Month: May 2010

Party of One: Eating Alone In Public Is Not Fatal

5 Comments

When you’re single (or “between-boyfriends” which is how I like to describe myself) people say you shouldn’t sit around waiting for love. You should get out there, enjoy life, forget about wanting to be in a relationship and eventually - when you least expect it - the love of your life will just manifest.

As someone who doesn’t believe good things “just show up” and instead good things come as a result of hard work and concerted effort, I always thought this was advice was silly. First of all, at what point will I “forget” about wanting to be in a relationship? Will I stop “enjoying life” when my love shows up? And because the love of my life has not shown up is it because I’m not enjoying life enough? Seriously, how does someone apply that vague advice? But I get the gist and the good spirit of it.

I don’t think women should chase men or spend their days moping around the house in sweats, memorizing their favorite chick-flick on DVD, eating ramen noodles and drinking vodka all the while lamenting to their friends about their inability to find a good man. You still have to live your life….even if the very people who advise you to live life don’t really mean it.

Here’s what happened….

Continue reading →

The Search Is Over: The Perfect Sports Bra

1 Comment

I’ve been searching for the perfect sports bra since I was about 13 or 14.

When you’re well-endowed, it can be very difficult to find proper coverage — especially for exercise. However, I didn’t let that stop me from cheerleading, basketball, dance team, step team, soccer, track or general exercise at the gym.

At first, I endured the pain while wearing a single Walmart 2 for $8 sports bra (#EpicFail). Then I started doubling up. That still didn’t work. I was two steps from just wrapping a rope around my upper body when someone tipped me off to the regular bra underneath a sports bra thing. That worked out for years and I highly recommend it.

Even though I found something I could work with, I still didn’t give up on my search. I believe that blessings from God do not include sorrow, so I knew there had to be a sports bra that worked for what He’d given me. Besides, I’m not THAT big up top. My torso is just small.

Anyway….a few weeks ago….more than 10 years after my search began….I found it. Continue reading →

Dropping the Façade: Pretending is for Kids

4 Comments

Growing up, playing pretend was fun.

I would wrap up in a sheet and pretend I was Mary Magdalene. My sister and I would put on a show for our dolls and pretend we were famous singers. We had imaginary friends (and pets) whom we played with until one of us forgot we were playing and sat on the dog and “killed it”.

Pretending let me enter a world that did not exist, but at that time, in that moment, it was real. And it was fun.

As I’ve gotten older, I realized that, though I’m not putting a pillowcase on my head and pretending I’m a bride or jumping off the backs of couches pretending that I’m flying, in some ways I’m still pretending. But this time, it’s not fun. Continue reading →

Motivation Missing: Reflections on the Past 11 Months

1 Comment

I need something to look forward to. A personal goal to strive toward. I’m too easy on myself. Too content with past accomplishments. Too hesitant to kick myself in the butt. Too fine with engaging in little stuff that doesn’t add up to the total of what I want. Too focused on temporary things. Too available.

I need my focus back.

It’s weird because I have not always been like this. Continue reading →