If you’ve known me for any period of time, you probably know that I love writing. If you’ve known me for a slightly longer period of time, you probably know that I have always wanted to attend college - one in particular, Patrick Henry College. In fact, I was so set on going there that I never applied to any other colleges.
But what was I going to study there? For the longest time, I assumed Classical Liberal Arts (CLA) would be my trajectory. It seemed fitting, as I enjoyed literature and homeschooled from first grade to graduation. The only real obstacle would be Latin, a language I absolutely abhorred.
I had no idea what I would do with this major. Maybe become a teacher, or maybe I’d get married and only use it in homeschooling my own kids. Truth be told, I wasn’t really looking too far into the future at that time, and CLA was really the only major that interested me at Patrick Henry.
How an Immortal Reset My Trajectory
Around age sixteen, I joined an online writing community called the Habit: Student Edition. During my time there, I met a writer who soon became one of my best friends - the one and only, C.E. Larke. We became friends through my reading her story and starting up a sort of joke that she was, verily and forsooth, an Immoral.
Read about her side of the matter here: A Joke Turned Invaluable.
In retaliation, she said I was being an infamous journalist and spreading propaganda about her, which gave way to the name “Lissie Lane” (a play on Lois Lane, the famous reporter from the DCU). I adopted the persona, and so the joke continued.
Fast forward a year later, when my Mom begins signing me up for Patrick Henry’s teen camps. I don’t remember what really sparked me to take the joke with Lady Larke seriously, but somehow or another I asked my Mom to register me for Journalism & Digital Media. Just to try it out, since I really knew almost nothing about journalists - except that they were annoying as heck in most popular media.
Well, I went to the camp. And I loved it. Here was a way I could use my writing, and tell stories, AND not have to study Latin. It was a win-win-win situation.
Thus I ended up wanting to pursue the route of the very trope which annoyed me so much as a kid. God really does have a wonderful sense of humor.
Discovering Sonder
I mentioned this word in my previous Unlocking Elisabeth post.
In case you don’t remember, the dictionary definition of ‘sonder’ is:
SONDER. noun
the awareness that other people all have their own complex set of feelings and experiences, that everyone else is the main character in a story wherein you are a side character
In my post, I explained why this word really captured my fascination.
“By this time, I had already decided to pursue a journalism major in college, and this word perfectly encapsulated how I perceived journalism. Everyone lives a unique and wonderful story, and I wanted to help them share it with others.”
There’s a song by RUSH (one of my, and my dad’s, favorite bands) called Entre Nous1 that also captures this sonder in its first verse.
“We are secrets to each other
Each one's life a novel no one else has read
Even joined in bonds of love
We're linked to one another by such slender threads.”
I think this understanding, that every person you see is the main character of their own book, can give you a new perspective on life. It can change the way you think and react to that random stranger at the grocery store, that driver who ran into your lane, that couple waiting at the crosswalk, that elderly man or woman sitting alone and unnoticed by a society whose gaze is perpetually turned inward.
And Continuing…
Persuing a major in Journalism at PHC wasn’t on my bingo card, but I’m really excited for it. I still don’t know a lot about the media world, nor how I’d like to use the major after college.2 But I’m excited to see how God writes my story and where it takes me.
Entre Nous is a French phrase which translates to “just between us.” They’re Canadian, hence the French, I presume.
Maybe I’ll travel the world - I’ve always wanted to do that!
An Immortal hmmmph
Ahh that's so cool and exciting!! Praying for you as the future approaches! 🤗💕