a bit of a katie girl.

I work out regularly but eat chocolate everyday
I don’t like chivalry but I will let a guy buy me drinks
I like Alanis Morisette and Dolly Parton
I am very passionate but rarely show emotion
I am not scared of large dogs, horses or llamas but I am terrified of rats, mice and long legged bugs
I think professional athletes are grossly overpaid but I watch the Superbowl every year
I am easily bored by romantic comedies but I enjoy cheesy love songs
I have many strong opinions but I probably won’t share them unless you ask
I am often annoyed by the way the media portrays women but I tune into Desperate Housewives every Sunday
I am very sarcastic but will lie to keep from intentionally offending someone
I think Facebook’s News Feed is a ridiculous invasion of privacy but I frequently read it
I love to be with friends but I will only exercise alone
I love to travel but I have trouble reading maps
I am a pro-choice carnivore but I have trouble eating an egg when I think of a baby chick
I take pride in my independence but I am constantly seeking the approval of others
I don’t like to fight but I love to win
I have many layers and wear many masks
I am complex, unpredictable and sometimes hypocritical
I am a Katie Girl

special thanks to the author for this week’s contribution…a true study in paradox! interestingly enough, the word paradox comes from the greek word paradoxon which means “contrary to expectation or opinion” (para=contrary, doxa=opinion). kudos to all the katie girls out there embracing paradox in their own lives by being willing to defy the expectations and opinions of others in favor of being a better version of themselves. as walt whitman once said: “do i contradict myself? then i contradict myself. i am large. i contain multitudes”…maybe he was a katie girl too? (wink).

xoxo.
ellie

p.s. for more information on the katie girl project or to submit an entry, click here!

okay, there are actually multiple reasons. but today i love it because of this article. it interviews several people…but my favorite responses came from sandy fernandez who edits the washington post magazine’s date lab. read on, and i think you’ll see why:

they say you know when you know. I think that’s . . .100 percent, absolutely, no
question, true. And you know when you don’t know, too, though often you won’t admit it.

i wish i’d known when I was 19 that . . . that maxim about love being hard work is only for when you’re, like, married with kids. but if you’re just dating and it’s such hard work — buh-bye. life’s too short.

when things get really bad . . . ask your friends to give you their unvarnished advice. take it.

heartache is . . . an important and noble emotion to feel. Once. Or twice. After that, you’re just being indulgent.

valentine’s day . . . is a great excuse to get drunk and — wait a second, this is a family newspaper, right?

in the end, what’s most important is . . . finding someone who has your back, always and no question. it’ll totally change your life.

these are definitely the responses of a katie girl! in fact, for those of you that haven’t written to me yet, this could be a good format to write your response (hint, hint). here are my responses:

they say you know when you know. i think that’s . . .something that women in relationships tell women who aren’t in relationships to make themselves feel superior.

i wish i’d known when I was 19 that . . .staying in a relationship for more than six months is setting yourself up for a broken heart.

when things get really bad . . . listen to your parents and your friends. if everyone else is telling you he isn’t right for you, he probably isn’t.

heartache is . . . often the beginning of a beautiful journey. in the midst of pain you see things you otherwise wouldn’t have noticed…for me, a broken heart was the beginning of recreating my life and becoming the person i should have been all along.

valentine’s day . . . is the leading cause of death for stuffed animals in the united states (just ask my gordon setter, nellie…the proud destroyer of nearly every valentine’s day gift i’ve received from well meaning but unoriginal boyfriends).

in the end, what’s most important is . . . finding someone who complements rather than completes you. life is too short to wait for someone else to come up with answers about your life.

happy early valentine’s day to all of you…i wish you love in any (all) of its various forms. keep those submissions coming!

xoxo.

ellie