"New Normal."

My name is Laura.

​Simple, to the point, Laura. If you’d like to add a little flare to the name, I will gladly respond to Laura in Spanish. I’ve always enjoyed the way my name sounds in Spanish.
 
Some things to know about me include: I have a fresh Bachelor’s degree for a little over a year now, I am a full-time taxpayer, I live in SoCal (Southern California), and I am eagerly awaiting law school admission decisions.
 
For the past four years in Tampa, FL, my undergraduate years, my life was essentially stagnant; not in a bad way, but in a way that was familiar and comfortable. My life consisted of the same friends, the same and ironically unpredictable weather patterns and downpour, the same Starbucks and Publix (the mecca of Florida grocers) runs at night.
 
As that reality faded the more I transitioned into my new life in California, novelty was the new norm as I navigated through a new state, new job, and new lifestyle. This sense of novelty transcended beyond my daily routine; It flooded the news channels and it swarmed the discussions and energy of social media regarding topics of race, immigration, gender and sexuality, domestic and international terrorism. I would typically find myself taken aback by the conversations I’d have with people about the breaking developments happening all over the world, the new normal that was ensuing.
 
I realized a new normal wasn’t just happening to me on a local level, but happening to many people, and many friends of mine as well on a much grander scale. After several long talks with a group of close friends, we realized we wanted to be part of the response to the new normal. We did not want to accept it for what it was: antiquated ideas of minorities, women, and the general well-being of this planet moving society into retrograde at full force. We want to be a part of the retaliating force against this new normal.
 
Enter IOLit. Through this literary journal, we want to showcase all types of artistic expression, from creative writing to photography, and highlight the voices of individuals who have been targeted and silenced during this global transition into a very divisive new normal.
 
The editors and I are excited to bring forth new voices and forms of creativity through IOLit’s initiatory volume!
 
​
Laura