pride and ego keeps us from speaking our truths we don’t want to be perceived as crazy or as a basket case and we suppress, suppress, suppress- only speaking with cordiality and respectability when we should really cut through the bullshit and let every unfiltered thought make it to paper so we don’t drown in anxiety and depression regretting everything that’s never been said
me in January of 2023…I give no fucks when I’m angry
when my inner bitch wakes up and rises-you better watch out I have no scruples, I have no morals my wrath has no limits I’ll come after you with my words call you out for hurting me or my loved ones I’ll forget everything I learned in therapy about compassion, about forgiveness I won’t just act like a woman scorned I’ll act like a villain in a horror movie out for revenge
December 19th is National Emo Day and I wanted to honor it by sharing my spotify playlist with my favorite Emo Songs. I started listening to Emo music when my best friend introduced me to Taking Back Sunday and Brand New in college. I liked the music but didn’t get into it until the summer of 2021. I remember I was on my summer staycation from hell and had this feeling of numbness and shock in my body as I was doing my power walk and no song was hitting the spot for me to feel something. I was also having a lot of intrusive and negative thoughts at the time so I was trying to feel something, anything to get out of my head and stay safe. None of the music I was listening to was hitting the spot and then I decided to try my former angry playlist and Cut without the E came on and omg my anger came out in full force. It was like this weird gift from the universe because well, I finally felt something and it was powerful. It feels strange to say that rage felt empowering to me but it did. It knocked me out of my self pity and hardcore suicidal ideation into my anger phase of the grief I was in and it was what I needed at the time. It was the song I needed to get me through one of the hardest times in my life. Anyways, I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve listened to the album, “Tell All Your Friends” by Taking Back Sunday that summer. Then I rediscovered Brand New, and discovered Fallout Boy, Panic!At the Disco and the music really resonated with me. I always joke around with my friends that “maybe I just like these white boys yelling angry lyrics in my ear” lmao. But seriously, there is something about that white boy angst and anger that really hits the spot when I’m in a bad mood. Well, rap music also hits the spot but that’s another blog post. Lol. This summer I was actually lucky enough to see Taking Back Sunday with Third Eye Blind in concert with the same best friend who introduced me to TBS. It’s weird to say but it was one of the most joyous experiences of my life. It was one of the times when I was thankful of the intensity of emotions that comes with my BPD because when I’m happy, oh boy, it’s almost overwhelming but in a good way.
me in July of this year at the Taking Back Sunday/Third Eye Blind Concertme with my best friend from college at the concert
Below is a video of me in the summer of 2021 and the summer of 2022. There is a clear difference in both versions of me. I remember being so reactive and full of rage when I recorded the video where I’m in my room and immediately posting it on tik tok. I was in my “fuck the world” stage of grief. The video at the concert is me in this state of complete happiness and joy. I remember thinking “wow, I’m just really happy at this moment listening to this song. There is no room for anger in my heart”. It’s dramatic to say that it was cathartic for me but it was. To diminish that moment to something less than that would be invalidating what I felt at that moment.
what a difference a year makes!
Helena -My Chemical Romance
Lying is the Most Fun a Girl Can Have without Taking Her Clothes Off- Panic!At the Disco
Cut without the “E”-Taking Back Sunday
Motorcycle Drive By- Third Eye Blind
The Kill-Thirty Seconds to Mars
There’s No “I” in Team-Taking Back Sunday
Seventy Times 7-Brand New
Hands Down-Dashboard Confessional
Sugar We’re Going Down-Fall Out Boy
Sic Transit Gloria…Glory Fades-Brand New
I’m Not Okay (I Promise)-My Chemical Romance
Head Club- Taking Back Sunday
The Patron Saint of Liars- Fall Out Boy
The Only Difference Between Matrydom and Suicide is Fame- Panic!At the Disco
Screaming Infidelities-Dashboard Confessional
Great Romances of the 20th Century-Taking Back Sunday
A Decade Under the Influences-Taking Back Sunday
Tell that Mick He Just Made My List of Things to do Today- Fall Out Boy
Vindicated- Dashboard Confessional
Jude Law and A Semester Abroad- Brand New
Here is my spotify playlist of my favorite emo songs for your listening pleasure:
This time it will be different-I lie to myself over and over again- and for a while I’ll believe it-but it never works out and they always leave- And I wonder how words fail me when this happens- it’s a magnitude of emotions- Intense, mega, uber, all consuming, overwhelming- Some things cannot adequately expressed even with bilingual vocabulary- maybe not everything is meant to be written down it’s just meant to be felt, held intimately in my heart and mind maybe it’s a private thing between me and the universe
our love dream has turned into a nightmare of stagnancy and routine I walk carefully on eggshells to not disturb your peace so you don’t leave- Is this how love is supposed to be? More questions than answers, more confusion than clarity More tears than laughter- I want to stay for the sake of our family but I’m starting to burn with resentment and anger
I grew up too quickly in some areas and remained a child in others – it’s a truth that I hate to admit it wasn’t my parents’ fault they did the best with what they had – an extra sensitive child with medical issues it was too much for them to handle when they were trying their best to keep their own heads above water there was no extra time for the extra needs and demands I had and while middle age holds space to have compassion for them I still need to reparent my inner child who comes out in the most inoportune of time and has caused terrible havoc and harmed others but it’s not her fault or mine It happens sometimes, and now I’m taking the time to nurture her so she can finally grow up
I try my best to take delight in my life and enjoy everything good but fuck it, if I have to be honest with myself- sometimes the depression gets the best of me and I drink and write sad and pathetic things about how I want to cut my wrists and watch the blood leave my body maybe I’m just embracing the cliche of being a tortured artist or my darkness needs a place to fucking go- at least I’m now acknowledging it instead of suppressing it- and I almost spiral into a cycle of self loathing but instead say “fuck it- this is who I fucking am sometimes”- An emo girl caught up in her trauma and hormones- Wait-how did this poem turn into– Oh yeah-the prompt delight well whatever this is its the best drunk and depressed me has to give to my creativity tonight
What’s the hardest decision you’ve ever had to make? Why?
I’ve taken off my mask and stop repressing my true self- And while it’s terrifying at times, I show the world my authenticity and vulnerability I share the parts of my story that are terrible, happy, sad, lovely, crazy, beautiful, and tragic so others don’t feel alone and find solidarity in my chaotic and bicultural story of love, rage, defeat, hate, and resilience And bring to light my rich and vivid experience of the duality of being a rooted and rootless, Peruvian and American, a hateful and kind woman living her life fearlessly and shamelessly
I wrote this poem inspired by a coworker who pretended to be my friend while stabbing me in the back. She also gaslighted me about the whole situation when I confronted her. She also accused me of neglecting my oldest son when I went back to college and told me, “you be like other Hispanics and just work hard” . I left this workplace shortly after. All I can say is don’t trust March Pisces from Gainesville. Lol.
honestly tho, Merissa-this one’s for you
with this pen in my hand your reputation I’ll disband 20 years later, it might seem like an overreaction but the trauma you cause still causes me turmoil it’s time to let the the world know what kind of person you really are pretending to be my friend and have my best interests at heart but behind my back you made me the subject of gossip among our colleagues and this almost broke me apart and caused deep seated racial trauma Were you jealous of me or were you projecting your insecurities? I hope one day everyone sees past your bullshit And realizes you’re the biggest counterfeit
this is how healing looks like-me and my notebook against the world
healing is chaos and calm intertwined with diving timing because after almost falling of the cliff of insanity and wanting to end it all a light flickered inside of me to push through- that light was sometimes my anger, therapy, poetry or my friends encouraging me to to move forward to continue on my path of self discovery and a year later- I no longer care about why someone’s love wavered or why someone treated me like shit all i care about is vibrating to the version of my highest and healthiest self I care about intentionally setting fire to the path of personal and professional success
me ignoras, me rechazas, me conviertes en nada- y trato de acercarme para revivir lo que teníamos pero tu me haces sentir como una idiota, una estupida me dices que no pasa nada y que estoy loca Y yo me siento atrapada porque no quiero quedarme sola