DARK.HTML

(words, art, self, favoritism).

My name is Katie. I live in Indiana, where I am a junior in high school and live with my parents, younger sister named Becca, and two cats, Daniel and Lily. Every Sunday my family gets the New York Times, and after church I have to read the NY Times Magazine and the Arts and Leisure section. It makes me really happy when I come home late enough on a Saturday night to see that the Times is already in the driveway--I bring it in and pretend like I'm the first person in the universe to know what is going on in the world. Aside from my faith and my friends and family, nothing is more important to me than writing and art. I love poetry and prose and photography and painting and collage and using digital programs such as Paint Shop Pro to create and manipulate images. Theatre is another favorite. These elements will always be a part of my life. Hopefully I will be able to make a living doing some of these things on my list (with a steadily paying job to make ends meet at first, of course, preferrably one somewhat related to my interests, such as a position at a museum), but even if that doesn't work out, I'll never give them up. Without the ability to create words and art or the ability to read/look at/experience the words and art of others, I would be very unhappy. There are countless artists, musicians, writers, actors, and filmmakers whom I admire. Ever since the film Moulin Rouge was in theatres during June of 2001, I've been crazy in love with the film. I've seen it many times, listen to the soundtrack often, and still feel myself melting over its sheer greatness.

My faith is a massive part of who I am. I am a Christian, and I am forever grateful for the presence of God's love in my life, and I can only hope I am able to fulfill God's purpose for me to the fullest capacity possible. It makes me very uncomfortable when religions are talked of negatively because of the hypocrisy of their followers because, sadly enough, this is often the actual case. While I don't think anyone can truly escape hypocrisy on all levels, (what was the downfall of Arthur Dimmesdale in The Scarlet Letter again?) the fact that I am a Christian does not make me close-minded to people of other backgrounds and faiths. I strongly support the rights of people of other faiths (or with lack of faith) to live their lives the way they feel is right. I wouldn't want someone of another religion to tell me I was wrong for feeling the way I feel, so what would give me the right to try to tear someone away from their lifestyle and to make them feel like a second-rate human being in the process? It's entirely possible that our prayers are all going to the same God, and I'm sure heaven is a pretty full place. I think people should try as hard as they can to learn about other cultures and religions and to meet many different people--the earth is rich in differences. There are so many amazing people in the world.

Politically, I know less than I should, but I am trying to learn and absorb as much as I can about history and our current (unfortunate) situation. I feel more associated with the label of "Liberal" than anything else. I've been raised in an opinionated family and have been taught to develop my own strong opinions. I feel strongly about the importance of equal rights for people of all sexualities and genders. It is truly sad to think that there are many same-gender couples with the same amount of love as any heterosexual couple who cannot enjoy the same rights and benefits (financial and otherwise) as heterosexuals simply because of who they love. On the subject of adoption, if a couple is financially and emotionally able and willing to provide love, support, and care for a child, they should be able to both become legal parents of this child no matter what gender they are. While I could never personally have an abortion and end the life of an unborn child, I do not believe the government should outlaw abortion. Each person should be responsible for their own decision in this matter, especially since their are so many different and tragic scenarios in which a pregnancy might occur, including the result of rape. The alternative of a government that allows abortion is truly horrible--the deaths from back alley abortions would increase. I do not support non-suspicion-based drug testing in schools. This issue happens to be a large subject of debate in my area. I think it's illogical for all students involved in extracurriculars to be eligible for drug testing at random, yet it is against the law for suspicion-based testing to occur. As a non-Fundamentalist who appreciates the Bible not at face value but as a tool for learning more about God, I believe in God-directed evolution and I don't necessarily think the timeframes of Creation in the Bible are to be taken literally.

I am incredibly blessed to be on earth, and I know I take my freedom and opportunities for granted too often. Sometimes I can hardly believe I know such wonderful human beings and have made so many great memories. I can only imagine the future, but I know for certain that somehow I want to make a difference.


art
words
these are a few of my favorite things
<<