Alright – I am just going to get to the point on this; I was thinking a lot about how corrupt our government is and other things along those lines, got triggered into a pretty bad manic episode (hooray diagnosed bipolar), and I decided that I was going to completely change my style and get really into punk music. I grabbed a pair of scissors, sat on the floor, grabbed handfuls of hair, and started cutting my hair* to get it to look "punk" all while Crass played loud on my speaker (sorry, suitemate).

I listened to tons of different punk artists from the 70s, 80s, and 90s, and I started to feel less anxious. Something about listening to other people, as angry as I am, using their platform to express their ethics and concerns about society through music helped me feel understood and less alone. These people were yelling into their microphones, more than forty years ago, saying ACAB, expressing their anger towards "the establishment" and the corrupt government; it is crazy how these are all topics that are still relevant today. I often feel like people will never change and that I can never have much of an impact on society no matter what I say or do, so fully immersing myself in this subculture gave me the most hope that I have had in years; this is not just an excuse for my reckless and impulsive behavior while I was manic. The music reminded me that there are tons of other people that are as passionate about fighting for justice as I am.

I am not sure if I will keep up this fancy fashion sense all the way through my adulthood or even past this week, but I have a new appreciation for the punk subculture, will always love their passion and boldness, and will always be inspired by them; I guess that technically means it's not a phase. I definitely recommend getting into punk rock if you are tired of the injustices in this country and whatnot.

*The haircut honesty ended up not looking bad in my opinion, if you were wondering.