There is always that character in a show that either only does guest appearances or is written in on a whim. That guy or girl who walks in with something in hand, but you never really know anything about them other than that thing they do. They are that guy who does extreme sports, that artsy girl, etc. I have always been fascinated with television and the way characters are written in. If you watch between the screens you can learn a lot about people.

(Personality included. All plastic things need props)

There is a difference between a good writer and someone who just happens to have a good idea for a story. When the writer is lazy, you can tell by how one-dimensional their characters are and how many props they give their characters to make up for the humanity they lack. The fewer dimensions a character has, the more props that character is given to drag around the set. Such is life.

We are the main characters and writers of our lives. My main goal is to be known as a fitting writer for the story that I live.

(Prop closets are for characters, not people)

We all have things that we do and are known for, but don’t go dragging around props to cover up your lack of personal growth.  I remember when I was a teenager how important it was that the person I was dating listened to the same music, did the same things and liked the same shows as I did. Many of us found that important; because that was the only way we knew how to relate. Now, I realize that this is a sign of immaturity. We put things in front of us that are tangible in order to cover up the fact that there is nothing there otherwise.

(They all like sitting on stairs. Bff’s obviously)

We all have at least one hobby/belief that is sacred. We all have something that we do and would like to be known for. However, when I am no longer here, I would not like to be remembered as the girl who played the bass. I would like to be remembered for the person that I am and the ideas that I as a human being created in the most sacred place of all: my mind. This is why writing is so important to me. It is the physical form of all that I have kept in what I consider to be the most important organ in the human body; the brain.

What makes a hobby sacred is the fact that it is deeply part of who we are, no longer just something that we do because our parents did the same or we thought it was cool. For me this sacred thing is learning to play the bass. I came from a family that did not support my musical talents. They were proud of me for being an honors student, but never acknowledged my interest in music. I went to a performing arts high school for musical theater and performed at least twice a year for four years. Not one family member came to any of my shows.

In college I put music behind me. I resented it. It hurts me to even think about my family’s absence. However, without any props I appreciated what it was like to be human. I learned to grow from the inside out and continue to grow. Who you are is something that can never be taken away from you. It is what you come back to at the end of it all. If there is nothing there then you are likely to fall into depression. I was never greeted in my home as the girl who is currently doing (fill in the blank), I was always just me. No props to hide behind, just me.

Now I am writing music and learning the bass. I purchased the instrument years ago, but was unable to learn due to my family’s lack of support. After moving out I am finally able to learn, slowly but surely.  I find myself around someone who has taken the one other thing that is sacred to me and used it as a tool to hide who they truly are. To them it is just another tool, just another instrument they can half-learn, collect and add to their personal portfolio for conversation. This is not the first time that this person has taken something that I care about and used it to hide, but this is the first time that I have cared. It is like having an unwelcome guest walking on your sacred grounds.

But at the end of the day I must remember that when all is taken away from me I have the one thing that I have been able to star in and write. I have myself, I have my brain. I am a character with limitless dimensions. I need no props. It has taken me years to get to this mental state. I am here and it was worth it.

We are the main characters and writers of our life. My main goal is to be known as a fitting writer for the story that is me.