Oh, hello! Come in and have a slice of garlic and greek olive pizza. Yummers!
Today, I’m supposed to write a letter to a hero that let me down.
Hmmm. This is another one that I don’t think I’m going to be able to do, because as I know I have mentioned before, the only hero I have is Mum. And while we don’t always see eye to eye, she has never let me down.
Maybe if I considered Michael Vick a hero instead of an asshat, I could write a letter to him about how much of an asshat he is for abusing animals. Or if I thought Lindsey Lohan was a good role mod… BUAHAHAHAHHA. I’m sorry. I can’t even finish that statement.
But I don’t think of celebrities as role models or heroes. They are just people who get paid WAY too much money for what they do and then have every move dissected by the media.
No. Mum is my hero. And she always will be. Thank you for never letting me down, Mum. I love you.
Tomorrow: IDK – the list is way over there (*pointing*) but I’ll let you know when I get up.
Oh, hello! Come in and have a bowl of fresh fruit. It’s delicious.
Today: Write a letter to a band or artist that has gotten you through some tough a** days.
I’m having a hard time with this one, because I can’t think of a time when this has happened. Maybe I’ve lived a charmed life.
There was a time when I was around 18-ish when an ex died in a motorcycle accident. But that was 25 years ago. I don’t remember one band getting me through that.
Then there was a break up where I watched The Lion King over and over. (I don’t know why either.) Even my room-mate at the time was all “Oh god, this again??”
I like to listen to Pink when I’m stressed because she’s so kick a** that I feel empowered.
But, no, I’m going to have to not write a letter because this doesn’t apply to me.
Tomorrow: (Oy, another letter): A hero that has let you down
Oh hello! Come in. Have a scone and tea.
Today: Something you never get compliments on
One of the things I pride myself on is being a loyal and true friend. I may not trust easily, but once I do, and we are friends, I will have your back no matter what. Or until you prove yourself untrustworthy.
I think it’s very important to be a loyal friend. We all need someone we can turn to for help and comfort and advice. I’m good at being that person. And people come to me, frequently, to tell me things that are personal or private or that they just need to get off their chests. I’m more than happy to listen. They must recognize that I won’t tell their story. It’s not my story to tell.
But I think no one – and I’ve given this some thought – has ever complimented me on my loyalty and discretion. I have never had the “Golden Girls” theme song played in my honor. (Which, really, would be a little odd.) Sometimes, I admit, I feel a little taken-advantage-of. But for the most part? It’s an honor for me, acknowledged or not, to have these people come to me. Without saying it, I choose to believe that they know they can trust me. And maybe that is recognition enough.
Tomorrow: I am to write a letter to a band or artist that has gotten me through some tough a** days
I’m back.
I’ve been listening to a book by Jill Smolinski called “Next Thing on My List”. Have you read it? I wasn’t sure how it would be – I was a little afraid of it being uber-chick lit in the worst possible sense.
But really? It’s pretty good. It’s the story of a woman finishing a “Wish List”. But it’s not hers. June was driving the car that was in an accident which killed her passenger. The passenger had a list of goals that she wanted to accomplish before she was 25. June decided to complete the list for her – at first out of guilt, but then as a way of changing her life. It’s somewhat predictable, but there are some twists that make it worth continuing.
Anyhoo. It got me thinking. I kind of want a list. Sure, I have a “bucket list” but that’s more of a “someday-I-wanna” list, as opposed to having an actual target date. Granted, I kissed 25 goodbye a long time ago, but what if I did a list of goals by 45? That gives me a year and a half, +/-. I think I could set myself some pretty aggressive goals if I had 20 months in which to complete them.
Could I do it? What if I don’t finish? Would I feel like a failure or would I still be celebrating the attempt? Am I just considering the list in light of my recent spate of life changing adventures? Am I trying to take on too much? Or is this just Scaredy Kat getting her way again?
In the book, the list contained 20 things – some are easy, some are profound. What would I put on my list? Would it be 20 things?
Would you do a list? Do you already have a list? What should I put on my list?
Challenge me.
Oh hello! We have a lovely selection of muffins today. The lemon poppy-seed is my favorite.
Today: Something people seem to compliment you the most on
Trying to sound really snotty here – there are SO many things! LOL!
I think people mostly compliment me on my hair. Or my eyes. Or my sense of humor. Or my generosity. Or my fashion sense. Like I said – it’s hard to pick just one.
No, really, it’s probably my sense of humor. People tell me I’m really funny. I’ve even been told I should do stand-up. Yeah, that’s never going to happen. But I do like making people laugh. It’s nice to bring a smile to someone’s face.
Tomorrow: Something you never get compliments on
Oh hello! Come on in and settle on the sofa. It’s a snuggle into the sofa kind of day. And here’s some soup.
Today’s task: Someone you need to let go, or wish you didn’t know
This is a tough one, because as I go through life and age like fine wine, I find myself saying goodbye to people frequently. I know that sounds cold and somewhat heartless, but it’s more for my own sanity than to be nasty.
I find that if I am stressed by the presence of someone, it’s better for me to distance myself from them, rather than try to develop a relationship that won’t be fulfilling for either of us. I won’t be putting my best foot forward for them, so they won’t have a chance to really know me. And I don’t want to know them, so it’s better to just walk away.
I’ve done that with a book club recently. One member was, in my opinion, very mouthy and superior and opinionated, and I was feeling cowed by her. I didn’t enjoy going to meetings. So, I opted to leave the group.
Perhaps it would have been more beneficial to stay with the group and make it a project to get to know this woman and find out why she is the way she is. It would have been a growth experience. Who knows. Maybe she would have been my new BFF.
But no. I would rather drift away from situations and live a quiet and simple existence. That works for me.
Tomorrow: Something people seem to compliment you the most on
Okay. So I haven’t done it EVERY day. I didn’t get a chance on Friday. Saturday, I did and THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO DIE! I was so sore.
But I must persevere. I was exhausted from the weekend yesterday, so I didn’t do it yesterday. And I got up late today so I missed this morning. But I intend to do it tonight when I get home. I feel so much better after I do it. And provided I don’t fall asleep the second I get home, I will feel good again tonight.
Oh, hello! Come in. Have a donut.
Who did I not mean to let go of but they just drifted away….
I guess that would be either my friend Michelle. Or the Sister.
I met Michelle about 12 years ago. She was strong and made friends with me at a time when I was alone and needed a friend. She was kind and adventurous and encouraging. She didn’t judge me for anything. When I moved home to Maine, we drifted. At first slowly and more recently almost completely. I miss her, but we now have different interests.
The Sister and I have also drifted. We see each other at holidays and might speak once or twice a year about our parents, but other than that, nothing. We have almost nothing in common any more other than being related.
I don’t like regrets but sometimes that is what I feel. I think people are in our lives for a reason and, like the tide, they drift in and out as appropriate. I will be forever grateful to Michelle for all she did for me. And I will be forever related to the Sister so in some way, she will always be in my life in some ways. And these won’t be the last people to drift away from me. I’m okay with that. It’s normal.
Tomorrow: Someone you need to let go, or wish you didn’t know
Oh hello! Come in. We’re having a burger with sweet potato fries.
Who made my life hell?
All the girls in high school. I was a brainy nerd in high school. All the “cool” girls who were not as smart and played the “cool” sports – basketball, field hockey – looked down on me, made fun of me, picked on me and made my life generally miserable.
I made it easier for them. I didn’t have the internal fortitude to stand up to them. I never fought back.
I read something that said by the time you turn 30, you should forgive the mean girls in high school. I didn’t like high school. I didn’t go to my reunion because of those girls. I want nothing to do with them.
But it is time to forgive them. I didn’t make it by 30, but it’s time. It’s also time to forgive myself for allowing it to happen.
I will leave that behind me and move on.
Tomorrow: Someone you didn’t want to let go of but just drifted
As part of all this new stuff, because I’m not shaking up my world enough, I have decided to get back to doing yoga. I’m going to start back slowly, but I’m going to try to do it every day for 30 days. And write about it.
This is more for me to track my progress so feel free to skip these posts.
Back 10 years ago, I did yoga quite regularly and with some of the worlds best yogis. I was not full yogini material then, but I enjoyed it and loved the workout.
Fast forward to today:
Day 1: Did you know that you cannot bend a board? Jeepers. Upward-dog felt like my back was going to break.
I’m starting with 10 sun salutations every morning. That’s this week. I intend to add something each week and join a yoga studio at the end of this to keep it up.
The dizziness, the tightness, the sweat. OY! It all felt good though. And I’m looking forward to continuing.
Thank you Frank from the Gas ‘n Sip for issuing this little challenge.
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