Flannel shirts. Yoga pants. Starbucks. Elle Woods. These are the first four things that come to my mind when I think about a "sorority girl." Next is, “Oh, duh, me!” My family and friends were surprised to hear I was joining a sorority; heck, I surprised myself. The secret? I didn’t join a sorority, I found my family and they welcomed me home.
First of all…
I do not do my makeup every day, or even once a week, if we’re being honest. I don’t wake up two hours before class to get ready, grab my $6 latte and stroll in five minutes late. I have perfected the art of picking out a T-shirt and random shorts that don’t match, brushing my teeth, and even sometimes my hair, all in about three and a half minutes. Some girls might say they are ugly, ratchet, a "hot mess," but really, I am just me. AND I LOVE IT. None of my friends, most of whom are my sorority sisters, care what I am wearing, or if I made my own coffee and saved a couple bucks. I have friends that truly love me for me, so there is no use trying to be this stereotypical girl that is so commonly portrayed in the media.
Just call me Martha Stewart.
They enjoy sewing, baking, and afternoon naps. Who am I referring to? Me and every 75-year-old woman I have ever met.
OK, obviously this is a joke, I was just raised in a do-it-yourself kind of family. My mother, is THE Suzie Homemaker of all Suzie Homemakers. She can literally do it all. She cooks, bakes, makes and cans her own jelly, crochets, knits, sews…everything. Half of my friends think that I was raised in the Little House on the Prairie era. But you know what, it is so fun. Try it, go make something by hand and tell me you don’t feel a sense of pride. Growing up it was always fun to help mom in the kitchen, or learn to crochet, so I still do these things today.
Side note, my mother is also a penny pincher. “A dollar saved is a dollar earned.” So tell me, as a poor college student, why would I spend a ridiculous amount of money on a Halloween costume when I could just make one myself? Do not invite me to a bake sale and expect me to show up with store bought anything. It really is all very economical.
Once I decided to try and hand embroider the American flag on a fanny pack, 1- not easy, 2- saved $10 I would have spent to buy one.
To sum it up, the reason that I do not consider myself the ‘Sorority Girl’ portrayed by TV shows and movies is simply this: I was raised on strong values, morals, and self-worth. No one can tell me what I can or cannot accomplish, where I will go in life, or how important I am, except for myself. I challenge all of you to do what I have done, find a small group of HUGE weirdos, who support you through everything, without judgement, and with smiles in place. Learn to let loose, and to love yourself, and the quantity of joy in your life will increase tremendously.
