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Being Alive
Stephen Sondheim

As I’ve become comfortable and confident in my voice and in my body I’ve identified a new need. Maybe this need in simple terms is a relationship but this need is difficult for me to explain because every person I interact with is a relationship. My closest friends, the people I only see in class or in Ruebush lobby, my professors, my co-workers; they’re all relationships that have clear boundaries and expectations within. I want something different... I think. My understanding of relationships can be explained by relationship anarchy. Put simply it’s the philosophy that dismantles inherent hierarchy across interpersonal relationships and is founded in autonomy and communication. There’s a whole manifesto I invite you to take ten minutes to read if you fancy. This song couldn’t have a better time to enter into my repertoire! I’m brand new to the dating scene as a senior in college and I’m learning what I can offer and what I can get from relationships. The performances I’ve seen of Being Alive are portrayed in a polished sense of “alright, I give in. Give it to me already.” I hope my interpretation gives light to the nuances of non-conventional relationships and how they are developed, accepted and nurtured.