My better half = more of me!

Recently, I have chosen not to self-identify on Facebook, Twitter, etc. etc. Nobody needs to know my religion, politics or what I do in the bedroom. But sometimes it helps for ME to know what I identify as, just to avoid confusion when I start talking to myself.


And I have concluded that life is lonely right now, but that doesn't have to be a bad thing. I am and actually want to be, for the first time, SINGLE. The question is: what the hell does that actually mean?

The first thing I think of is “single-serving” as in the “single-serving friends” acquired on a cross-country flight (a la Fight Club). But I've done the one-night (and one-morning) stand thing and the slut thing and both of those got old really, really fast (two months, tops).

I've also done the “take yourself on a date” thing, which isn't too bad. You get to eat what you want, watch what you want, and always make sure you're satisfied before you roll over and go to sleep. But it is definitely more expensive than letting someone else take you out.

And so, what have I concluded? Not much, it seems. But it is alright to be single and that doesn't mean you have to go to the bar on singles' night or bemoan your sorrows on Singles' Awareness Day (a.k.a. Valentine's Day). It just means you don't need a “better half” to be whole. And that's saying something.

Related Links:
Fight Club (1999)
Single-serving friend – Urban Dictionary definition
How to take yourself on a date - eHow.com
Singles' Awareness Website
Origins of “my better half” - phrases.org.uk

Kaitlyn M. Ulmer (Wierzchowski) Online Portfolio

Writing samples:
You Wear CRAZY Well - The New Gnus
Inklings - Book-length poetry manuscript on Amazon.com
Ready Racine - Newsletter for Racine County Emergency Management
Martini Madness - Downtown Blog for The Racine Journal Times
Second-Hand Smoking - Downtown Blog for The Racine Journal Times
Plea for Anarchy - Scars Publications
The Absent/Abusive Father - Scars Publications
Top ten tips for freshmen - The Ranger News, University of Wisconsin - Parkside

Shifting from books to Nooks

Those of us attached to books, almost in an unhealthy way, need to learn new modes of sharing information. Don't get me wrong, I still love the feel and smell of an old book and I often strip new books of their horrible plastic-feeling covers. But as my book club friend Jim says, it is the information in these books that is more important than the books themselves. He shared this while we were reading a pretty heavy YA novel, The Book Thief.

Those of us who still want to share information need to learn new technologies. I have always been tech-deficient, but even I have learned Facebook, Twitter, and Blogger. You can see a horrible example of my html learning if you look for my old Angelfire account (circa age 19). Thank god it is no longer the first thing that pops up when you search my name!

O.K. Getting a little off-topic... There will still be paper versions of literature as long as some of us still read them, but the internet is the main source of information these days. However, because anybody can post anything, you need to research your sources to determine which of them you can trust.

Related links:
In Praise of the American Short Story - The New York Times
About Electric Literature

Be like a baby in Snowmaggedon

Source: My brother, Bryce Ulmer, created this t-shirt design.

So many things I could write about today, and I can only choose one of them because I only have enough time to write about one of them! "Snomaggedon" has descended upon us in the Kenosha/Racine area of Wisconsin, and it is pulling people together in a way I haven't seen in a looooong time. I found myself stranded in Racine at my lover's apartment, but I am happy to be here with him.

But what I really want to focus on today is the positive things - which doesn't include feeling trapped by the snow. My friend Ellen sings wonderful songs. One of her lyrics sticks out to me: "Be like a baby the Bible say, so I stay like a baby to this very day." Today, I got the chance to play and cuddle the sweetest baby. He laid there, looking around at the wonderful world, his arms open wide. Looking for the world to embrace him.

Sometimes I wish I could be filled with awe. And why can't I marvel at the world around me? I can choose to gripe about this snow, or I can choose to watch how it glistens. Before grabbing my shovel, I want to take a moment to really look at the snow. I need to remind myself to be present in every waking hour of my life. To truly experience the things around me and stop living so much in my head.

More about Snowmeggedon 2011