tried.

I have no idea what I’m good enough at to bother pursuing. Just because I can handle a camera or a needle and thread or paint my walls or put words on paper a little bit better than the average person that’s never had the time or desire to try does not mean (to me) that I should pursue a field in that. I don’t know who to ask, or how to begin to decide what I want.

Oh, and did I mention I’m lonely? And terrified of being needy and emotional and the girl with daddy issues? Because that’s who I am right now.

Help.

I also just realized, this moment, that I have trouble publically admitting that I’m not doing well, because in the past it has been used against me as an attack of my worth, and proof that it’s a consequence of my sin, or that I can’t make it through life without unnamed person(s). You know what I have to say to that? To hell with you for making me believe that, and for still holding it over me. My God tells me otherwise.

tomorrow:

– work, to pay my bills.
– buy a moleskine, to keep my brain in one place.
– pumpkin festival with kristin and lydia, to enjoy my life.
– FMRSM 260 homework, to be responsible.
– photos of fall, because it is what i love.

this is all that is on my list, because i am trying to keep it simple.

new project here: four30.

thanks to feeling sick and just generally down yesterday morning, i left work early and decided to just ‘have a good day.’ instead of working on my to-do list, i just did my best to enjoy the incredible weather. amazingly enough, i found a beautiful antique desk for my room on my walk through the short north (item on my to-do list), finished my homework (another item) at an amazing new little coffee shop i found (travonna) and listened to my friend joey & some other boys play some acoustic sets while i worked! i also took some photos just for fun (third item on that list) on that walk that i took. i’m starting to get along with columbus. i’ve resolved to take half days off at least once a week for the rest of the year. or, indefinitely. i feel like a new person, and like my life is back.

here are some of the pretty things i saw yesterday, including a picture of yours truly. 🙂

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