Sophia Grekin (SG):Do you think that everything happens for a reason?
Kate Edeburn (KE):No. ... I mean, I feel like there’s kind of no reason or no purpose in this world at all.
SE: Do you find that comforting?
KE:Yes, yes. I like, not necessarily that anything in particular is to blame, but I like knowing that some things can’t be controlled, and some things can be controlled. Nobody really knows what’s up.
SG:So you’re very much into like free will?
KE:I mean, like, yeah, we kinda do have our own paths, but I’m very much into the concept of like, overall, nothing matters. Like, there’s not anything that’s predestined, or whatever, predetermined. Um, but ultimately, like, you can’t f--- it up that bad, so pretty neutral.
SG:My next question is harder to answer, but if you can, think about what the saddest moment in your life was.
KE:I feel like middle school was not my happiest time period. … Trying to figure out your group, which I feel like is a classic thing, and part of that's probably on me — I could have been way better at socializing.
But yeah, ... other than that, I remember, not necessarily feeling sad because it was in the past, but I remember my first time being like, “Oh, this is bad,” is like when my grandmother died in the seventh grade. … I remember my dad got a phone call around [1 a.m.], and I just like heard him in the living room, and I was like, “Why are you up, Daddy?,” and he was like, “Oh, my mother died,” and I was like, “oh, sucks.” Which, like, I have a feeling that was pretty sad then, but it kind of fades with time.
SG:Would you ever go back in time and change [something]?
KE:No. I like who I am now, and I don’t know who I would be if I didn’t have those experiences. And I don’t think it’s worth the risk that I would end up like — part of what I really like about me is my willingness to help out strangers and the willingness to reach out to be the first person … to extend the hand of friendship. That’s something that I really value about myself now, and so it’s kind of like, if I didn’t have such trouble making friends in middle school, would I still be like that? I wouldn't want to lose it.
SG:Now that we’re talking about life in a sort of ... existential way, ... what is a fulfilling life to you?
KE:I want to be happy. Different things make me happy at different times, so I don’t want to put anything, like, long-term on it. But, like, being with my friends makes me happy, being with my family makes me happy, … going to amusement parks makes me happy. So I guess just doing things that make me happy. Hopefully finding a job that makes me happy.
SG:So there’s no definition [to] happiness?
KE: It’s a vibe.
