#and look how cool they made cincy look lol

[cementcornfield]

Pt. 332 (SHOTSBYSOLO)

[the-first-date]

A conversation with Madison Leigh Mumma [22/NB/Cincinnati]

Madge Maril: Hello! How are you today? 

Madison Leigh Mumma: Hi! I'm great, how are you?

MM: Doing OK! For those that don't know you (and your work), can you tell us about yourself? 

MLM: Sure! I live in Cincy, just graduated with a BFA, and for the most part consider myself an artist. I recently realized that I actually have no desire to go back to school so now I'm just working in coffee and saving up money to move. Oh, also, my pronouns are they/them! And I'm a Pisces!

MM: Oo, were you planning on going back to school before? And move where?

MLM: Yeah, I was dead set on going into critical theory and getting a PhD, but it took a break from academia for me to realize that it exhausts me way too much to be healthy. I'm thinking east coast, maybe Providence or Hadley?? 

MM: Well I don't know what critical theory is and I don't know where Hadley is but I have heard of Providence! 

MLM: It's very broad! I think I was mostly attracted to the idea of arguing and criticizing for a living.

MM: Pisces!!! 

MLM: EXACTLY.

MM: I love it. 

MLM: With an Aries fuckin moon, lmao. Constant combat.

MM: WOW. Rising?

MLM: Also Pisces!! Pisces Sun, Rising, Mercury, and Venus.

MM: Omg, that's so intense — what's it like for you?

MLM: Like you said — VERY intense. I'm either 0% or 100% and that can be... a lot. But I think it's exciting to feel everything as much as possible, too!

MM: Said like a true blue pisces. OK so seamless transition: What do you wear on the first date? And follow up: Do you think it's reflective of your sign?

MLM: I usually wear a lot of black and let my accessories do the talking — so on a first date I'd probably wear a trusty black velvet shirt, high-waisted skinny jeans with a cool belt, and Docs. I'm very superstitious and a heavy believer in luck so I'd be wearing aquamarine and maybe some red jasper, dagger earrings, and a pin or two. I think that makes sense as a Pisces — I have a solid base but otherwise can be pretty fluid.

MM: What do aquamarine and red jasper have to do with luck?

MLM: Aquamarine symbolizes courage, protection, and is meant to enhance communication (and it's my birthstone!). Red Jasper is the stone of ~empowerment~, I actually started wearing it because a friend told me it reminded them of my "fighting spirit.”

MM: That's so interesting. And I've seen your dagger earrings on IG before I think! Where did you get them, and what do they mean to you? 

MLM: My friend gave them to me as a gift! I like that they're elegant but still a little spicy. They feel like they go with the jasper in that respect — like there’s beauty in self-protection and putting yourself first.

MM: Completely agree. And it goes with the black outfit, too. Why a black shirt?

MLM: Black seems very secure and calm to me, plus it's always flattering and the velvet elevates just a liiiitle above a T-shirt.

MM: There's a lot of emotion in your outfit. What are you typically feeling on a date, if you can make it generic?

MLM: I have to be fairly comfortable talking to somebody before I go on a date with them, and I'm very selective about who I spend my time with. So at that point I'm usually really excited to see if there’s any **spark**.

MM: That's so opposite from me lol. When I'm single, I just like to go out and ~experience. 

MLM: Ahh sometimes I really wish I could do that! I mean, I COULD but I think it goes back to the Pisces/emotions thing. I exhaust myself so fast!

MM: How so, if you don't mind me asking?

MLM: Well, I tend to daydream a bit so I build up my ideas of strangers around their potential instead of what I know to be reality, and that can spiral real fast. I actually deleted Tinder this summer and made a sort of romantic vision board to break that habit.

MM: Tell me more about this mood board.

MLM: It's basically an incomplete list of things that are valuable to me in a partner, and things that I can't/won't compromise on. A couple of examples are like, being considerate and independent. Also, you can't be a cop lover. In the past I've just been attracted to people that make me beg for their affection because it feels like I'm winning something, but that high isn't sustainable or worth it! Having a physical list keeps me accountable.

MM: My mom actually told me to do the same thing when I was looking for a partner! So you have her sage wisdom behind you. I imagine it helps you reality check during the infatuation stage? Like oh, they're cute but they do XYZ and I promised myself that's a no-go.

MLM: Aw yay!! YES definitely, that actually just happened this past week. I had a crush on someone I don't really know and realized I actually just like the attention.

MM: God, preach. And also like, that's a deep thought, and kind of a hard one to unpack. How did it feel to realize that? 

MLM: Honestly, really good and kind of relieving! It took a lot of conscious effort to get to this point and it was like "A-HA! I am not a slave to my impulses! Incredible!"

MM: I'm envious that you were able to realize that all right out of college. I feel like post graduation was my most murky, in-my-own-head time, especially romantically.

MLM: It was definitely rough. I went sober this January and I don't think I would have been able to make this much personal progress without that. Once I made that change it kind of had to be all or nothing.

MM: Congratulations on your sobriety!! 

MLM: Thank you!! ❤

MM: I've done periods of sobriety, but had long-term partners for all of them iirc. What's being on the dating scene like when you're not drinking? I really can't imagine it.

MLM: It definitely slims down the pool, lol. I didn't realize how much of my social life involved drinking before, and I'm not currently in a place in my sobriety where I could be involved with somebody who drinks. That plus the fact that I deeply enjoy alone time has meant I go out way less. But I'm a lot kinder and intentional in the interactions I have now and generally enjoy myself more so I think it all balanced out!

MM: You know, I don't think I've ever heard someone say they really enjoy alone time. I think most people tolerate it at best. With so much changing and blossoming internally, do you think how you present yourself to the world through your personal style has shifted, too? 

MLM: I relish it! I think my style has become slightly less chaotic, maybe a bit more monochrome. This sounds super corny, but now that I've gained some self-confidence and am more stable I don't use my clothes to speak for me, hahaha.

MM: It's not corny at all!! I've been ruminating on that lately, too. I used to look in my closet and think of it as costume pieces.

MLM: Yesss! 

MM: Also I'm now realizing it's been like almost two hours somehow?? 

MLM: Time is not real!

MM: I'll wrap this up so you can get back to your evening! Do you have any social media/online places you want to shout out for people to follow? 

MLM: Ooh yeah! I run @groundscoresofficial on Insta, and post my art at @chaoskewpie! You can find my personal through either of those but I mostly post cats and my roommates, ha. Thanks so much for having me in your online space :^))

MM: Thank you for coming to hang out at the digital pad!! 

[kayoticevil]

meeting pm part 3 (??)

heeeeeere we go friends

so. i got to the place and their bus was Right There and then brandon was suddenly in the door so i waved and he waved back. and i walked in and they were, too so i was like “is this uhhh where i go for prettymuch?” and their manager was like “yeah i guess” like..... of course it is Austin is Right There following me

so i went to the desk and had to get on a different elevator and i was like... i should have muffied it and gotten trapped in an elevator with them. but i saw all of them as i walked in

then i met a girl ashley on the way in and now we’re friends! and another girl was dming me and i real life just shouted into the room “okay who is dming me??????”

so then we went in and i was in the back row. rip............ but they performed and i :’))))) every show i go to people are less and less hype but it was still so fun.

then they played a game of who’s most likely and it was cute

then meet and greet. ashley and i were last bc we were in the last row. but i waved to them when they went up there and they looked happy to see me.

we got our pic and i hugged austin first then nick then zion then brandon then edwin. and i said that i was excited to finally see them in my home town and i LITERALLY TOLD THEM I WORK AT FOREVER21 AGAIN LIKE WHAT THE FUUUUCK but they said it was nice to see me again and i died

they asked if we were coming to the show and i said yes and brandon was like “ill look for you”

as we left they were going to the bus and we got to say bye but they were super busy so they had to go. i told their manage that i love kobe and he was happy about it.

then i went to starbucks and then sam and i went to dinner and i thought the show started at 6:30 but luckily it was acutally 7:30.

so we roll up to the venue and they’re already on stage which like... fuck but it was fine.

it was the middle of hello and then they did another new one and then they did open arms and then they did WYM and then the new song with that french montana. 

in the middle of their set i went to noah to get the photo he was airdropping and i was like “what are we doing?” and he was like “airdropping a pic” and i was like “????? how????” and he was like “let me see your phone” and he did the thing and i was like “oh your mom is calling you” and he was like “yeah i know but i can’t talk rn” and i was like “in columbus i saw you and asked you a question” and he was like “oh cool”

then i went back to sam and we decided to wait it out and try to see PM. we bought merch and i saw my friend from chicago. so we went outside and literally stood there for like an hour talking to this one girl about hs because she did local theatre too and knew stuff.

then we heard the boys were still inside so we went back in and they were in a little like private room thing watching the show. so i went to the bathroom to try and feel better lol.

then we went and hung out near the bar and met a videographer for jack and jack which was cool

then we noticed the boys were Gone so we went outside and asked where the tour buses are and the girl told us :’)

so we went and waited and saw ashley again and finally i was like “okay ten more mins” and Then edwin and brandon came running out

so i go to brandon first bc his line seemed closer. and i waited a while until i was like there and he saw me and he was like “hey!!!!! how are you??? good to see you!!!” and i was like “hi omg” and we hugged so tight i was like about to fall over and then we took a pic and it was so cute and then ashley was like “oh do u want the flash on?” and brandon was like “yeah. always flash”

then i went to edwin and i was like : ))))) and i was going to take my pic but another girl went too so we were like “uhhh” and made awkward hand motions but then i went to hug him and he was like “heeeeey” and it was so cute

then zion came outside and got us to scream and then Bolted back to the bus

austin came out and i stood in line for him then he moved to the other side of the street. he complained about his acne and i was like wooooow same bud. i got my picture with him and then sam was like “earlier you said you liked my shirt so thanks” and he was like “oh yeah” and i was like “in columbus you said you liked my zelda shirt but you probably don’t remember” and he looked So Offended he was like “no i remember!!!” and i was like “oh lol”

then i went to nick and stood for awhile and then no one was really going up so i really slowly took a step forward and ducked under the tape and he was like “ohhh hey!” and i was like “december is going to be the first month in three months that i won’t be seeing you” and he was like “oh really” and i was like “yeah lol” and we took our pic

then we went back to edwin and asked if he had tried skyline and he said no and like?????????? and then he said he went to krogers?????? like imagine going to a place and being like “oh ya i went to the gorcery store that was cool” like how uncool must he think cinci is

then we left and i was like “ooooh shit i didn’t get my tattoo” but then i was like “motivation to see them again : )))”

so yeah moral is that they definitely remember me and im so happy that they do and next time i see them im going to ask for my tattoo and ill probably cry and i want to tell them how much they mean to me.

[surveyjunkie]

0106

Do you ever have days where you just don’t do anything? 

When I’m not working, my days are usually like that. I mean, I’ll play video games/watch Netflix/browse the web and all that but I’ll literally just be lying in bed. It’s the greatest. 

Have you ever been extremely tired but refused to go to sleep? Yeah, Josh called me when I was drifting off but I woke up because I wanted to talk to him

What is your favorite episode of True Life, if you have one at all? I liked the one about OCD a lot. It was really eye opening to see what they go through on a daily basis and how they got help and eventually were able to “overcome” it . I also like the ones about addictions too. 

Have you ever experienced something paranormal? No

What’s the longest amount of time you’ve been stuck in traffic? 2 hours or something like that. I remember it clearly too because at the time I didn’t have good AC in my car and it was like 100 degrees out

Best field trip experience? Chicago!

Have you ever been to New York City? Nope

If so, is it all its cracked up to be? I don’t know, I’ve never been there

What is the most amount of money you’ve spent on a meal before? Like 50 bucks. 

What museums have you visited, if any? Lots. The Cincy Art Museum, Taft Art Museum, Indianapolis Children’s Museum, Union Terminal, The Chicago Science & Industry Museum, The Chicago Art Museum, The Chicago Field Museum and The Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. 

Have you ever had a group project and one of your partners bailed on you? All the time

What’s your worst traveling experience? HILTON HEAD. Went there for Spring Break and it was like 50 degrees and raining the whole time so we couldn’t do anything. Sucked. 

Sims 1, 2, or 3? Why? Sims 2 Bustin’ Out for PS2 :) Sims 3 is cool though too, I’ve been playing that a lot lately. 

Have you ever dealt with noisy neighbors or roommates? How did that go? I just told them to keep it down.

Who was (or is) the teacher that gave you the hardest time in school? Chemistry teacher sophomore year of high school

Best muffin you’ve ever had? Not sure 

Have you ever taken a woodshop class? No

If so, was it required? ^

How much time do you spend on Facebook, if you have one? I spend like an hour a day on that website. 

What area of math are you best at? Worst? Calculus best, geometry worst. 

How do you feel when you meet someone with the same music taste as you? Extremely excited!

What is the strangest thing you’ve ever seen outside of your house? Outside of my house? Probably the realistic looking black Santa that my neighbors propped outside of their door during the holidays. I get that it was Christmas, but that thing looked creepy and always scared me because I thought it was a real person just standing there looking at me. Lol. 

Do you believe in luck? Why or why not? I never know how to answer this. Some people have better circumstances than others and that’s just a fact of life. It’s random, like chance, so I guess yeah, I do believe in luck. 

How often do you “half-ass” things (put little effort in)? When I find them boring to do

Do you ever feel self-conscious when you eat around other people? All the time. I always feel like I’m chewing too loud or being disgusting. And I never know when to start talking when I have food in my mouth. 

Has a teacher ever made you hate yourself/your work? Yep. Some people really shouldn’t be teachers. 

How reliable is your internet connection? It’s not very reliable. When it does work, it’s super fast, but a lot of times it will go out, or not let me connect for whatever reason. Something’s up with the modem/service. 

Have you ever missed a meeting/event that was required/necessary? I think a couples of times back in college or high school, but it’s been a while since I’ve flat out missed anything. 

What’s something that makes you incredibly nervous? Presentations. Sometimes I just get nervous WATCHING people give presentations. That’s how much they affect me. 

What’s the latest you’ve ever stayed up to finish homework/a project? 4 in the morning 

If you don’t have glasses, how would you feel if you had to get them? I have glasses

If you do have glasses, how would you feel if you didn’t need them anymore? Very happy

How many vegetarians do you know? I know one vegan

Have you ever considered going to art school? I thought about it a very long time ago, but I didn’t think I could handle the competition and putting myself out there like that. Looking back, I wish I had done it. 

Is there anyone in your life who consistently angers you? Yes. 

What is the worst thunderstorm you’ve experienced? There was one back in ‘08 where a bunch of trees and power lines fell and so I had to stay the night at my friend’s for like 3 days because she was the only one in the neighborhood with power. 

How quickly can you write an essay? Depends on how long it has to be

Have you ever had problems falling asleep in class? Haha yeah. Some classes are just too early and too boring.

Have you ever been on the barrier or front row at a concert? No

If you have a job, who is your least favorite coworker/manager? I don’t have a least favorite

Favorite episode of Spongebob? The Marching Band one

Do you have any silly/odd emotional connections to anything/anyone? A couple of items in my room, yes. 

What bug frightens you most? Spiders

Are your parents supportive of you? For the most part. I don’t know sometimes. 

How often do you take the train to go places? Never, there’s no train in this city. 

Do you play with your phone in awkward situations? Yes

Have you ever participated in a mock trial, or a real trial? I think we did a mock trial or two in high school? 

[kayoticevil]

meeting pm (again)

alriiiiight here we go

okay so i got there and we had to wait and then i was told i was second in line for the meet and greet

and we got in to sit down there was literally a bowling alley with their faces on it, it was amazing. and they were behind glass doors so we saw them sometimes. saw austin first and then noah and edwin and zion. then nick and nick looked at us and waved to me when i waved to him!

then they came out and it was Amazing. they sounded so good and austin and i made eye contact a ton lol. they did if i ever fall in love again, wym and then teacher. zion’s mic stand fell so he picked it up and then finally he just took it off and so did edwin and brandon.

then there was the q&a

i just started shouting my question but someone else raised her hand so austin was like “oh she started talking” and i was like “oh its okay lol” so someone suggested we play rock paper scissors. and she won so i was like “alright cool”

a couple other people asked questions and then austin was like “i like your shirt” and i was like “oh, thanks. it’s from forever 21″ and everyone was like ohhh and talked about it and i was like “yeah... i work there”

and then some more questions. nick was like “i feel like i need to be a comedian with this” and i was like “tell us jokes!!!” and he was like “no that’d be uhhhh bad”

then the radio host was like “oh she still has a question” and i was like “oh yeah. do u go into an arrangement knowing the parts everyone is going to sing or do you customize it?” and the girl behind me was like “good question”

and brandon gave me a long answer about how for the most part yes, but whoever writes it sings it usually. austin said he’s more of a bass so he always does it. and nick or edwin usually sing choruses and it’s just whoever it fits more. i’m glad they got to explain it!

then they asked if there were any more questions and i was like “i have one for noah” and they were like ohhhh get ready, noah. and noah was like “idk if i know how to do this” and then he pointed the camera to me and was like “who had a question for me” and i was like “how do u edit?” and he said premire and adobe and brandon talked about how good adobe was

then it was m&g so they left and turns out i’m first. through the glass austin was dancing so i did the dance back to him and he pointed to me and kept going it was so cute.

so i hugged brandon and i was like “i saw you in SF” and he was like “i remember. good to see you again”

and then i hugged edwin

and then zion and i was like “i think u got me sick in sf” and he was like “r u sure?” and austin was like “if anything it was probably me who got you sick” and i was like :/// well thx i got sick

and then i hugged nick and i thought i’d stand next to him but i was like “oh i stood next to you in my last picture” (why did i say that omfg) and he just laughed

and then i let brooke chose where to stand so i went between brandon and edwin and brandon put his arm around me and i was like : ))))))

and then i said “bye see u in cincinnati” and they were like “oh okay wow” and nick was like “oh lol cinci”

then i chilled and watched them meet everyone else and they were like “okay cool bye”

so i alsmot left but i saw they were going over to the food so i was like >.>

and i was by edwin so i was like “did u have the buckeyes” and he wa slike “what?” and i was like “in sf i gave you buckeyes. candies” and he was like “oh i didn’t” and austin was there and i was like “oh i had them” and i was like “were they good?” and he was like “yeah!” and i was like “they’re like... an ohio thing bc we’re the buckeye state” and he was like “oh hm” and a guy with them was like “oh yeah buckeyes”

and then i left :’))))))