Be Sociable, Share! TweetI am good at getting what I want. To be more specific, I am good at getting what’s good for me. I used to mistake this for me being terrible at getting what I want. Even a person as resilient as myself can only get their heart broken so many times before they begin to believe the…
I’m Not The Hero In This Story
Be Sociable, Share! TweetI was always a bookworm; I grew up reading novels in lieu of living a life. For as long as I can remember, I lived vicariously through the experiences of fictional heroes. Whether it was Tris Prior or Jane Eyre, I pictured myself in the shoes of these heroines. Deep down, a part of me suspected I…
Becoming the Butterfly
Be Sociable, Share! TweetThe end of my second year of university crept up on me so softly, I almost missed it. I was aware of the passing of time, of the ending of my final exams, but there was no cut-off point. There was no definitive moment of “okay, this is over now.” Last summer I left Glasgow in June,…
I Facebook-Stalked Myself, And Here’s What I Learnt
Be Sociable, Share! TweetLike many people of my generation, I often indulge in a wee bit of internet stalking. One minute I’m preparing to study for my exams, the next I’m instagram-stalking someone’s sister. Just a normal day in the life of Eliza. Today was my final exam of my second year of university. I came home afterwards, and I…
We Can’t Heal The Pain We Refuse To Feel
Be Sociable, Share! TweetWe have all experienced pain. It’s a natural part of being human. Pain is a tool for growth, a tool for understanding ourselves and the world around us. When we are children, we learn not to touch hot ovens because of the pain of being burnt. When we’re teenagers we learn how to act, out of fear…
Back to Square One: Rewriting My Novel, Six Years On
Be Sociable, Share! TweetSix years ago today, I started writing a novel. I was fourteen years old, and it was the third novel I went on to complete — the first that wasn’t shockingly bad. Six years later I’m rewriting it. What’s this book about? When people ask what my novel is about, my usual response is “Ehhhhhhh.” I have…
Holding Out for a Heroine
Be Sociable, Share! TweetWho do you put up on a pedestal? Are your role models right for you? Do you aspire to be like the people who inspire you? These are questions I’ve been pondering today. You don’t know what you’ve been missing until the void is finally filled. It was a grey, cloudy afternoon, typical Glaswegian weather. The sun…
Why Students Should Support Their Striking Lecturers
Be Sociable, Share! Tweet*Sings* (to the tune of Olivia Newton John’s ‘Physical’): Let’s get political, political, I wanna get political. If this was a regular Tuesday morning, I would be sitting in an English Literature lecture at the time of writing this, probably not taking as many notes as I should, and maybe surreptitiously texting my friend under the desk.…
When Personal Growth Isn’t A Myth
Be Sociable, Share! TweetA week ago last Thursday, I found myself sitting, waiting for a job interview, in a call centre in Bridgeton, and wishing I was anywhere else in the world. I’d had to skip my English Lit lecture to go there (which was the one redeeming feature of the whole experience), and I’d braved the notoriously unreliable train…
I’m An Interesting Person, I Promise!
Be Sociable, Share! TweetAs I sat in my favourite coffeeshop this morning, writing in my diary, I had this moment where I saw myself, and my identity, in a different light. It was a typical Wednesday morning, and I spent the hour between my classes the way I always do: drinking coffee, getting lost in my thoughts. I was writing…