Kirsten
Kueser’s (Key-zur) life is one of constant motion. As a child, Kirsten was
always moving—she’s lived in 5 different states in her lifetime. First was Virginia Beach, Virginia, where she
was born; then her parents and she headed to Maryland; then to Indiana, where
her parents divorced; her mother and she moved to Toledo, Ohio while her father
moved to Michigan. Her father and she stopped talking as much while Kirsten
attempted to adjust to life in a new town; first starting school for a day a
half hour from her house, then at Sylvania’s Northview High School, and finally
at Sylvania’s Southview High School. On high school, Kirsten says,
(Quote)
“I
guess I had a good high school experience, kind of normal, until I went through
that stage every girl goes through where they have that falling out with their
friends. Up until junior year I was fine until that falling out, and then I
realized that everyone is so selfish and I couldn’t stand that anymore. I just
branched out and did my own thing.”
(End Quote)
Kirsten’s
life moved again from one of ordinary high school friendships to self-imposed
isolation. But then there was the question of why Kirsten chose OU. Sure, she
loved to do her own thing, but aren’t there several universities within the
Toledo area? Kirsten says,
(Quote)
“There
was no way I was going to school in Toledo; Athens was perfect. Obviously also
because of the Scripps program—it had been down to Miami and OU. I decided to
see Kent, also, because Miami was too stuffy for me. That day I signed into my
email while at Kent and it said I was in the Scripps school. The funniest thing
was that I emailed Prof Stewart back by asking him ‘Is this a joke?’ I was
dumbfounded, but I tried to cover it up in the smartest way possible. The first
time I met him in class, I introduced myself and I told him I was the girl who
asked him if it was a joke; he laughed and remembered.”
(End Quote)
She
moved, then, to start anew; once again Kirsten was in motion. The Scripps
School is obviously the main reason many people eventually choose OU. But how
do these people choose Journalism in the first place? Kirsten offers an
enlightening reason why,
(Quote)
“I may
not be the most informed human being; in a room of journalism majors, I will
not be the first person to tell you about what happened in Libya last night.
But, when I go and sit in front of the news, I feel connected to the world. If
I miss watching the news I feel isolated; the news reminds you that you have
this whole world, it’s bigger than your own life. And I love talking.”
(End Quote)
What
exactly made Kirsten keep diving in, despite her not being quote-unquote “the
most informed human being?” How did she always keep moving along on things? On
this final note, Kirsten had to say,
(Quote)
“I’ve
always wanted to do things but I’ve never been the best or recognized for
things. My driving force is all the times I haven’t been acknowledged or have
been pushed aside. My dad and I don’t speak and my old friends have replaced
me. My driving force is to be irreplaceable or unforgettable. Obviously I don’t
want to blow up a school, or something-- but that’s my driving force. I want to
be of importance to something. I want to get out of an experience as much as I
put in.”
(End Quote)
Always
pushed aside, Kirsten has had to remain moving in order to keep on living her
life. However, what’s the problem with a life of constant motion, when some
lives are fixed in the same track, never moving and never experiencing the
world around them?
You just made me feel badass. Love it.
ReplyDeleteWell, duh, you sort of are pretty badass.
ReplyDelete