The Necessities of Life

 Dear Graduating Seniors,  You did it! You are finally graduating from high school!  I am sure you are all so anxiously excited to finally get out of here and start your new adventures. College, military, trade school, whatever you are doing, it will all be worth it.  Although it may not seem like it now, one day you are going to look back on all the fond memories and reminisce about all of the wonderful and tragically horrible things that happened to you while you were a high school student. The person you are right now is shaping who you will become in the future. The achievements you've had, the mistakes you've made, all of those things happened so you can develop more in the character of your own story.  There are so many wonderful things ahead of you, but also some scary things. You get to live on your own, away from the family and friends you've grown up with, and experience the true art of adulthood. You can make decisions, set your own curfews, and live ...

Congratulations! You're engaged!  Now is supposed to be the happiest time of your life. You get to marry the man or woman you love, plan a giant party (or a small one, if you prefer) with all your close friends and family, and wear the most beautiful gown. If any of these things make you anxious, you are not alone. Many brides feel overwhelmed during their "Engaged Era," and many don't get the support they need when feeling this way.  While this is an exhilarating time, your nerves and anxieties are valid. The second you get that ring on your finger, your personal life and boundaries go right out the door, and everyone wants to know every detail, even some that you haven't even planned out or thought about yet! When is the date? Where did you get your dress? What does it look like? But here's the thing: no one asks how you are doing.  Here is my hot take: society has made weddings so impractical and unreasonable that any bride-to-be feels overwhelmed. Everythi...

 I was 17, on a flight to the Bahamas for a family vacation, when I first listened to the Wicked Broadway soundtrack. Staring out the window at the endless clouds, I felt like I was soaring right alongside Elphaba as she defied gravity. That music stayed with me, becoming a soundtrack to a summer I’ll never forget. Years later, sitting in the audience at Playhouse Square, I watched the story come to life on stage, and it changed me “for good.” So, when the movie finally came out, I walked into the theater with high hopes—and let me tell you, I was utterly blown away. Wicked: Part 1 was released in November 2024, directed by Jon M. Chu, starring Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba. It’s a fantasy musical adaptation of the Broadway hit and novel by Gregory Maguire. It starts with celebrating the Wicked Witch of the West’s downfall after melting and perishing to her doom. Although all seems fine and celebratory in the Land of Oz, we later learn that the Wicked Witch, ...