Megan Lehew: Books, music, and magic--kingdom style

By Liz White, ENGL 336.002

Twenty-year-old Megan Lehew certainly harbors a plethora of interests and life experiences. Although she cannot wait for her 21st birthday, which will not come until November of this year, Ms. Lehew is not entirely sure where her various hobbies will lead her. One thing of which she is entirely sure, however, is the importance of family in her life. Despite her numerical age accurately reflecting her desire for independence, she remains quite close with her parents and grandmother. Their continuous support is a comforting thought as she enjoys her space from them at Frostburg State University. Of course, it is not as if there is a great deal of space between Ms. Lehew and her family when she attends classes at Frostburg. Living only 30 minutes away in Fort Ashby, West Virginia, allows her to commute to school and frequently go home to her supportive family.

While family is a significant aspect of her life, Ms. Lehew feels that her interests describe her better. "Music and literature are the two things that define me the most, I think," she claims. She is a fan of quite a few alternative genres of music including Indie, Ska, and Punk. Run, Forever! and Cobra Skulls are just two of the lesser-known bands she enjoys, but there is still just a touch of mainstream in her musical preferences. Death Cab For Cutie is guaranteed to show up in her music library, as well as any of Ben Gibbard's projects for that matter. Ms. Lehew supports local bands as well by attending shows. Her boyfriend plays bass for a local band, so going to his shows to support him gives her access to more obscure bands.

Although she listens to a cornucopia of lesser-known bands, Ms. Lehew reads some well-known authors. Kurt Vonnegut, Hunter S. Thompson, George Orwell, Nicholas Sparks, and Edgar Allan Poe make up at least a portion of her favorite writers. The Great Gatsby, The Catcher in the Rye, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower are just a very few of the books she enjoys. "Oh my God, do I love to read," she exclaims. She claims she is not talented in writing her own literature, despite being such an avid reader, but she does write nonetheless as she is a frequent blogger. Some of her blogging consists mainly of sharing various media, but she also blogs about her family and life.

Another aspect of her life is her employment history--at one location, specifically. Ms. Lehew was employed at Disney World during the summer of 2009, working as a member of crowd control. Excitedly, she relates her experiences there: "I've been yelled at in at least three different languages. I've had friends get spit on, pushed." Monitoring the behavior of the crowd on Main Street, USA, at the Magic Kingdom was unquestionably her favorite job. "Nothing compares to Disney. I loved it there," says Ms. Lehew. Even though she did not have the opportunity to dress up for her position at the Disney theme park, she did not fret. "I really never envied the people in costume because while they got to make magic in their respective roles, they had to kind of hide who they were to do so."