How I met Raschel Kilpatrick - MySpace worked for once?
Have you ever met someone online, and then seen them in person? Imagine it the other way around. Although nowadays the fad of meeting online to expand one’s dating opportunities and experiences is becoming more widely acceptable, it may transform yet again. Briefly meeting in person, only to learn much further into detail online, I browsed her profile to see her interests, traits, and pics. Hanging by a Moment, by Lifehouse, was playing on her front page. That band happens to be my favorite band. As I briefed through her profile I learned that her favorite virtue was honesty, just like mine. She described her strongest trait, “I am virtually impossible to stop once I put my mind to something. I just can't be told to relax.” Just like me.
When I first met Raschel, I began by interrupting her conversation with her friend. They were talking about the long walk from the social science building to the math building, and how bad her calves hurt. I interjected, “Oh – tell me about it, I have to go from freaking… the nutrition umm… gym building, all the way down to Institute.” She scoffed at me but smiled at the same time. It was a very interesting look, and class began. Forty five minutes later, as I was leaving, she handed me a scrapped piece of paper with her MySpace name on it. Later she told me, “I was surprised I did that, I’m not normally that impulsive, I don’t give my ‘screen name’ out to random people.” It was as if giving out a “screen name” was giving out her “number.” Ideally it was, but it might be considered even more personal considering the fact it was the key to a doorway to her presented viewpoints, photo album, and display.
There were many icons, quizzes, and quotes she provides proudly on MySpace. “I was a little annoyed when I took that flower quiz. They told me I was a rose! I’m not a rose, I’m a snapdragon! It matches my red aura and nature.” The webpage background was black, with many outlandishly silver stars and ribbons. “Stars to wish on, and ribbons for good luck,” she said. Dark in nature, happy in feeling, like a hopeless romantic, is the perspective given from viewing. “There’s a story displayed within an icon. Take for instance this statement: Colorguard – can’t handle it? Be a Cheerleader.’ That’s displayed on my front page with a picture of me spinning my rifle.”
“Half my life is on that page.” And the other half, “Is not displayed to the public.” Under Raschel’s heroes she keeps dearly her grandmother. “I was raised by my grandmother; her entire backyard was my home.” Walking down the aisles of ripened tomatoes, sweet and sour purple seed grapes still on the vines, and pumpkins begging to be carved, “All I can do is smile. That’s it. There are not words to describe memories that rich.” She didn’t describe to me her grandmother’s backyard, she described to me the nature of her grandmother herself, and I filled in the gap. When I spoke those words describing her playground, her eyes lit up in recognition of her past memories.
Nan, or “Nanna,” used by Raschel in younger years, is 73 years old. Outside of her house near the mailbox is a big rock. “Raschel was queen of the world on that rock, the house was her castle, and I was her teddy bear dragon (guardian) protecting the princess.” Nan told Raschel everything she knows, but one thing that sticks in Raschel’s mind is, “Life will exist without computers and television, as long as there is love.” “Every time I got a mosquito bite, Nan would put vinegar on it. I’m not sure why she did it, it might be a lesson on pain. I don’t know.”
MySpace was an extension of her personage. It was her extended thought, a place to believe who she was and to tell the world about it. “It doesn’t matter who views it, I’m glad there’s just a place to put it.” That’s how I got to know Raschel Kilpatrick. Every single quote here was from her either her MySpace page or over MySpace messaging, I could learn everything about her there. We've now been going out for over a month, and our professor probably thinks we signed up for the class together - we did't. I wrote this looking back upon it. without MySpace the relationship just wouldn't be the same. Although I still don't understand why she calls messaging people via MySpace is emailing them - ugh shrug.