Depending on who you are and how you grew up, you might have mixed reactions to the name.
Some of you might sigh romantically, picturing your own version of the perfect man who you hope to meet some day.
Some of you might sigh in frustration, cursing those stories and movies that have set impossibly high standards of romance and relationships for men and women, because you know that no one is that perfect.
Others of you, like myself, might raise an eyebrow and snarkily ask “Which one?”
Princes are one of the more popular types of fairy tale characters. I’ve talked about them before, specifically how Disney handles their portrayal, but I wanted to explore their characters a little more deeply.
As you may know, I recently graduated college and moved home. I found myself unpacking things that had been either at college or in boxes in our basement for the first time in three and a half years.
And I realized I had a lot more stuff than I thought.
This was most noticeable in my bookshelf. I unzipped my small suitcase (yes, I pack my books in a suitcase, don’t judge me) only to find I had no room on my bookshelf for them.
So I began the terrifying and slightly painful task of choosing which books to keep and which to get rid of.
Now, I’ve always been one of those people who hoards books. I love getting new ones and I hate giving away old ones. So this is a project that my mom tries to encourage me in every few years. And every time, I’d manage to part with five or six books. Unfortunately for me, I had at least fifteen books with me at college and and a full bookshelf with not enough room.
I eventually managed to weed out books I no longer read or need, as hard as it was. And it was a bigger stack than I thought it would be.
Books, CDs, notebooks…I cleaned out a lot of things.
It might have been hard to let go of my precious books (even if they were ones I didn’t particularly like), but there was something satisfying about rearranging my bookshelf. I had the space to reorganize my books and now I have space for the new books I will inevitably buy in the future.
Doesn’t it look nice?
I cleaned out a lot of clutter after moving home. I got rid of old and empty notebooks (I hoard notebooks like a squirrel hoards nuts), CDs that have long since been uploaded to my computer, and clothes I don’t wear anymore.
It’s not easy, clearing out things that I’ve been used to having or have even become attached to. But it’s left me feeling refreshed, like I have room to grow, new opportunities to explore.
Today’s post was written by the lovely Katelyn Bolds, a friend and fellow Taylor grad. She wanted to share some tips on creating a writing space for those of us who love words. Thanks Katelyn!
Some writers can write anywhere. They keep a journal in their backpack or tote bag filled with colorful journals and pens they didn’t get for free. Whenever the mood strikes them, they can sit down and write.
I am amazed at what a gift that is. But after wasting hours being distracted and having “writer’s block”, I have learned that creating a writer’s space is an art. People who can write everywhere are simply good at tuning out distractions. It can be learned with practice, or avoided by creating a dedicated space. While I do not have a spare bedroom or even a broom closet to dedicate as my writer’s room, I used these tips to create a writer’s room anywhere.
Kate G. Jameson 