"Just Came to Say, Good-bye Love... Good-bye, Love..."

So I thought a year ago that my self-esteem problems were fixed and I was going to be okay in that area, but judging by my conduct recently, I don't think they are.

I ask my Mum at least twice daily if she's angry at me. I feel like she's angry at me. She hasn't been yet.

I ask my friends, online and off, at least once a month, if I bore them, if I annoy them, if they hate me, if I should go away and leave them alone. I have little confidence in the things I write, and I hate social functions because I'm afraid I'll talk too much and everyone will hate me.

When I was eleven, a girl told me she didn't want to be my friend any more because I talked too much.

When I was still going to SAM, a teacher told me I looked 'so much prettier with earrings!'. Now I feel ugly when I don't wear earrings, despite the fact that they make my ears bleed and crack.

I quit Scum Club because I was and am still convinced they all hate me there, or at least that I annoy them and drive them crazy. When I'm around other people, I feel loud, stupid, and annoying.

I know I'm probably wrong, but that doesn't seem to help. I still feel like that.

Why can't I get over this? I've been homeschooled five years. That should be long enough to fix this stupid sort of problem. >_

"Or the Way that She Died..."

Stolen from pretty much everyone on my friendslist.

On the theory that we could all use a hearty dose of positive energy and general warm fuzziness while we wait, none too patiently, for spring and better times; that no one I know is getting told often enough what a good job they're doing just getting through this crazy, lovely world. Take a second, and mention something you like about me (if such a thing exists) in the comments. Then repost this to your own journal, and have some goodness for yourself.

"Is He Robust?" "He's Very Pale!" "At Least We Know He's Male..."

Firstly:

Doctor Unheimlich has diagnosed me with Soujinitis
Cause:	cursed amulet
Symptoms:	peeling skin, extremely impaired vision, foot swelling, depression
Cure:	take four Prozac tablets a day until it goes away
Enter your name, for your own diagnosis:

*is easily amused* Stolen from tatteredsparrow.

And secondly, to-day's fic is brought to you by the requests of mhari, ladybretagne, fannore, erinpuff, eponinenkind, and venefica32.

Starring Combeferre and a hot Enjolras. No, we mean literally hot. No, as in--

( Synonyms )

"Now and Then I Still Dream She's Beside Me..."

By the way, someone e-mailed me over 'Fashion i' th' Earth':

Hello,

I am a PhD student at Fordham University who is currently participating in a seminar on Shakespeare and Popular Culture. I read your story "Fashion i' th' Earth" on Fanfiction.net and was wondering if I could ask you a few quick questions.

1. What inspired or influenced you to use Shakespeare for your story? Those characters specifically?
2. How do you see your work's relation to Shakespeare's?
3. Do you feel the male romance offers some sort of challenge or subversion (to Shakespeare? to cultural authority?)?
4. What effect would you like the story to have on a reader?

Your responses to these questions (and any other information you might want to include) would be greatly helpful.

Thank you,
John Ziegler
Fordham University
Bronx, New York