CATCHING UP 20 YEARS LATER WITH MY COLLEGE ROOMMATE

I don’t often keep in touch with people I went to school with. My friends were few and far between in high school. And in college, I really only connected with a rare few, even though I desperately tried to find like-minded souls during that time. And although my college roommate and I had very little in common, and did not hang in the same circles, we still kinda dug each other. We most likely never would have been friends if we weren’t randomly assigned to live with each other freshman year. And when you live with someone, if all goes well, it’s easy to form a bond that can last well after you have both moved on. This POD-BLOG* article, and this week’s podcast episode, revolves around my catching up 20 years later with my college roommate, Molly McIntyre.

*POD-BLOG = A separate blog article, in addition to my weekly blog article, that coincides with a newly released GA podcast episode. POD-BLOG articles delve deeper into the subject(s) discussed on a particular podcast episode. And often times, the blog article compliments the podcast episode, and vice versa.

ART MAKES THE HEART GROW FONDER

I hate to boss my readers and listeners around. And I’m not trying to tell you what to do. However, this story, and my recent experience with catching up with my college roommate, is so nuanced. And the easiest way to share all the meat with you, is to direct you to the other ways in which I break down the details of our relationship.

After I recorded my podcast episode with Molly, the next day, she sent me a series of illustrations that she was inspired to create after our talk. I share the whole bag with you in my previous article, ART MAKES THE HEART GROW FONDER. So, I strongly encourage you to visit this article, if you would like to understand the beautiful back story. And if you just can’t find the time, I get it. And I will at least share with you the illustrations that she created, post-podcast recording.

I HAVEN’T CHANGED MUCH IN 20 YEARS

This comic tells so much about who I am. And it’s crazy how so many things that Molly illustrates in this imagery, are still true for me today. I STILL leave a leftover bite on my plate, no matter what I’m eating. I actually forgot that I did that in college! But artists observe the most microscopic details, so naturally. And without thinking, we can capture snapshots of visuals in front of us. And sometimes those visuals regurgitate themselves back into our art.

I also still love pop music and stand behind it until death! I write more about my passion for pop in my article, MY TOP 11 OVERLOOKED, EMPOWERED FEMALE POP SINGERS. And even though Molly was so resistant to pop music in college, I am so happy to share that she is now Britney Spears’s number 1 fan! Ok, maybe not her number 1 fan, but she supports Britney. At least with regards to her struggle for freedom. I can’t exactly speak on how Molly feels about her music.

My twin sister also shares my love of pop music. Check out my POD-BLOG article, GEEKING OUT ABOUT POP CULTURE WITH MY TWIN SISTER.

And finally, I am still that kind of tough and protective friend, as Molly illustrates above, and mentions in our podcast chat. I have experienced childhood trauma, and therefore have built-in, danger radar. I guess that kind of thing never goes away, even with distance from the actual trauma.

COLLEGE ROOMMATES AS WELL AS ARTISTS

Molly and I attended art school together, and as art college roommates, it was super inspiring to live together. We were creative people, living in a creative environment. We used art to deal with our problems and process our feelings. And maybe not every artist does this, but I do know that both Molly and I, in our adult lives, still use our art to aid in our understanding of things. I think I use my art to heal my own stuff, and Molly uses her art to help her make sense of this crazy world.

I have said it before and I’ll say it again, I’m pretty obsessed with Molly’s art. Her talent is so undeniable. And among her other accolades, her work was recently featured in the “Survival“ episode of Netflix’s Worn Stories!

CONVERSATION WITH MOLLY MCINTYRE

In this week’s podcast episode, “Conversation With Molly McIntyre,” we discuss so many topics. Our clashing music differences while living together as college roommates, are among the many. We also discuss feminism, Molly’s art career, her experience with motherhood, and of course, our time together as kids in college.

I’m so grateful to still be in touch with Molly, and I feel so excited to watch her career unfold. Her art taps into something so relatable and universal. And yet she has such a unique, and raw, and open, and beautiful way of expressing her own voice. I hope you tune into the podcast episode, and I hope you take a closer look at her brilliant work! I feel so honored to say that Molly was my college roommate, and is still a cherished friend from my youth.

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