stupid slow people

I'm REALLY starting to resent people who are just NOW starting to jump on the 'Rent' bandwagon. I am fully aware that I was not one of the first people who knew about 'Rent', and I will always have great respect for those that were the first to appreciate the greatness that is Jonathan Larson, but I also liked 'Rent' long before it became a hit blockbuster movie. But I also think I get to reserve the right to appreciate 'Rent' simply for what it is, because at some point in my life, I'm going to be living it. I probably won't have AIDS, at least I sure hope not, but there's a great likelyhood that I will know people who do, and my mom and I had this long discussion today about before I even think of going to graduate school or into teaching, I need to go and experience everything that I have the potential of experiencing. I think we all know that my mother is much smarter than I will ever be, and I think she looks back at the potential of what she could've become, and what she thought she could do, (not that she's not fabulous now), and maybe regrets choosing what was safe or comfortable over the slightly risky, but valuable experiences she could've had. Anyway, living in poverty in New York City is definitely one of those experiences I plan on having. Betso and I have talked about this before, that sacrificing security for that chance to do exactly what it was that you've always wanted to do, even if just temporarily, can be WAY better than living in security your entire life and always wondering, "what if...?" And I appreciate that my mom wants me to have these experiences, she tells me how cool it would be if I became a Rockette eventually, too, "'cause then you'd have health benefits!", but also to have these experiences so that when I'm a teacher, cuz that's always what I've ultimately wanted to do, I can have not only a different perspective on life than the one I've always had, but these different random experiences that no other high school English teacher could offer them. Hahaha. Like being so poor you can't eat. Or being a cocktail waitress at your Pediatric Gastrointerologist friend's hospital parties...;) Anyway, if you liked 'Rent' before it was a movie, and know who Cunningham or Ginsberg or Pablo Neruda are, I love you lots and lots, and if you only recently started liking 'Rent' within the past couple years, I still love you, just dislike you a little.