A Part Apart

           One concept that I’ve always struggled with is the idea of letting people go.  I struggle with this not because of my dependence on the other person but because of my need to classify human relationships and identify my feelings.  My thoughts about other people adapt very gradually…very cautiously…because I feel unstable when I do not understand myself.             My time in high school introduced me to a girl whose feelings rapidly intensify and diminish. In this classmate, my locker partner, I see my own perspectives manifest in tears, bear hugs, and squeals.   Although they sometimes appear unusual, my locker partner’s emotions are always relevant.   In fact, they are often such relevant emotions that I was formally taught to ignore them.   Fear of fire drills is one example.   During my first school fire drill, I was a hysterical component of a chaotic ...

I have always found water to be fresh and magical; ironically, much of water’s sorcery is derived from its archaic and common life.   I attempted to express the magnificent ubiquitous quality of water in dance choreography during my sophomore year; my piece focused on the ability of the substance to take on a variety of forms as well as reflect these forms throughout the world.   I spent an early spring morning last year mesmerized by sea foam clawing at sands; I then spent a Tuesday night watching waves lull beside a northside beach.   These two moments allowed me to see the same body approach me with aggression and with tenderness; however, water’s thrashing crests, peaceful stretches, and repetitive crashes are not esoteric expressions for me or for specific beaches. Water demonstrates the same qualities in all parts of the earth. Human relationships are likewise mirrored everywhere.   Although each relationship contains its beautiful nuances, it is innately hu...