What's happening to me?

Do you ever remember waking up as a twelve-year old and thinking, "What in the heck is happening to me? I'm changing in ways that I'm not entirely comfortable with." Ok, me neither... but those are the stories you always hear. Well, I feel like I'm having one of those experiences. After two years of living practically under the shadow of the Capitol and doing everything I can to remain as far away from it as possible, I find myself strangely interested in surprising topics. From the day I set foot in the District as a resident, I had a passion invoked in me for DC voting rights, but I haven't done much to become active on the issue. Sure, I read the occasional article-let in Express or educate a particularly talkative tourist on the metro, but that's about it. I have some confessions, though. I don't know what the technical definition of environmentalist is, but I think I might be one. I admit it. All those plastic bags from Safeway make my skin crawl and I feel guilty when I have to throw away a bottle. I pride myself in not having to own a car, emitting less carbon than the average American and not owning a lot of stuff. I even feel a moderate level of discontent with Corporate America. I'm not quite as anti-consumerist as the freegans, but it bothers me when I end up buying stuff I don't need.
I also feel strange pangs of what I would have to describe as, well, I think they must be opinions!! I've recently gained an interest in immigration. I try my best to avoid the constant stream of politically riddled "news" flowing through this city, but then I have moments that make me not recognize myself. On Friday, I found myself smuggling an article about immigration and English as official/common/national language onto the metro like it was porn I was trying to sneak by my mother. I scan the paper in the office before I leave to see if there's anything I want to read.... and not just in Arts/Style.
Oh-- Hyla--- dear apolitical Hyla... where are you? You're not turning to the dark side, are you? Can you be impassioned (or at least informed) on issues without being "political"? hmmm... I don't know.... Just call home every once in a while. I may miss you.