Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
1. Name: Kayla
2. Age: 17
3. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you choose?
Prague, Czech Republic
It may or may not be a complete disaster; I don't speak the language at all, and the food isn't appealing to me, but I'm 1/4 Czech (3/4 Irish). My Czech grandmother died before I was born, and I'm at that age where I'm having something of an identity crisis and feel that pull towards my heritage. I've been to Ireland, but I've never been to the Czech Republic, so I feel as though I'm missing out.
On a less serious note, the history of the country is fascinating to me, and Prague (from what I can gather from photos and readings) is such a gorgeous city. It has the potential to be home for me.
4. What would your Room of Requirement look like?
I suppose it would be something very secluded; a place that has all creature comforts of home but somewhere that's only mine. Don't get me wrong -- I love my friends and my family, but every once in a while I would love a place to call my own. Somewhere with a big cushy seating area, my pets, my books, and my movies. That's all I need for a little bit of quiet and a nice escape from everyday chaos.
5. Who is your least favorite Harry Potter character?
I have a couple, both of whom I dislike equally but for completely different reasons.
First, there's Umbridge. Yeah, original, I know, but I have nothing but contempt for her. She's vindictive and sadistic, and empowered by the Ministry which increases her own self-importance and makes her completely terrifying. How far does she have to go before someone holds her accountable for her actions?
I also really dislike Slughorn. He's a Slytherin, so the fact that he picks favorites in the hopes that it'll benefit him the future is unsurprising, but he just perpetuates this idea that Slytherins are slimy and completely self-involved. He's superficial and, in my opinion, a bit of waste. To live and thrive off of other people's accomplishments and allowing your own to be secondary is not the life of a respectable person to me. He just...bugs me.
6. Is the glass half empty or half full?
I'm not a particularly optimistic person, but I don't like to think the world is complete shit. I like to think that life can be as great as you'd like it to be, so long as you work for the future (and present) you want. Maybe things won't always pan out the way you want them to, but there's always something to hold on to. So for me, the glass is half full.
7. Give us a quotation (Can be from a famous person, a song, or even a poem-whatever you want) you feel represents your life or personality.
"You don't have bones of glass. You can take life's knocks. If you let this chance pass, eventually, your heart will become as dry and brittle as my skeleton." - The Glass Man, from Le Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain
Basically, go after what you love and what you are passionate about, no matter what the consequences, because to sit back and watch opportunities pass you by for your entire life out of fear will be far more painful. I'm usually the person who overthinks things and is standing still while everyone else is moving, and it drives me nuts because there's so much that I want to be doing. This is more a quote that explains what I'm aspiring to be, moreso than a quote that describes who I am at this moment in my life. I don't like to think I'm not ever going to change.
8. In your life, who comes first: family or friends?
I have a lot of people I'm friendly with -- mainly people to sit with in class -- but only two or three close friends, who may as well be my family. There's really no separation for me, because I feel like the love you have for your family really has nothing to do with sharing the same blood. I love them just as much as any member of my family, and would sacrifice just as much for them as I would for, say, my mom or my brother.
9. What is your favorite childhood memory?
It's so stupid, but my older brother and I used to cut out the bottoms of boxes to make it look like a TV set, and we would take turns making up TV shows and movies. We would put on these ridiculous shows for each other and our friends and family members at holidays or on playdates. I just always remembered loving those times, because I thought my brother was the coolest person on the face of the earth and by including me in his ideas he was making me cooler by proxy, haha.
10. What would you say is your biggest flaw?
I've always been a very analytical person, but I also tend to get carried away by my impulses if I'm emotionally invested. You know? Like, I'm not one to just, travel on a whim or buy something or a whim, but I will say the first thing that comes out of my mouth if I am or a friend/family member is being threatened. There's nothing wrong with defending people, I don't think, but I have a tendency to react purely on emotion and take personal stabs at the attacker rather than having a rational discussion with them. I don't regret sticking up for those I love or for the underdog, but I don't always necessarily agree with fighting fire with fire.
11. If you had been at Hogwarts during Harry’s fifth year, do you think that you would have joined the D.A.?
I'd be the first to sign my name down. Learning to defend yourself and others is way more important than apathetically abiding by the rules simply because they're the rules.
12. Describe how you react to difficult or stressful situations.
I'll admit, I'm not the best at it. I'm a pretty anxious person (that's generous), and though I thrive on competition and a challenge I don't deal with additional stress very well. In the moment I do what I need to do and don't question it, but afterwards I'm a bit of a wreck, though I tend to keep my panicking to myself, ha.
13. Which do you value more: compassion or justice?
Can I say both?
If I have to choose, I'd say...compassion. I'd love for wrongdoers to be brought to justice, but I think that a lot of times we tend to look right through people and like, dehumanize them. You know what I'm saying?
For example, using and selling drugs is illegal, but most people using/selling need help or are in really horrible situations. Drug addicts aren't criminals; they're sick, they need to be in a hospital or in rehab. They're not going to get better in a tiny jail cell. We need to treat people with compassion and try and understand what's going on with them rather than just write them off as a "bad guy" or whatever other label you can come up with.
For something like murder, the killer absolutely needs to be brought to justice, but a lot of times (most of the time, really) that person is really, seriously psychologically ill. I like to believe that people are inherently good, but are jaded by uncontrollable circumstances and variables. They deserve to be in prison, absolutely, but to not address the psychological issues and try to help tone down that violent behavior makes them a harmful presence to other inmates, visitors, and guards.
Or maybe I'm just idealistic, ha.
14. Would you say that you’re a child at heart, or that you have an old soul?
I'd say I have my childish moments, but I've certainly always felt older than I actually am. Even as a young kid. I mean, I would play and be able to have fun as a child, but more often than not I wanted to be away from other kids my age because I thought they were "boring" and would never "act their age." Now that I am older, I'm still like that. I'm in high school and I'm just kind of over it, you know? I don't want to have any part in the gossiping or the cattiness because it's just immature. It's hard to find people in high school who can have an adult conversation (or at least that's the case in my high school). It's important for me to connect with and indulge in that childish part of me, but I think I'm a 40 year old woman trapped in a teenaged body, haha.
15. Which Hogwarts House do you think that the Sorting Hat would place you in?
Either Slytherin or Gryffindor, but probably Slytherin in the end.
I have a lot of Gryffindor qualities -- I think I am brave and I do step up to the plate when needed, and I will always, always be there to defend those I love, but I am a fairly quiet person and don't really like to draw attention to myself. I can be rash in The Moment, but very rarely does The Moment fully take me. 95% of the time I'm rational and a much more analytical person.
Ultimately I would be in Slytherin because I do have grand ambitions and don't want to limit myself. I dislike Slughorn because he relies too much on making nice with influential people, while I want to be the influential person Slughorn tries to charm (I doubt I'd befriend him, though). I recognize my strengths and passions and put extra emphasis on sharpening those skills, because of the possibilities and opportunities that will open up if/when I become an expert. So much of what I do is for the future, rather than the now, which is, I think, what ultimately makes me a Slytherin over a Gryffindor.
16. Do you care which gender you are stamped as (If yes, tell us which gender you would like to be stamped as)?
Not particularly.
17. Anything else?
Um, I can't even tell you how many times I previewed and edited this post.
Also, sorry for the length. I got a little carried away.
18. If you have a picture of yourself and feel comfortable posting it, please do so! Pictures are fun!
Both from this past Thanksgiving
Age 7, end of soccer season cookout...I'm on the left
