017. Seventeen

tldr: maybe prom night, maybe dancing, don’t stop looking in my eyes

In a week from now, I am going to turn eighteen. Time kept moving forward; who-woulda-thunk-it? Certainly not me, who has barely realized that it is Sunday, and that I wanted to make a post today. While I am still in the naive 17-year-old, cynical, self-deprecating mindset, I thought I would do something neat for this post. I mean, it isn’t everyday that the blog number lines up with your actual age [note to self, that would make a fucking RAD novel concept].
This week, the post schedule is changing again (similar to when I changed it for graduation): No posts Wednesday and Friday, posts to be released Saturday through Monday. Same amount of content as normal, but postponed so my 18th post could be on my 18th birthday. Good concept, Paige. [In a year when you are looking over your blogs, what do you want to bet you’ll find this idea excruciatingly stupid? Guess you will find out Future Me.] But now to the blog post:

---

17 Things I Like About Myself

1. My hand-writing. I am usually told that it is nice, and while I don’t talk about it too often: it took a lot of work for my hand-writing to not look like crap. So if I don’t say it in the future: thank you for the compliment, it means a lot.
2. I dress how I want to. [mostly] Always have, always will. Even before I came out as trans, my outfits didn’t change that much over my transition– due entirely to the fact that my gender presentation is how I want it to be. Sure, I would love some more/new clothes, but it is what it is.
3. I can speak in front of crowds.
4. I know what I want to do with my life [teach. I need to make a post about this at some point.]
5. I am quick with patterns and repetition. Examples:
   • LaTeX code came so easy to me (took practice, but overall, was fast).
   • My friend can use random Spanish words, tell me the meaning, and I can use it in day-to-day texts.
   • I can recite some of my favorite poems months after I learned them.
6. I make time for the things that matter. Subjectively.
7. I have a job. That I like? And earns me money? Wack.
8. Self-advocating.
9. I am damn good at making Spotify Playlists. [Sure anyone is. But I like mine.]
10. I take proactive steps towards taking the strain off of myself.
    • Going digital when my backpack got too heavy.
    • Doing my schoolwork well, and doing it early– so that my life at the end of the semester gets a bit easier.
    • Staying hydrated [honestly? One of my biggest struggles growing up was learning how to regularly drink fucking WATER.]
11. I don’t drink soda.
12. I will go out of my way to be kind to my community. Did you give me a large instead of a medium by accident? No worries dear, have a 5$ tip.
13. I can feel relaxed/comfortable in the face of authority.
14. I am good at math. Am I perfect? No. Am I good at competitions? Myeh. Are there concepts I have never heard about before? Definitely. But I put a lot of practice and effort into being good at math and understanding the concepts. This may totally change in college, but as of being 17: I feel like I am good at math. [Note: I don’t mean this to sound egotistical? It might? Who knows. Nonetheless, it is something I am complimented on quite a bit, and as such, is something I want to accept and like about myself.]
15. I like the tldr‘s I make at the beginning of each blog. I think they’re hilarious.
16. I try to see the good in people, and think I am a good judge of character.
17. I’m good at making lists. And being ironic.

---

This list was draining to write. And it shouldn’t be? I should be able to name 100 things I like about myself. Hopefully with age it gets easier. See y’all next week when I am older.

Paige