cha cha cha

in english class we've been watching good movies! i'm pretty sure we're watching them just to have some good writing material, and it is great. one of the films we watched was "28 up" (i think "49 up" just came out in theaters), a british documentary that interviews a fairly diverse group of people every seven years of their lives at ages 7, 14, 21, 28, etc. i think they're creating an american version of this series as well. of course, britian thinks of all the good ideas and then america steals them. overall, it was an entertaining film that presented issues of class and gender in the 60s/70s and it had pretty cute moments with these 7-year-old kids' reactions to questions about marriage and dating and so on. while watching these people grow up and hearing their goals and thoughts along the way, the film pretty much concludes that an individual's personality is fully formed at age 7. it was a little sobering to see all of these little 7-year-olds chatting enthusastically into the camera while explaining their hopes and dreams for the future, like becoming an astronaut or firefighter or president, and then to see them end up in crummy situations. it was obvious that the children were growing up and "facing reality" as the upper class kids who said they would probably go to oxford and get high-up jobs did go to oxford and get high-up jobs as adults- difficult to see the fun in that. this film really made me wonder where i've come since age 7 and if i have lost too many of my idealistic dreams, even though i'm pretty sure i still really really enjoy macaroni and cheese and still really really want to meet shamu at sea world.

my birthday is now in 3 days. my birthday. this date used to produce so much excitment and happiness... visions of pink-frosted cake and shiny wrapping paper and family gathered around singing to you. every once in a while, thinking about the past (conveniently measured in birthdays) makes me a bit queasy, simply because i am reminded of the huge amount of potential that we all had. actually, what makes me more queasy is that all of our potential is now slowly but surely disappearing as we're now assumed to walk the walk, make use of ourselves, and meet expectations. this is juvenile and sophomoric, which i am, but i need to make this list.

what makes me feel grown-up:
*making appointments (specifically haircuts)
*writing checks at stores
*holding keys
*talking to strangers
*riding elevators

this recent winter weather has kind of ruined plans. luckily, today i have to brave the cold for only one class. i should have really spent this last half hour, okay hour, okay 2 hours, studying. whatevs. i will soon be home and get to see pretty much all of my friends, use my free noodles birthday dinner gift certificate, and grab ALL OF MY WINTER CLOTHES + COAT.