Katie Leggitt

Sometimes not asking why can save you some heartache. I realized today that I often use that question to understand people and their experiences.  I have always been curious about the lives of others and the way my brain needs to process stories is by trying to delve deeper into their person.  "What is it like being you?" Sometimes asking too many questions reveals too much information.  I'm a sensitive person and I oversympathize with people, so knowing the details of someone's experiences really gets to me.  It's my own fault. Anyway, I feel like when meeting new "potentials," sometimes less is more.  When you start dating someone, do you really need to know right away why they broke up with their ex?  Why they've dated half the city?  Why they believe the things they do?  You haven't even built a repoire yet.  I think until you can master the art of small talk, you should keep the skeletons in the closet.  Why go somewhere that may trigg

I went to watch my niece's hockey game today.  It was at the Canadien's practice arena, so it was kind of cool to check it out, it's very nice.  Regardless of how you feel about the Habs this season, it's something to see where they practice. Sitting in the cold, watching the girls play, sipping a mint tea, I thought about how much I valued the warm spot I created for myself.  I stood up momentarily to help my 2 year old nephew out and had to wiggle around to find my it again when I sat back down.  It was somewhere approximately 6 inches to the right of my tea. You know what I'm talking about, when you sit somewhere cold and your butt warms it up nice, you don't want to stray, at the risk of losing the perfectly warmed location for your tush.  You grow attached to it and it's so frustrating to start a new one. It dawned on me that this was the perfect analogy for relationships. I know it's a stretch, but hear me out. I think at times we grow accu

Michael Bebbington's 5-year old face is forever ingrained in my memory.  It was naptime, in kindergarten, and I was hunched over my desk when I had a funny feeling someone was looking at me.  I looked up and saw Michael Bebbington staring at me.  He then stuck out his tongue and made one of the worst grimaces I've ever seen.  Maybe he was a bit of a troublemaker, but I was stunned by his display of disgust at me.  I wanted to tell on him but I knew I was supposed to have my eyes shut too, so I didn't.  I dropped it.  Later on in the year I would bribe him with marriage in exchange for his chocolate chip granola bar, a bribe I've never regretted and my offer still stands if he'll have me. Lately I've been thinking a lot about professional tattle-taling, or in other words, telling on your coworkers.  It's happened in the past that I received a questionable email from someone and my first reaction was to forward it to the powers that be and complain about lac

Do you remember where you were the first time your boyfriend or girlfriend said "I love you?"  The first time any boy ever said that to me was in the garage of my old house in Saint-Hilaire.  I think I was walking him out and I recall a double-sided cheek grab and then "I love you."  Surrounded by dampness and tools, it was no surprise that fizzled after a couple of months. The second time was on a porch and it was really meaningful.  I almost said it back but wasn't sure it was time.  He'd dropped me off, and we'd spent every day together for the first 6 months of our relationship.  We're still friends today.  The third occasion was in the backseat of a cab on a drunken ride back to the city from my sister's house, after an incident involving too much booze and a chip on a shoulder.  I said it back.  Shoulda known better. Sometimes we follow the drama, when we're better off following our heart. Yesterday I did a photoshoot involving tw

Watching people take care of themselves inspires me.  Especially artists.  I think it's so important for creative individuals to take care of their needs in order to pursue their passion with a sense of responsibility and ownership.  It can be very challenging when you work late nights and drain yourself of energy in an effort to produce something, whether it be a piece of writing, music, performance or whatever.  It's a personal tax we impose on ourselves knowing that it's for a good reason, to pursue our passion, but damn it can be exhausting. So when I see people heading home early or even munching on something healthy, it brings a smile to my face because I know it takes a great deal of self-discipline to listen to that inner voice and honor those thoughts. To put in the time required to be prepared is also incredibly demanding, sometimes we don't always bother.  But sometimes, others will help.  My friend Sandi made me a tea last night after hearing my hoarse voi

When I was fourteen, my cousin Kate came to stay with us for the summer.  She and I, although living on separate ends of the country, have been close forever.  We used to perform shows for family at get-togethers, Bert and Ernie in particular, she was Ernie because she was short and at the time I was a lot taller than her, so I got Bert.  I could probably still do Bert justice if needed. Anyway, that summer we had a camcorder and made the awesomest of home videos, though sadly it has been misplaced between East and West coast.  We made commercials, sang songs and also moped about our teenage insecurities.  Kate was playing with her hair in one of the shots and began commenting on her double chin.  I never knew double chins existed, or I guess I never noticed.  But ever since then, I've kind of had a complex about my own chin.  It was made worse when I got braces at 19 and my orthodontist suggested plastic surgery to correct the alignment of my face. Bad enough I had to wear bra

Sometimes I just want to barricade myself in my apartment with nothing but dvds and junk food.  It's been that kind of month so far, the past few are catching up to me and I'm crashing.  I didn't know my feet could tingle after a day's work... can't be good.  I'm falling apart! I spoke to my 85 year old grandfather today who recently did a stint in the hospital due to some emphysema-related symptoms.  The man is solid as a rock, even in his eighties, and he was the one reminding me to take it easy.  I guess that makes sense actually.  :) Tonight as I observed my purchases on the conveyor belt at the Provigo, I realized how loud they were shouting "SINGLE GIRL!"  A frozen dinner, a twist-open bottle of wine (with a dollar off coupon), and a bag of m&ms.  Yep, that's my Friday night, and I wouldn't want it any other way.  The next week is going to be hectic, the treeplanting play "Lifer" is opening at the theatre, and I'm no

This week we returned to Zephyr Farm on week 5 of our volunteer exchange.  The kids are loving it, the farmer's loving it and I'm so totally loving it.  Digging my hands through the earth in search of something intentionally nutritious is more satisfying than anything I've done in a long time.  It taps into a part of me that once layed dormant. Caring about food.  Caring about where it comes from and how it ends up in the supermarket, in our bags, in our homes and in us.  Seeing the potatoes, tomatoes, squash or raspberries I helped pick wind up at the market or in baskets is so cool!  To know I'm directly helping nourish kids and families and people is a really unique experience and one I hope I can continue doing in the future. Everyone involved is greatful.  Showing up every Tuesday has been such a treat, I look forward to smelling the tomato vines and the kale field, seeing how everything looks this week and watching the leaves turn bright yellow and deep red...

Sitting in my favorite café at 9:35 on a Saturday morning.  I can definitely say I've never done this before, but have always admired the people I peek in on when I drive by, should I be up this early on a weekend.  I always find people look so cozy inside a café, warm cup of coffee by their side. I spent the night taking pictures of friends and I was too eager to look at them, so here I am.  My friend Lise was doing stand-up at a loft and she asked me to take some shots during her set.  I happily obliged and am happy I went; she was very funny and we ended up hanging out at TSC after with a couple other hooligans, laughing the night away.  Lise and I were talking about standup on the way to the theatre.  It's got to feel like the most vulnerable experience you could put yourself in.  You're on-stage, in front of a group of people, with a spotlight and microphone... being yourself.  All eyes on you.  I honestly can't tell you what makes a successful stand-up, other