Who SAYS?

So as it turns out, I'm not very cultured. No, no; don't be deceived by the fact that I do my very best to see and experience all sorts of events and performances. Never mind that I spend as much money as I can afford to see movies, go to the theater, listen to music, and buy works of art. Pish posh to the fact that I Google actors, musicians, artists, both historical and modern, all day long--never mind all that.

Now don't get me wrong. I get that I don't know everything there is to know about everything; in fact, far from it. But seriously, I make an effort. And I also think it's important to be well-rounded. I like to think that I'm the type that knows a little bit about a lot of things. Now maybe that isn't as useful as someone who is a genius at one thing, but I have a lot of interests. And I think there are a lot of different categories of things to be interested in. And to spend one's time on. But I concede that sometimes this is a challenge. It would probably be easier if I only liked two things in the entire world and knew EVERYTHING there was to know about those two things, but that's just not me. Sure; maybe it would be nice--I could just talk about those two things and keep my mouth shut about everything else. I certainly would look foolish a lot less often. Ha. As Lincoln said, "It is better to remain silent and thought a fool than to speak up and remove all doubt." I never adhered to that wisdom very well, but back to the dilemma. The problem with this personality I have is. . . how am I supposed to memorize the name of every new author that comes out AND know the entire history of German opera? In what way could I possibly keep up on current political debates AND know all my American Golden Age musical trivia? What technique should I use to magically have the time to both learn how to sew AND have the stats of this years baseball playoffs in my head? I'm only one person, world!

Now as frustrating as all that has been to me, this is not what ticked me off intially and inspired this little monologue. I was told that I am "uncultured" because I like too many things. I am not a tough enough of a critic to be "cultured." I'm sorry . . . pardon my French, but . . . What the HELL? Now, being an optimist makes one stupid and uncultured? There is no way you're going to play that card on me! There are things I dislike--I'm a human being; this happens. But I don't SEARCH and SCRAPE away at things in order to find something I dislike. Is that any way to live? I feel like all that would do would make ME unhappy. If I looked at everything wanting to hate it, I would hate it. Absolutely. But then, I would be a hateful, negative person. WHY would I want that? WHY would I want to dislike things? I don't see what that would prove to anyone. Why can't anything just be enjoyed for the sake of being enjoyed anymore? Why is it a sin to have an appreciation for a LOT of different types of things?

Case and point: So, as a general statement . . . I do NOT like Little Women the Musical. I love the book, I thought the movie was rad, but the musical never really did it for me. I just have a different taste in music than the style that play gives me. I prefer different genres, if you will. Well, about a year ago, I went to see this little piece of theater at the Orem Hale Center Theatre. . . a local, "semi-professional" place that I generally enjoy attending. I LOVED this particular production of Little Women. It was the same music I had never been a fan of and there were moments that got to me, but I really enjoyed myself. I don't know what changed--maybe it was the performers, maybe I was biased because I knew the director and several of the actors and love them, maybe it's because I've come to EXPECT good theater from that venue, there are a thousand reasons why my judgement may lack a critical eye or why I could be wrong--perhaps it was terrible and I'm too "uncultured" to see that. But I, me personally, Katie Sue Sullivan, had a good time! I enjoyed it! So what is wrong with that? Isn't that enough?

I am reminded of this point again when I look around my room, through my journal, or even this blog--I don't have a "definitive thing," I don't feel. Well, in the more theatrical, artsy world that is. In the general populus it's enough to be defined as the "drama girl," or "the musical theatre singer." But I am referring to the more specific world within I reside where it seems every "drama girl" or boy has their own DEFINITIVE thing. But why MUST I choose between Puccini and Sondheim? Do I HAVE to hate either Tennyson or Billy Collins? Can AKON, The Weepies, Metallica and Trisha Yearwood REALLY not co-exist in the same mind? I GET they're super different. I GET it. So you're telling me I'm not ALLOWED to recognize that more than one type of person, more than one type of genre, more than one era, can all be interesting or creative or beautiful in their own way? I will like whatever I damn well please, thank you very much, world. And if that makes me "uncultured," well then . . . ha get me a wig and call me Tyra Banks--that's just fine.

PS: I LOVE this picture. I think it's pretty. I like what it says. And that's reason enough for me.