I'm a rebel. I AM a rebel. Yeah, I know. I work for the Man and have natural colored hair, but I still have more tattoos than Britney Spears and Paris Hilton put together, and I listen to angry music. I even go for some thrash metal from time to time, if the mood is right.

Things have recently been calming down. I moved from my funky studio loft apartment to a two bedroom traditional place with my boyfriend. We like to shop at Ikea. From time to time, we drive through Atlanta on Sundays. We don't like the way teenagers are dressing anymore, and when asking a seventeen year old if he really DID like the Ramones the way his T-Shirt proclaimed, he said, "Who are the Ramones?". I'm wearing more dresses to work and haven't quite figured out if I can get away with a lip peircing at work of if I should just start quoting "Bowling for Columbine"over and over.

My reading interests have veered away from Jack Kerouac to Sue Monk Kidd. Of course, I still like my classics. But I find myself glancing at 'US Weekly' more often, when I shop at Publix for lean chicken and vegetable medlies. I don't like the fact that the Supreme Court passed a law that allows government to take private property away from owners in order to put up malls and over-priced condos. I'm pretty sure I'm anti-death penalty and I'm very sure that a woman has a choice...but I wouldn't choose abortion. I want the right to smoke protected, and I want to make sure kids have good educations. I don't want to worry about endless sales at Sears...but I'm flipping through the catalog recently.

I don't like it when people have excuses for their lives--when everyone can get out and suffer and sweat a little bit. But I don't like it when people don't have mercy on the homeless or the addict. I don't like the fact that most teenagers have much nicer cars than I do, and plenty of people who don't work are still finding money to fill up their S.U.V.s and drive about listening to loud music. I think Ralph Nader shot his foot off in the last election, and I've lost all my respect for him.

I think people should riot more often, but riot peacefully. I don't think Christianity is the only religion, but I think everyone should have a religion. I hate Bush and everything he stands for, except in a few years, he might stand for some of the same things I do...

Just tell me: am I still a rebel? Or is it true? Do we all become calm, moderate laborers when we were sparks of liberty before? God, grant me the strength to remain myself: crazy, funny, rebellious, and strong. Don't let me get swept in the tide of mediocrity. And please don't let my idea of a good day become taking Suzy and Bobbi to soccer practice in my American S.U.V. before going to tennis and yoga lessons.

My good days, hopefully, will remain those spent on the dirty streets of some city, feeling the grit beneath my feet and smelling the scents of a collage of people. My good days will be art galleries, coffees, cigarettes, and walks at midnight. Graveyard slumming and picture taking.

Please let that be so.