Assignment 8 - Cat Lucier - Give and Take

Fears: Losing people I love
Annoyances: Uninformed People, Apathetic People
Accomplishments: ACT Score, GSA,
Confusions: Taxes, how the founding fathers intended to prevent the tyranny of the majority
Sorrows: there is so much hate for minorities in this country
Dreams: to be a person who people feel like they can always come to and to have a home where everyone is always welcome whether they are stopping by for a cup of coffee or need a place to crash while they get back on their feet
Idiosyncracies: I love sleeping in a super cold room
Risks: Addiction
Beloved Possessions, Now and Then: piano (both), books (both),
Problems: I take more than I give

Sometimes I like to fantasize about how I'm going to run my home when I move out and have a stable job and such. I imagine a cozy little apartment with a futon or two in the living room, and various houseplants around (of course). I'll have a closet full of sheets and blankets and pillows, and my fridge will always be stocked. I'll have an entire cabinet of teas, and bookshelves full of every genre you can think of. There'll be a fluffy rug on the floor, and art pieces on the walls. I'll have extra toothbrushes and soap and other essential toiletries in the bathroom. I'll accept whatever you can give as payment.
The point of all this is to be a refuge home. You had a huge fight with your significant other and you need a place to stay the night? I gotchu. You're between jobs and don't have anywhere else to sleep, and happen to have an affinity for organizing? My futon is yours; please organize the bookshelves. You don't even have to need a place to stay the night. You're on a road trip, driving through, and need a bathroom break and some coffee? I'll be glad to provide. You've been feeling really down lately, and just need some compassion? Stop by - I'm happy to spare the time. Got writer's block? We can bounce ideas off each other.
I think about someting all the time - it's sort of like karma. I want to give more than I take. I've taken a lot in the past, and I want to repay my debts. I believe that you need to make a conscious effort to give more just to break even. Anyway, there are so many people who just take and take, and never even think about giving back; people affected by that greed deserve extra love. It's like health insurance (as I understand it, which is admittedly shakey). You pay every month and some of that money goes toward paying for other peoples' various appointments and procedures. Then, when your time comes for needing an expensive treatment, some of the other people's money goes toward paying for yours so that you don't have to. In the same way, some other people take more than they give, so I try to give more as an attempt to make up for the dearth from other people. I am unsure if I communicated that analogy clearly, but the takeaway from this brain-dump is to give more than you take. Very philosophical.