Let's Be Honest...

A little bit of an update before I begin...
I think I'm going to aim for a post a week because I'm a bad blogger and am easily distracted by other things. Other things consisting of the second season of Gossip Girl [which just came out on DVD and I'm super excited]...and reading...and RockBand. Very important things, as you can tell. But seriously, a post a week.

So, I'm in a sorority. I just graduated with my Bachelor's so this makes me an alum. But, I'm in a sorority no less. I will keep the sorority's name disclosed because although I might be honest, I don't want to be vicious.

Recruitment is fast approaching and this means many things for both sides of participants. The poor souls that aim to join one of these groups are stressing about appearance (which outfit to wear? How to style my hair? Will they like me?) , researching each sorority at their campus, and more than likely ignoring the sole reason for their attendance at said campus. On the other side of the door, sorority loyals are planning decorations, practicing songs, learning the "do's and dont's" of proper conversation, maticulously judging the appropriate outfits to make their group as a whole look "presentable"; I think it makes all of us look like cookie-cutter, soccer-mom-housewifes. I have nothing against that stereotype. If you're a woman who does nothing all day but tote your kids around and takes care of the household, that's great for you. I understand that that can be a full-time job within itself, but it isn't me. I don't believe that I should present myself as such either.

I have been in a sorority for four years, and I'm pretty knowledgable about the inner workings of it's "democracy". I'm not quite positive why I decided to stick with it for four years because it was an extremely stressful part of my college career. I put a lot of money and time into it, I've lost countless friendships and gained few, and I still don't feel like I'm walking away with much.

I've talked endlessly with several friends about the pros and cons of sorority life. Location is key. My university doesn't seem to be the right home for Greek life. However, there are factors about sorority life that I believe are common among all chapters. We are all fake. Very blunt statement, I understand. But I don't apologize for it. To some varying degree, each sorority girl is fake. It doesn't necessarily mean that all of us have fake blonde hair, fake tans, fake boobs, AND a fake personality. It just means that we aren't honest with others or with ourselves 100% of the time.

The sorority that I had dedicated the past four years of my life has prided itself on being original and down to earth. But when it's recruitment time, we put on a mask. We try to act like our sorority is a fun club that doesn't have political issues and money problems. I would love it if our recruitment parties could be us in a room with couches and junk food. We could wear whatever suited us, and we could sit and casually talk to these girls about what our sorority was really about. I would tell them all of the fun we have, but I would also be honest about how much work is really involved in maintaining, as well as building upon, the existing sorority.

I could keep talking about this forever. I think you all get my point though. I might write more about sorority life in later posts. Maybe...

Moral: Honesty. Because it's so much more attractive than being fake.