By far my favorite compliment I’ve received a lot recently is that I’m “authentic”. People seem to take my unrelenting ability to just “be myself”, as having no concern for what others think of me, which is so far from the truth, it’s almost laughable. I’m self conscious and have my insecurities, but I’ve come to realize there’s no worth in hiding my real self around new people. And you know what the scariest part is? People generally seem to like the weird, sassy being that I am. Crazy, right? It’s not so much that I don’t care what other people think, so much as I’ve let go of my inhibitions and let instinct kick in. If I want to respond to the guy who hits on everyone when he asks what I’m looking at with “You” and a wink just to watch him blush like crazy, I’m going for it. If I feel the need to make a “Lord of The Rings” reference on a date, it’s happening. And I don’t care how loud my boss laughs after I refer to myself as “The Elf of the restaurant” after I wrapped faux presents for hours as decorations for Christmas. It’s not that I don’t care about what people think, I just care that people know the true me. I’m appreciating those that get my cultural and literary references and not worrying about those who don’t. There are many sides to me, but I refuse to allow any to be anyone else.
Catherine with a C, Katie with a K 