Hello everyone (or no one) ... I am the Divine Mrs. M and I just celebrated my 40th birthday partying with a variety of family, childhood friends and my grown-up BFFs. My theme was a "Party Like a Rock Star" costume party wherein the Divine Mrs M portrayed Madonna from her Material Girl video. I was rocking the pink dress, long pink gloves, sparkling jewels ... and a really fat ass. *sigh*
Now, I didn't wake up on my 40th birthday with an epiphany that I was fat. I am quite aware of the fact that I am carrying a lot more baggage around than I did 20 years ago. The thing is ... when you're in the process of becoming fat ... it's easy to deny, ignore, eat, deny, ignore and eat some more. I remember Matt Lauer interviewing Kirstie Alley on the Today show once upon a time when she was promoting one of her numerous efforts to lose weight. His question (or something to this effect) ... "How did you not notice you were getting fat?" Hmmmmm.....spoken like someone who has never had a weight problem. (On a side note, I've never really cared for Matt Lauer since this interview aired ... it was his tone. I took it personally.)
The truth is ... if you are fat you know you are fat. You don't feel good about being fat. You lie to yourself and say that you aren't fat ... you say things like "big boned," "curvy," "horizontally challenged" and all the other lies big girls like myself tell ourselves to help us make it through the day. You tell yourself that you are "healthy" even though you are well past your "sell by" date (BMI) on the scale. You look at yourself in the mirror only from the neck up and are honestly shocked when you see a picture of yourself that shows the "curves" that even the best Spanx cannot hide.
If you're like me, you spend an obscene amount of money on designer handbags because they always "fit" and aren't depressing to try on. You also spend an obscene amount of money at what I refer to as "The Big Girl Store" (aka the plus size clothing store) to try and hide your flaws and still look as fabulous as you felt when you were a size ZERO ... because, believe it or not, I really was once a size ZERO!!!!!! WTF???? I was one of the skinniest girls in my high school and my goal by the time I reached graduation was to weigh 100 pounds. You know what? I didn't accomplish my goal! I ate and ate and ate and ate and I could NOT hit 100 pounds. Youth really is wasted on the young.
So, back to my fabulous 40 self. I truly do enjoy my life ... I have a lovely husband, two lovely teenagers, one of those great dysfunctional modern families and the kind of friends that you cannot imagine living a day without. The ONLY thing in my life that I'm not happy with on a daily basis is the roll of fat that hangs over the C-section scar, the bottom that sags and enters a room a full 30-45 seconds after I do and the jiggly thighs, arms, etc. So, I'm on a quest to change this and I'm hoping you will join me on this journey. I'm going to look deep within this formerly thin person and figure out what the Hell happened and how to turn this situation around. Somehow I think it will be more of an internal journey that transpires itself into an outward change.
Will I be thin when this year is over? Only God knows. I'm gonna go the self-help group route and say "one day at a time." Stay tuned and stay in touch ...
© 2010-2011 Melanie L. Miller All Rights Reserved
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Monday, August 1, 2011
The Flying W ...
So. Here we are dear readers. Three-quarters of the way into the telenovela that has been my 40th year. What have we learned thus far?
Well ... here are a few of my favorite (well, perhaps not favorite but definitely memorable) highlights: (a) I like Madonna; (b) I like to eat and would like to not like it quite so much; (c) that pajama pants are never to be worn outside of the bedroom; (d) that I watch entirely too much TV; (e) I have an endless list of movie quotes hidden in secret compartments of my brain; (f) I secretly wish the Pilgrims had never landed on Plymouth Rock thereby bettering the chances that I would have been born and raised in Jolly Ol' England; (g) that I should be banned from all ski resorts; (h) that my husband is a secret magician who pulled an amazing rabbit out of his hat and disappeared; and (i) that for a better part of the last decade I have been sporting the dreaded size W.
Whew! Quite eventful indeed! And those were just the tip of the iceberg!
For my past few posts I have been in my "Tony Robbins" mode ... up on the soap box ... trying to convince everyone to feel good and get out there and conquer the world. And that's awesome and everything ... but tonight I'm feeling more Erma Bombeck than Tony and feeling a little bit more like the Divine Mrs. M.
*** I interrupt this thought with a message from our sponsor (me): Am I going to have change my name to Ms. in the likelihood that said husband, the secret magician, has truly disappeared never to return to the M's stage? Because if you don't know where I got my name from ... it is a play on words from the amazing and incomparable Bette Midler ... the one and only "Divine Ms. M." And no matter how big of a fan of hers I may be and how sometimes I even imagine that we are the best of friends who sing and dance and go shopping with our best gays ... I am quite sure she is not going to take pity on my poor soul and allow me to use her trademark name. So perhaps when this year is over and I have reached 40+1 years of age (I have decided that using 40+whatever number sounds younger than saying the actual number) a name change may be in order. So I'm open to ideas. Anyone?***
Moving on ... so, yes, tonight I am feeling much more like myself ... the Divine Mrs. M. And what I hope you have learned by now after joining me on this journey ... is that I like most everything about being the Divine Mrs. M ... minus the fat.
So I am proud and pleased to announce that the Divine Mrs. M has almost made it to the 30-pound weight loss milestone (I am this close) on this 40, fabulous and fat journey ... and the W's have flown by the wayside.
Yep ... you heard me correctly ... I no longer require the dreaded letter W followed by it's equally despised two digit number defiling the tags of my clothing. Go ahead ... take a moment ... I will wait for the applause to die down before I continue.
This journey to the big 3-0 has been a true learning experience ... some of the weight I worked my ass off for ... some came from stress. But, hey, you know what they say ... don't look a gift horse in the mouth (what the heck does that even mean anyway ... I really don't know ... but it seemed to fit properly so I'm standing by it).
Now, here's the thing about losing weight ... a significant amount of weight ... because almost 30 pounds is quite significant for me (see how I am so avoiding telling you I have lost 29.6 pounds ... 29.6 ... that last .4 is like that mean girl in school who makes your life miserable every day). The thing is ... that losing the weight and watching the flying W disappear into the clouds opens up a whole new plethora of stores that you can spend your money in.
Now, before you get too excited and the applause get too out of control ... I am still a two-digit curvy girl. And 30 pounds does not put me at my goal weight. However, I don't really give a shit. Because I no longer need a W!!! And you know how much I hate all things W ... W clothes ... my abusive boyfriend WW (Weight Watchers for those of you just tuning in).
Now if you are a loyal reader ... you know that every item of clothing from my past sizes leading up to the dreaded 18W were given away to the trendy ladies at the senior citizen apartment complex and a local church charity clothing store.
I decided that new clothes were now in order because all of the clothing lining the Crabtree & Evelyn scented drawers of my dresser and color coded in my closet are now 3 sizes too big. Which didn't even occur to me actually until I put on a pair of white capris the other day and realized that they weren't staying up without a belt. And when I cinched the belt ... I found that I had to poke another hole in it in order for it to stay on as well. But the result of said fashion statement was a 40 year old, fabulous woman, sporting white capris and seemingly wearing a very soggy Depends undergarment. Because after cinching the 3 sizes too big capris with the man-made hole in the belt ... I was left with so much extra material that the pants sagged quite unflatteringly below the lady bits and the buttocks. I looked absolutely ridiculous but I had no choice but to leave the house in such a state because I needed to get to my new job (more on that at a later date) and every pair of pants I owned ... being white, black or khaki ... produced the same fashion faux pas.
So ... off I went ... saggy white pants and all ... armed with a crisp, clean credit card tucked safely away in my Coach bag ready to be used at will after the end of a long work day.
Imagine my excitement as I logged off of the computer, climbed into the cool air conditioning of my car, singing at the top of my voice to the Adele CD in my car stereo and headed straight to the mall. I couldn't get there fast enough. First stop ... a major department store ... where I did my best John Travolta impression and strutted straight past the W section and into the non-W section to go on a buying frenzy. I was practically foaming at the mouth. First up ... shirts/blouses. I did some major damage there. Gone were the loose fitting size W frocks and empire waisted blouses. In were tailored blouses and blazers and fitted tees (which by the way ... just the word "fitted tees" used to make me nauseous). I couldn't get enough. Every one fit better than the next and I couldn't believe that somewhere along the 40, fabulous and fat journey ... I had found my waist!!! I had an actual waistline. I felt like a Nobel Peace Prize winning archaeologist who has made the discovery of a lifetime. Well, that last part isn't exactly true ... but for the first time in for as long as I can remember I could actually relate to what Stacy and Clinton are talking about on What Not to Wear when they say choose fitted jackets that "show off your waist." The only thing I had to show off before was a ... well ... hmmmm ... what was it? A barrel? Well, whatever ... I have a waist! And it looks flattering in fitted shirts/blouses.
After leaving my finds at the register I went in search of fabulous bottoms ... jeans ... trousers ... capris ... slacks (okay ... I hate the word "slacks" but that's what my mom calls them and since she reads this I thought I'd humor her) to go with my many fabulous shirts/blouses.
And that, my friends, is where this tale of euphoria, celebration and excitement ... goes horribly, horribly wrong.
So ... since I have been confined to shopping in the Lane Bryant corner of the world for quite some time ... can someone who has not been confined to the Lane Bryant and similarly size W stores tell me when the following things came to pass: (a) that all women not of the size W stature became supermodels with impossibly long legs so that all jeans/trousers have enough extra material at the bottom that a Project Runway contestant could whip together an entire layette for a newborn? That are so incredibly long that even pairing them with a 9-inch heel would still leave you dragging your jeans/trousers through the slush, snow, mud, rain, dust, etc?; (b) that all women not of the size W stature prefer to wear jeans/trousers in the style of plumbers and teenage wannabe rappers ... sitting so low on the waist that the band of your Hanes underwear is promptly on display for the whole world to see?; and (c) if you do actually find a pair of trousers that sits on your natural waistline ... promptly creates a gap the size of the Grand Canyon in the back??
I mean ... how do you non size W women do it? I am 5'6 ... not 5'10 like Cindy Crawford (and if you are so young that you don't know who that is ... she was the Gisele Bundchen of my day). I am 40 ... not 20 ... and I wear underwear daily ... and like to keep the brand name to myself. And while a belt can be a pertinent style statement/accessory ... I don't like to be pressured to wear one to cover the great divide.
I don't remember how many pairs of jeans/trousers/capris/slacks (hey Mom) I took into that dressing room ... but other than being able to admire the size displayed on their tags ... every last pair seemed to stare back at me from the mirror ... mocking me. I was pissed. WTF? All of this work to lose this weight and not one pair of the above-mentioned bottoms were flattering on my obviously thinner figure.
I came out of the dressing room defeated but not broken ... pulled out the shiny card from my bag and purchased all of the shirts/blouses and headed to the next store ... and then another ... and then another. Once again being mocked by the ill-fitting bottoms.
After striking out yet again at the last store ... I headed out of the shopping mall in tears. Yes ... I said it ... in tears. Is that ridiculous? Yes ... it is. I know how ridiculous it is that I allowed myself to be bullied by a pair of pants ... or several 100 pair of pants (well, maybe I'm exaggerating a bit ... it wasn't several 100 ... it just seemed like it) ... but bullied I allowed myself to be.
After an appropriate amount of crying time in the safety of my air conditioned automobile ... I pulled out of the mall parking lot and headed straight to Starbucks to pay a visit to my old friend, Red Velvet. That's right ... you heard me ... I went straight to Starbucks and ordered a large black coffee, because I don't know how to order it in Starbucks lingo (Grande?) and two very delicious ... very fattening ... red velvet cupcakes. Yes, I said two.
Never mind that one of the main reasons I find myself with the word "fat" at the end of this blog title is because of my old friend, Red Velvet. And speaking of Red Velvet if you ever have the opportunity to be in Boston ... visit Harvard Square and go to a cupcake shop called "Sweet." Best red velvet cupcakes ever. But I digress ... So armed with my Kleenex, grande whatever and trusty friend Red Velvet ... I headed home. Wherein I proceeded to cry some more and share my sad tale of being mocked by pants to Red Velvet who completely understood my pain.
Somewhere into the second cupcake I snapped into reality and out of my "poor me" phase and came to the realization that my behavior was completely uncalled for. I have lost almost 30 pounds (darn that .4) ... a feat that should be celebrated ... not ridiculed and drowned in a Red Velvet free-for-all. I have exceeded my weight loss expectations up to this point ... and the fact of the matter is ... I really couldn't keep parading around town in my 3 sizes too big pants paired with all of my fabulous new shirts/blouses. I had to bite the bullet and go in search of pants ... and to what I am now referring to as the search for the "Holy Grail."
Awaking with a clear mind and new perspective I called upon my good friend N who recently celebrated a significant weight loss of her own. She made some crazy good suggestions of where I might have some luck ... and fully backed up my theory that those who design jeans/trousers are the devil and are out to make those of us "real" women who are not 6 feet tall with skinny thighs and non-existent back sides feel bad about themselves. Armed with her suggestions and the aforementioned credit card ... I managed to strike gold and walked away with a total combination of seven pair of jeans, trousers and capris (no slacks, sorry Mom).
All in all ... I learned an important lesson. Achievements are meant to be celebrated and you shouldn't detract from the celebration of said milestones by allowing a little hiccup in your grand plan to make you lose sight of the big picture. Another ... I should probably pop a Xanax before I enter another dressing room after the next almost 30 pounds are gone to avoid harming myself or others who enter my path.
While I bid a fond farewell and watch the size W's fly up, up and away and into another stratosphere ... I realize there will always be road blocks along the way trying to steal a little bit of my joy. While I cannot always avoid the road blocks ... I can change my attitude and turn the road blocks into stepping stones.
And so can you ... but first you have to pack away the Kleenex, step away from Red Velvet and attach whatever your "W" is to a big hot air balloon and blow kisses to it as it floats slowly away ... never allowing it to steal your joy again. (Ok ... so that was a tad Tony Robbins ... so sue me.)
© 2010-2011 Melanie L. Miller All Rights Reserved
Well ... here are a few of my favorite (well, perhaps not favorite but definitely memorable) highlights: (a) I like Madonna; (b) I like to eat and would like to not like it quite so much; (c) that pajama pants are never to be worn outside of the bedroom; (d) that I watch entirely too much TV; (e) I have an endless list of movie quotes hidden in secret compartments of my brain; (f) I secretly wish the Pilgrims had never landed on Plymouth Rock thereby bettering the chances that I would have been born and raised in Jolly Ol' England; (g) that I should be banned from all ski resorts; (h) that my husband is a secret magician who pulled an amazing rabbit out of his hat and disappeared; and (i) that for a better part of the last decade I have been sporting the dreaded size W.
Whew! Quite eventful indeed! And those were just the tip of the iceberg!
For my past few posts I have been in my "Tony Robbins" mode ... up on the soap box ... trying to convince everyone to feel good and get out there and conquer the world. And that's awesome and everything ... but tonight I'm feeling more Erma Bombeck than Tony and feeling a little bit more like the Divine Mrs. M.
*** I interrupt this thought with a message from our sponsor (me): Am I going to have change my name to Ms. in the likelihood that said husband, the secret magician, has truly disappeared never to return to the M's stage? Because if you don't know where I got my name from ... it is a play on words from the amazing and incomparable Bette Midler ... the one and only "Divine Ms. M." And no matter how big of a fan of hers I may be and how sometimes I even imagine that we are the best of friends who sing and dance and go shopping with our best gays ... I am quite sure she is not going to take pity on my poor soul and allow me to use her trademark name. So perhaps when this year is over and I have reached 40+1 years of age (I have decided that using 40+whatever number sounds younger than saying the actual number) a name change may be in order. So I'm open to ideas. Anyone?***
Moving on ... so, yes, tonight I am feeling much more like myself ... the Divine Mrs. M. And what I hope you have learned by now after joining me on this journey ... is that I like most everything about being the Divine Mrs. M ... minus the fat.
So I am proud and pleased to announce that the Divine Mrs. M has almost made it to the 30-pound weight loss milestone (I am this close) on this 40, fabulous and fat journey ... and the W's have flown by the wayside.
Yep ... you heard me correctly ... I no longer require the dreaded letter W followed by it's equally despised two digit number defiling the tags of my clothing. Go ahead ... take a moment ... I will wait for the applause to die down before I continue.
This journey to the big 3-0 has been a true learning experience ... some of the weight I worked my ass off for ... some came from stress. But, hey, you know what they say ... don't look a gift horse in the mouth (what the heck does that even mean anyway ... I really don't know ... but it seemed to fit properly so I'm standing by it).
Now, here's the thing about losing weight ... a significant amount of weight ... because almost 30 pounds is quite significant for me (see how I am so avoiding telling you I have lost 29.6 pounds ... 29.6 ... that last .4 is like that mean girl in school who makes your life miserable every day). The thing is ... that losing the weight and watching the flying W disappear into the clouds opens up a whole new plethora of stores that you can spend your money in.
Now, before you get too excited and the applause get too out of control ... I am still a two-digit curvy girl. And 30 pounds does not put me at my goal weight. However, I don't really give a shit. Because I no longer need a W!!! And you know how much I hate all things W ... W clothes ... my abusive boyfriend WW (Weight Watchers for those of you just tuning in).
Now if you are a loyal reader ... you know that every item of clothing from my past sizes leading up to the dreaded 18W were given away to the trendy ladies at the senior citizen apartment complex and a local church charity clothing store.
I decided that new clothes were now in order because all of the clothing lining the Crabtree & Evelyn scented drawers of my dresser and color coded in my closet are now 3 sizes too big. Which didn't even occur to me actually until I put on a pair of white capris the other day and realized that they weren't staying up without a belt. And when I cinched the belt ... I found that I had to poke another hole in it in order for it to stay on as well. But the result of said fashion statement was a 40 year old, fabulous woman, sporting white capris and seemingly wearing a very soggy Depends undergarment. Because after cinching the 3 sizes too big capris with the man-made hole in the belt ... I was left with so much extra material that the pants sagged quite unflatteringly below the lady bits and the buttocks. I looked absolutely ridiculous but I had no choice but to leave the house in such a state because I needed to get to my new job (more on that at a later date) and every pair of pants I owned ... being white, black or khaki ... produced the same fashion faux pas.
So ... off I went ... saggy white pants and all ... armed with a crisp, clean credit card tucked safely away in my Coach bag ready to be used at will after the end of a long work day.
Imagine my excitement as I logged off of the computer, climbed into the cool air conditioning of my car, singing at the top of my voice to the Adele CD in my car stereo and headed straight to the mall. I couldn't get there fast enough. First stop ... a major department store ... where I did my best John Travolta impression and strutted straight past the W section and into the non-W section to go on a buying frenzy. I was practically foaming at the mouth. First up ... shirts/blouses. I did some major damage there. Gone were the loose fitting size W frocks and empire waisted blouses. In were tailored blouses and blazers and fitted tees (which by the way ... just the word "fitted tees" used to make me nauseous). I couldn't get enough. Every one fit better than the next and I couldn't believe that somewhere along the 40, fabulous and fat journey ... I had found my waist!!! I had an actual waistline. I felt like a Nobel Peace Prize winning archaeologist who has made the discovery of a lifetime. Well, that last part isn't exactly true ... but for the first time in for as long as I can remember I could actually relate to what Stacy and Clinton are talking about on What Not to Wear when they say choose fitted jackets that "show off your waist." The only thing I had to show off before was a ... well ... hmmmm ... what was it? A barrel? Well, whatever ... I have a waist! And it looks flattering in fitted shirts/blouses.
After leaving my finds at the register I went in search of fabulous bottoms ... jeans ... trousers ... capris ... slacks (okay ... I hate the word "slacks" but that's what my mom calls them and since she reads this I thought I'd humor her) to go with my many fabulous shirts/blouses.
And that, my friends, is where this tale of euphoria, celebration and excitement ... goes horribly, horribly wrong.
So ... since I have been confined to shopping in the Lane Bryant corner of the world for quite some time ... can someone who has not been confined to the Lane Bryant and similarly size W stores tell me when the following things came to pass: (a) that all women not of the size W stature became supermodels with impossibly long legs so that all jeans/trousers have enough extra material at the bottom that a Project Runway contestant could whip together an entire layette for a newborn? That are so incredibly long that even pairing them with a 9-inch heel would still leave you dragging your jeans/trousers through the slush, snow, mud, rain, dust, etc?; (b) that all women not of the size W stature prefer to wear jeans/trousers in the style of plumbers and teenage wannabe rappers ... sitting so low on the waist that the band of your Hanes underwear is promptly on display for the whole world to see?; and (c) if you do actually find a pair of trousers that sits on your natural waistline ... promptly creates a gap the size of the Grand Canyon in the back??
I mean ... how do you non size W women do it? I am 5'6 ... not 5'10 like Cindy Crawford (and if you are so young that you don't know who that is ... she was the Gisele Bundchen of my day). I am 40 ... not 20 ... and I wear underwear daily ... and like to keep the brand name to myself. And while a belt can be a pertinent style statement/accessory ... I don't like to be pressured to wear one to cover the great divide.
I don't remember how many pairs of jeans/trousers/capris/slacks (hey Mom) I took into that dressing room ... but other than being able to admire the size displayed on their tags ... every last pair seemed to stare back at me from the mirror ... mocking me. I was pissed. WTF? All of this work to lose this weight and not one pair of the above-mentioned bottoms were flattering on my obviously thinner figure.
I came out of the dressing room defeated but not broken ... pulled out the shiny card from my bag and purchased all of the shirts/blouses and headed to the next store ... and then another ... and then another. Once again being mocked by the ill-fitting bottoms.
After striking out yet again at the last store ... I headed out of the shopping mall in tears. Yes ... I said it ... in tears. Is that ridiculous? Yes ... it is. I know how ridiculous it is that I allowed myself to be bullied by a pair of pants ... or several 100 pair of pants (well, maybe I'm exaggerating a bit ... it wasn't several 100 ... it just seemed like it) ... but bullied I allowed myself to be.
After an appropriate amount of crying time in the safety of my air conditioned automobile ... I pulled out of the mall parking lot and headed straight to Starbucks to pay a visit to my old friend, Red Velvet. That's right ... you heard me ... I went straight to Starbucks and ordered a large black coffee, because I don't know how to order it in Starbucks lingo (Grande?) and two very delicious ... very fattening ... red velvet cupcakes. Yes, I said two.
Never mind that one of the main reasons I find myself with the word "fat" at the end of this blog title is because of my old friend, Red Velvet. And speaking of Red Velvet if you ever have the opportunity to be in Boston ... visit Harvard Square and go to a cupcake shop called "Sweet." Best red velvet cupcakes ever. But I digress ... So armed with my Kleenex, grande whatever and trusty friend Red Velvet ... I headed home. Wherein I proceeded to cry some more and share my sad tale of being mocked by pants to Red Velvet who completely understood my pain.
Somewhere into the second cupcake I snapped into reality and out of my "poor me" phase and came to the realization that my behavior was completely uncalled for. I have lost almost 30 pounds (darn that .4) ... a feat that should be celebrated ... not ridiculed and drowned in a Red Velvet free-for-all. I have exceeded my weight loss expectations up to this point ... and the fact of the matter is ... I really couldn't keep parading around town in my 3 sizes too big pants paired with all of my fabulous new shirts/blouses. I had to bite the bullet and go in search of pants ... and to what I am now referring to as the search for the "Holy Grail."
Awaking with a clear mind and new perspective I called upon my good friend N who recently celebrated a significant weight loss of her own. She made some crazy good suggestions of where I might have some luck ... and fully backed up my theory that those who design jeans/trousers are the devil and are out to make those of us "real" women who are not 6 feet tall with skinny thighs and non-existent back sides feel bad about themselves. Armed with her suggestions and the aforementioned credit card ... I managed to strike gold and walked away with a total combination of seven pair of jeans, trousers and capris (no slacks, sorry Mom).
All in all ... I learned an important lesson. Achievements are meant to be celebrated and you shouldn't detract from the celebration of said milestones by allowing a little hiccup in your grand plan to make you lose sight of the big picture. Another ... I should probably pop a Xanax before I enter another dressing room after the next almost 30 pounds are gone to avoid harming myself or others who enter my path.
While I bid a fond farewell and watch the size W's fly up, up and away and into another stratosphere ... I realize there will always be road blocks along the way trying to steal a little bit of my joy. While I cannot always avoid the road blocks ... I can change my attitude and turn the road blocks into stepping stones.
And so can you ... but first you have to pack away the Kleenex, step away from Red Velvet and attach whatever your "W" is to a big hot air balloon and blow kisses to it as it floats slowly away ... never allowing it to steal your joy again. (Ok ... so that was a tad Tony Robbins ... so sue me.)
© 2010-2011 Melanie L. Miller All Rights Reserved
Saturday, July 16, 2011
The Next "Big" Thing ...
I have said it before and I will say it again ... to be a successful writer, you have to write what you know. So, for you unfortunate few who have the pleasure to play an important role in my life ... you are so screwed. Because I cannot write about my life without including bits and pieces of yours as well ... our lives are intertwined. With that being said ...
So dear readers ... we last left our heroine (me) flying high above the sky. But eventually my feet had to land on the ground and they are now firmly planted in the mud and the muck of my new reality.
Let's take a moment, shall we, to discuss what the word "reality" means in 2011. Think Real Housewives of ... New York, New Jersey, Atlanta, Beverly Hills, Orange County. If any of you take time out of your busy lives to feast on this eye candy (and yes, obviously I do or I wouldn't be able to write about it) ... you will find that (a) very few of them are actually married (a lot of them have actually gotten divorced since the debut of their respective shows) ... so they aren't really wives per se (attention Andy Cohen ... I am petitioning you rename the shows Ex Wives of ... Wherever ... just sayin'); (b) they go out every single night of the week without said husbands (which may account for the high divorce rates) ... so they are rarely in their respective houses ; (c) have children but choose to spend most of their time with their fellow Housewive/ frienemies; and (d) are the meanest women on the planet.
Seriously ... I have my peeps, the BFF and Sargent. I can guarantee you this ... if I ever and I mean ever spoke to either one of them or treated either one of them the way these Housewives treat each other ... I would kick my own ass. It's ridiculous ... and marketed as reality.
Now let's look at another reality phenomenon ... The Jersey Shore. Don't even pretend you don't know what I'm talking about ... you know who Snookie is ... even if you are too embarrassed to admit it. As a viewer ... I can't take my eyes off of these morons. I can't. As a mother ... OMG. That's all ... no more to say ... just OMG. If my children were ever caught acting even remotely like Snookie, JWow, Sammi Sweetheart, the Situation, Ronnie, Vinnie or Pauly D (I told you I can't stop watching them) ... I would call child services myself to have them taken away because whomever is responsible for raising the cast of the Shore should be in jail. Reality? Lord help us all if that is the best of what future generations have to offer.
Another popular example of reality in today's culture ... Survivor. Now I know you've all seen at least one episode of Survivor. It has had like 22 seasons or something outrageous like that. And their theme? Lie, cheat, manipulate ... compromise all of your morals ... and come out on top as the sole survivor. Entertaining ... yes. Reality? Maybe in some circles.
Another juicy morsel to chew on when you're bored ... Keeping up with the Kardashians. No. I can't even go there. I just can't.
A new favorite ... Ice Loves Coco. If you haven't seen this ... don't do it. You're going to get sucked in. You are. Coco is a real life Jessica Rabbit. Quite possibly the dumbest most endearing caricature of a person you are ever going to find. Reality? I don't know ... that's my point. What is reality?
Well, at the moment ... my reality is that I am standing at a fork in the road. Both roads are muddy ... difficult to maneuver through without the assistance of a GPS, 4-wheel drive, and really good tires. One road leads to the reconciliation of my marriage ... the other leads toward the Big D ... Divorce. Unfortunately, I don't have producers in my corner directing my reality, fitting all the drama into a one-hour episode and determining the outcome long before the season finale. Nope ... it's just me ... my GPS (God), my four-wheel drive (determination) ... and really good tires (my peeps, my family and prayer partner).
I have made the pit stop at the fork in the road to rest for awhile. Because I am a firm believer in not making any decisions in the midst of a storm. You have to let the rolling waves subside until you can hear from God as to what path you are to take.
My BFF is facing a new reality of her own. Approximately one week after finding myself staring into the eyes of the Big D ... my BFF had to "one-up" me and go and get herself diagnosed with the Big C ... Cancer. Now, before you start sending out the hate mail and chastising me for saying she "one-upped" me ... please know that my BFF knows how much I love, love, love her. But, let's be honest ... how in the world am I supposed to run to the sanctuary of her home and sit on her couch, petting her dog, drinking her coffee, whining about my life when she has cancer. Well, I can't.
Nope. I had to climb off the ME train and board the BFF Big C Express. This ab fab woman ... without whom my life would not be complete ... has the Big C. It's a fact. There is nothing we can do to change it ... so the peeps have rallied and done what we do best ... support her. My job ... the comic relief. When things are getting too heavy ... I can step up and compete with Kathy Griffin, Don Rickles, Chris Rock etc and lay down a one-liner that will most definitely lighten the mood. As witty as I may be ... I'm still a sucker ... a real sentimental baby ... so when the BFF and I start to get emotional ... the Sargent steps in with a "suck it up and put your big girl panties on," to keep our tears in check.
Over the past several weeks, the BFF has been on quite the Big C roller coaster. First up ... the biopsy ... wherein she was strapped into some Medieval style torture device and impaled with a big needle which took a sample of the sickness growing inside of her which confirmed what we feared to already be true. That yes, she did have the Big C.
Then came a hysterectomy and lumpectomy which fast-forwarded her into menopause and unable to lift her arm for two weeks. Then came the waiting game for results ... only to be faced with scary medical terminology such as "invasive, mastectomy, radiation, chemotherapy, genetic testing and MRI." It's complicated ... confusing ... and scary.
I would do anything for my BFF ... even eat tomatoes ... and she knows how much I hate tomatoes. So standing beside her and holding her hand, lending an ear and lifting her up in prayer, which is what I can do, doesn't seem to be nearly enough. But I do what I can.
Now the BFF hasn't been getting out much since the Big C has entered her life ... so she was apprehensive in attending the recent graduation party for the Sargent's oldest child for fear that people would be stopping her at every turn and asking her about her diagnosis. So being the good friend that I am ... I made a promise. That whenever she got cornered by such a person ... I would casually walk up and interrupt and say something along the lines of "have you heard my husband left me?" A very fine distraction indeed ... taking the focus off of the Big C ... and placing it on the Big D ... and allowing her to make the great escape. Alas, the opportunity did not present itself as most people were quite respectful offering only well wishes and not asking for her to complete a HIPPA form so they could access her complete medical history.
Which brings me to another chapter in our story ... the Big 5-0. The Sargent will be reaching this milestone sooner rather than later (truth is there are 10 long months leading up to the big day) ... and plans have been made for the BFF and I to whisk her off to Vegas for this blessed event.
The Sargent not only faces the reality of the Big 5-0 knocking on her door ... but the reality of her oldest child graduating high school and preparing to leave the nest. Shortly after she reaches the big 5-0, she will face yet another reality as her youngest child will be following in her older brother's footsteps.
The peeps and I have spent thousands of hours discussing the empty nest syndrome and what we will do with ourselves once our children leave us to pursue their separate passions. And, truth is, after a countless number of calories consumed, a countless number of tears shed and a countless number of hours of laughter ... we are still no closer to knowing the answer to that burning question than we were when we started ... and we started when they were in the first grade. So, the Sargent has the distinct honor of letting go of our first baby and we are looking to her to blaze the trail.
Now ... take three best friends ... one facing the Big D ... one conquering the Big C and the other turning the big 5-0 and you have ... well ... enough material for a whole other blog ... or the makings of the next War and Peace. Which is an apt title. For we are all at war in our own way ... one with cancer ... one with marriage ... and one with letting go. And we are all searching for peace in our own way ... one with being at peace with her diagnosis ... one with being at peace with making the proper decision in regard to her marriage ... and one with being at peace with growing older and starting a new chapter in her life.
Point of the matter is this ... we all have our crosses to bear in this lifetime. You have no idea where you are headed ... or where you will end up. No one person's problems are more or less than yours are. Yes, the Big C is definitely scarier than the Big D and the Big D may be scarier than the Big 5-0 and being left with an empty nest ... but we don't keep score ... we take each other's problems in stride and support each other 100% of the way.
It has been said that if you find that great love of your life, you are one of the lucky ones. Well I must be really lucky then ... because I have been fortunate enough to find two.
The Big D, The Big C and the Big 5-0 ain't got nothing on us and I'm thinking of giving Bravo a call ... I think I just found the next "big" thing ... Real Housewives of Podunk, PA anyone?
© 2010-2011 Melanie L. Miller All Rights Reserved
So dear readers ... we last left our heroine (me) flying high above the sky. But eventually my feet had to land on the ground and they are now firmly planted in the mud and the muck of my new reality.
Let's take a moment, shall we, to discuss what the word "reality" means in 2011. Think Real Housewives of ... New York, New Jersey, Atlanta, Beverly Hills, Orange County. If any of you take time out of your busy lives to feast on this eye candy (and yes, obviously I do or I wouldn't be able to write about it) ... you will find that (a) very few of them are actually married (a lot of them have actually gotten divorced since the debut of their respective shows) ... so they aren't really wives per se (attention Andy Cohen ... I am petitioning you rename the shows Ex Wives of ... Wherever ... just sayin'); (b) they go out every single night of the week without said husbands (which may account for the high divorce rates) ... so they are rarely in their respective houses ; (c) have children but choose to spend most of their time with their fellow Housewive/ frienemies; and (d) are the meanest women on the planet.
Seriously ... I have my peeps, the BFF and Sargent. I can guarantee you this ... if I ever and I mean ever spoke to either one of them or treated either one of them the way these Housewives treat each other ... I would kick my own ass. It's ridiculous ... and marketed as reality.
Now let's look at another reality phenomenon ... The Jersey Shore. Don't even pretend you don't know what I'm talking about ... you know who Snookie is ... even if you are too embarrassed to admit it. As a viewer ... I can't take my eyes off of these morons. I can't. As a mother ... OMG. That's all ... no more to say ... just OMG. If my children were ever caught acting even remotely like Snookie, JWow, Sammi Sweetheart, the Situation, Ronnie, Vinnie or Pauly D (I told you I can't stop watching them) ... I would call child services myself to have them taken away because whomever is responsible for raising the cast of the Shore should be in jail. Reality? Lord help us all if that is the best of what future generations have to offer.
Another popular example of reality in today's culture ... Survivor. Now I know you've all seen at least one episode of Survivor. It has had like 22 seasons or something outrageous like that. And their theme? Lie, cheat, manipulate ... compromise all of your morals ... and come out on top as the sole survivor. Entertaining ... yes. Reality? Maybe in some circles.
Another juicy morsel to chew on when you're bored ... Keeping up with the Kardashians. No. I can't even go there. I just can't.
A new favorite ... Ice Loves Coco. If you haven't seen this ... don't do it. You're going to get sucked in. You are. Coco is a real life Jessica Rabbit. Quite possibly the dumbest most endearing caricature of a person you are ever going to find. Reality? I don't know ... that's my point. What is reality?
Well, at the moment ... my reality is that I am standing at a fork in the road. Both roads are muddy ... difficult to maneuver through without the assistance of a GPS, 4-wheel drive, and really good tires. One road leads to the reconciliation of my marriage ... the other leads toward the Big D ... Divorce. Unfortunately, I don't have producers in my corner directing my reality, fitting all the drama into a one-hour episode and determining the outcome long before the season finale. Nope ... it's just me ... my GPS (God), my four-wheel drive (determination) ... and really good tires (my peeps, my family and prayer partner).
I have made the pit stop at the fork in the road to rest for awhile. Because I am a firm believer in not making any decisions in the midst of a storm. You have to let the rolling waves subside until you can hear from God as to what path you are to take.
My BFF is facing a new reality of her own. Approximately one week after finding myself staring into the eyes of the Big D ... my BFF had to "one-up" me and go and get herself diagnosed with the Big C ... Cancer. Now, before you start sending out the hate mail and chastising me for saying she "one-upped" me ... please know that my BFF knows how much I love, love, love her. But, let's be honest ... how in the world am I supposed to run to the sanctuary of her home and sit on her couch, petting her dog, drinking her coffee, whining about my life when she has cancer. Well, I can't.
Nope. I had to climb off the ME train and board the BFF Big C Express. This ab fab woman ... without whom my life would not be complete ... has the Big C. It's a fact. There is nothing we can do to change it ... so the peeps have rallied and done what we do best ... support her. My job ... the comic relief. When things are getting too heavy ... I can step up and compete with Kathy Griffin, Don Rickles, Chris Rock etc and lay down a one-liner that will most definitely lighten the mood. As witty as I may be ... I'm still a sucker ... a real sentimental baby ... so when the BFF and I start to get emotional ... the Sargent steps in with a "suck it up and put your big girl panties on," to keep our tears in check.
Over the past several weeks, the BFF has been on quite the Big C roller coaster. First up ... the biopsy ... wherein she was strapped into some Medieval style torture device and impaled with a big needle which took a sample of the sickness growing inside of her which confirmed what we feared to already be true. That yes, she did have the Big C.
Then came a hysterectomy and lumpectomy which fast-forwarded her into menopause and unable to lift her arm for two weeks. Then came the waiting game for results ... only to be faced with scary medical terminology such as "invasive, mastectomy, radiation, chemotherapy, genetic testing and MRI." It's complicated ... confusing ... and scary.
I would do anything for my BFF ... even eat tomatoes ... and she knows how much I hate tomatoes. So standing beside her and holding her hand, lending an ear and lifting her up in prayer, which is what I can do, doesn't seem to be nearly enough. But I do what I can.
Now the BFF hasn't been getting out much since the Big C has entered her life ... so she was apprehensive in attending the recent graduation party for the Sargent's oldest child for fear that people would be stopping her at every turn and asking her about her diagnosis. So being the good friend that I am ... I made a promise. That whenever she got cornered by such a person ... I would casually walk up and interrupt and say something along the lines of "have you heard my husband left me?" A very fine distraction indeed ... taking the focus off of the Big C ... and placing it on the Big D ... and allowing her to make the great escape. Alas, the opportunity did not present itself as most people were quite respectful offering only well wishes and not asking for her to complete a HIPPA form so they could access her complete medical history.
Which brings me to another chapter in our story ... the Big 5-0. The Sargent will be reaching this milestone sooner rather than later (truth is there are 10 long months leading up to the big day) ... and plans have been made for the BFF and I to whisk her off to Vegas for this blessed event.
The Sargent not only faces the reality of the Big 5-0 knocking on her door ... but the reality of her oldest child graduating high school and preparing to leave the nest. Shortly after she reaches the big 5-0, she will face yet another reality as her youngest child will be following in her older brother's footsteps.
The peeps and I have spent thousands of hours discussing the empty nest syndrome and what we will do with ourselves once our children leave us to pursue their separate passions. And, truth is, after a countless number of calories consumed, a countless number of tears shed and a countless number of hours of laughter ... we are still no closer to knowing the answer to that burning question than we were when we started ... and we started when they were in the first grade. So, the Sargent has the distinct honor of letting go of our first baby and we are looking to her to blaze the trail.
Now ... take three best friends ... one facing the Big D ... one conquering the Big C and the other turning the big 5-0 and you have ... well ... enough material for a whole other blog ... or the makings of the next War and Peace. Which is an apt title. For we are all at war in our own way ... one with cancer ... one with marriage ... and one with letting go. And we are all searching for peace in our own way ... one with being at peace with her diagnosis ... one with being at peace with making the proper decision in regard to her marriage ... and one with being at peace with growing older and starting a new chapter in her life.
Point of the matter is this ... we all have our crosses to bear in this lifetime. You have no idea where you are headed ... or where you will end up. No one person's problems are more or less than yours are. Yes, the Big C is definitely scarier than the Big D and the Big D may be scarier than the Big 5-0 and being left with an empty nest ... but we don't keep score ... we take each other's problems in stride and support each other 100% of the way.
It has been said that if you find that great love of your life, you are one of the lucky ones. Well I must be really lucky then ... because I have been fortunate enough to find two.
The Big D, The Big C and the Big 5-0 ain't got nothing on us and I'm thinking of giving Bravo a call ... I think I just found the next "big" thing ... Real Housewives of Podunk, PA anyone?
© 2010-2011 Melanie L. Miller All Rights Reserved
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Born to Fly ...
Quite awhile back I posted a blog wherein I stated that I didn't want my weight to hold me back from trying new things and fulfilling my dreams ...
Well ... I am proud to announce that I can cross one thing off of my bucket list ... after a total weight loss to date of 23 pounds ... I was finally able to make my dream of parasailing a reality.
My summer family vacation had been planned long before my husband decided to jump ship. I waffled back and forth as to whether the teenagers and I should still go. Fear and doubt crept into my mind. Would I be able to drive the 13 hours to our destination without incident? Would there be a cloud of sadness hanging over us as we went on our first family vacation with a key member of our family noticeably absent? Would I be able to show the teenagers a good time ... just like their dad (the adventurous one) had always done? And the more I thought about it ... I came to the conclusion that I was allowing the fear of "what ifs" paralyze me. And I couldn't have that now could I?
So off we went ... packed in like sardines ... at 5:00 a.m. ... myself, four teenagers and one senior citizen (my mama) ... heading out for an adventure that would prove to be a great turning point in my life.
I have to divulge that the stress of this little adventure started long before we ever left the driveway. First, a nail had found its way into my left rear tire and was discovered one day before we left ...the tire had to be ordered and replaced ... cutting into the vacation budget. And packing the car with luggage for six, a cooler, snacks, beach bags, etc proved to be a bit more challenging that I had anticipated and resulted in a very tight squeeze for the teenagers and our resident senior citizen.
As I pulled out of the drive ... in the wee hours of the morning ... I was overcome with a wealth of emotions. Excitement and anticipation at spending a full week at the beach ... and sadness that I was going it alone. I almost had a breakdown within the first 45 minutes into the trip ... feeling the tears start to well up behind my eyes ... a tight squeezing in my chest. But as with all things in life ... I had a choice ... to move forward ... or turn back and flee to the comfort and security of my home. I chose to keep moving forward.
We arrived at our destination ... safe and sound ... and were rewarded with a beautifully designed three-bedroom condominium which boasted a spectacular view of the ocean ... four happy teenagers ... one happy senior citizen ... and one exhausted driver.
Over the next several days ... we enjoyed record high temperatures ... were treated to a spectacular show designed by God's hand as we watched a thunderstorm pass over the ocean ... walked along the beach ... wave boarded in the ocean ... floated slowly along the lazy river ... and had lively conversation around the dinner table at our home away from home.
Keeping with the theme of vacations past ... it was solely my responsibility to plan the activities and adventures for the week ahead. After skimming the brochures located in the lobby and searching the internet (because you know I couldn't leave the laptop at home) ... I decided to step out of the box and put a few things on the list that were out of my comfort zone.
First up ... the aquarium ... not so adventurous or out of the box but a great way to spend a cloudy evening after a rainstorm. Next up ... the banana boat. Now for those of you who are unfamiliar with what a banana boat is ... you are not alone. I didn't know what one was either. But basically ... it is just what it is advertised to be ... a rubber boat in the shape of a banana. Now, you can choose to do the "single banana," which is a yellow shaped banana boat built for six ... or you can choose the "double banana," a banana boat with a banana on each side connected like an H ... with a sturdy middle to fall into ... as opposed to being tossed carelessly into the ocean.
While I may be 23 pounds lighter ... the thought of being tossed into the ocean and trying to haul my now size 14W size ass back onto a boat was not exactly appealing ... I am not exactly known around town as having an extraordinary amount of upper body strength ... so the double banana it was.
As grandma has two artificial knees ... she decided to forgo this adventure. So the four teenagers and I suited up in our life jackets and waited patiently for our go round. When it came time for us to board this unseemly contraption ... we were told that two were to sit on one side of the boat ... and three on the other. I chose the side with three ... my daughter behind me ... her boyfriend in front of me ... my son on the other side and his friend behind him. We were then unceremoniously hooked up to a jet ski and told to "hold on for dear life," which I thought was funny ... until I realized they meant it. The means of which you must sit on this rotten banana is to straddle it with your knees tucked behind you and your hands clutching a strap. As I had a deep fear of falling into the ocean and forever being stranded because my body would most certainly have no way of climbing back into the boat ... I leaned strongly toward the middle ... and off we went. On the roughest ride of my life.
Apparently this banana boat thing is supposed to be fun ... ummmmm ... not so much. ... for me it was like a cardio and strength training workout all in one ... with the added bonus of salt water spraying in your face, filling your mouth and burning your eyes. I held onto that strap like my life depended on it ... because it did. The waves were high ... the driver was a lunatic ... twisting and turning and doing his job ... which apparently entailed trying to lose as many passengers as possible.
But this is where the turning point in my life came. Did you watch the first Sex and the City movie? Again ... if you haven't ... you really need to ... because the series and movies are a constant reference point in this blog. Anyhow ... in the movie Carrie is abandoned at the altar by Mr. Big and the honeymoon she has paid for in Mexico is non-refundable. So Samantha and the girls decide to take Carrie on her honeymoon wherein Carrie spends the first few days alone in her room with the shades drawn ... depressed and unable to move. She eventually joins the rest of the group outside and while lounging in the sun turns to her friends and asks, "Will I ever laugh again?" Miranda responds, "Yes. When something is really funny." Well the funny moment that became Carrie's breakthrough came at the expense of Charlotte ... who accidentally drinks the Mexican water while showering and contracts a bad case of diarrhea ... and has an accident ... in her pants.
My breakthrough came at the expense of my son ... who while on the wild banana boat ride ... got hit on his side of the boat by a huge wave and was tossed overboard ... never letting go of the strap and popping right back up onto the boat ... with his swim trunks dangerously close to being completely torn off. As I sit here and write this ... I am laughing out loud ... remembering him popping off the side of the boat in what seemed like an instant ... yelling, "and there go my shorts!" The banana boat captain had the decency to slow down and let my son retrieve his shorts and his dignity ... as the rest of us laughed so hard that no sound would come out ... tears were running down our cheeks and my abs were getting a workout they hadn't received since the early 90's. The extreme nature of my laughter was hindering my ability to hold on and was perilously increasing the likelihood that I would be the next casualty. Luckily for my son, our eyesight was greatly impaired due to the steady stream of salt water that had been assaulting them ... so his moon over the Atlantic Ocean was nothing but a white blur.
While I am certain my son does not have a fond memory of the above-mentioned event ... his unfortunate run-in with the banana boat saved my life ... made me feel alive again for the first time in months ... made me aware that I could laugh again ... really laugh ... and experience a sense of joy that had been hidden underneath the depths of despair that had accompanied me since my husband left our household.
I am not saying, however, that since my husband's abrupt departure that I haven't enjoyed myself ... that a majority of my time has been spent sitting on my butt and wallowing ... I am not much of a wallower. Not at all. But it was this particular event that snapped me out of my funk and allowed me to experience true joy. That moment granted me permission to wipe the sleep (and salt water) from my eyes and soak in the beauty of my surroundings ... see things in living color ... as opposed to seeing everything bathed in shades of gray.
This event led me to push aside my apprehensions and schedule the teenagers and I for the parasailing adventure I had wanted to participate in for as long as I can remember. Over the past several months I have worked hard at shedding those pesky extra pounds ... mustering the strength to get through every day on my own ... relearning who I am as a person ... and this was to be my reward.
So imagine my surprise when we were once again outfitted in our life jackets ... waiting patiently for our turn to fly above the ocean ... when what should appear before us to escort us toward our next adventure? A banana boat! Yes, friends, I had to once again climb aboard the dreaded banana boat and travel out into the ocean. But this time the driver's mission was not to toss us overboard ... but deliver us safely to our destination. Where in turn, I had to toss the captain a rope to hold the banana boat steady and with NO ladder, I had to haul all of this 14W fabulousness aboard the parasailing boat. It wasn't graceful ... and once aboard, I didn't have the strength to stand up as the parasail boat jostled back and forth along with the waves ... so I crawled across the bow and onto the deck and into a seat with all of the elegance of a drunk elephant.
Once aboard, the boys were strapped into their harnesses first and went for their ride and then I was up. A very handsome young man helped me into my harness ... hooked my daughter and I up and away we flew ... soaring across the ocean ... a smooth flight ... quiet and peaceful ... with a bird's eye view of God's great creation. Our journey was interrupted only by the obligatory drop into the ocean from the air wherein I was treated to a smack in the head by a particularly rude wave ... which made me laugh ... which, in turn, resulted in a mouth full of salt water. But it was a lovely ... fun ... joyous experience that I will never forget.
The only hitch in my giddy-up came when we were brought down from the sky and onto the boat and the captain yelled ... stand up when you land ... stay on your feet. Yea. That was soooo not happening. I landed on my feet at first and then promptly landed on my greatest asset ... my big ass. But even that had it's upside as the cute co-captain had to help me up and hold me steady as I regained my footing ... I can think of worse things that could happen. And if I had to do it over ... I'd fall again ... just for the attention.
Then came my equally graceful disembarkment from one boat to the other ... think "beached whale," as I found myself flopping around after half climbing/half falling into the middle of the banana boat ... trying to situate myself into a seat. And then we were off and I once again found my feet on dry land.
A lot of changes have taken place in my life over the past several months. I have gone from married to separated ... gainfully employed to unemployed ... fat to not so fat ... confused to inspired ... sad to joyous.
Every new day opens a door which offers the possibility for new opportunities. I have a choice ... to close the door ... to peek through the doorway to see if I can see what lies on the other side ... or I can throw it wide open and walk through. I choose to walk through ... because the other two choices are choices made out of fear. If I had chosen to close the door on this vacation ... out of fear and insecurity ... I would have missed out on the opportunity to find my smile ... find my joy... find my sense of adventure once again.
I encourage you to walk through that door ... kick it down if you have to. Because I, for one, refuse to be anchored down by fear of the unknown. This girl was born to fly ...
© 2010-2011 Melanie L. Miller All Rights Reserved
Well ... I am proud to announce that I can cross one thing off of my bucket list ... after a total weight loss to date of 23 pounds ... I was finally able to make my dream of parasailing a reality.
My summer family vacation had been planned long before my husband decided to jump ship. I waffled back and forth as to whether the teenagers and I should still go. Fear and doubt crept into my mind. Would I be able to drive the 13 hours to our destination without incident? Would there be a cloud of sadness hanging over us as we went on our first family vacation with a key member of our family noticeably absent? Would I be able to show the teenagers a good time ... just like their dad (the adventurous one) had always done? And the more I thought about it ... I came to the conclusion that I was allowing the fear of "what ifs" paralyze me. And I couldn't have that now could I?
So off we went ... packed in like sardines ... at 5:00 a.m. ... myself, four teenagers and one senior citizen (my mama) ... heading out for an adventure that would prove to be a great turning point in my life.
I have to divulge that the stress of this little adventure started long before we ever left the driveway. First, a nail had found its way into my left rear tire and was discovered one day before we left ...the tire had to be ordered and replaced ... cutting into the vacation budget. And packing the car with luggage for six, a cooler, snacks, beach bags, etc proved to be a bit more challenging that I had anticipated and resulted in a very tight squeeze for the teenagers and our resident senior citizen.
As I pulled out of the drive ... in the wee hours of the morning ... I was overcome with a wealth of emotions. Excitement and anticipation at spending a full week at the beach ... and sadness that I was going it alone. I almost had a breakdown within the first 45 minutes into the trip ... feeling the tears start to well up behind my eyes ... a tight squeezing in my chest. But as with all things in life ... I had a choice ... to move forward ... or turn back and flee to the comfort and security of my home. I chose to keep moving forward.
We arrived at our destination ... safe and sound ... and were rewarded with a beautifully designed three-bedroom condominium which boasted a spectacular view of the ocean ... four happy teenagers ... one happy senior citizen ... and one exhausted driver.
Over the next several days ... we enjoyed record high temperatures ... were treated to a spectacular show designed by God's hand as we watched a thunderstorm pass over the ocean ... walked along the beach ... wave boarded in the ocean ... floated slowly along the lazy river ... and had lively conversation around the dinner table at our home away from home.
Keeping with the theme of vacations past ... it was solely my responsibility to plan the activities and adventures for the week ahead. After skimming the brochures located in the lobby and searching the internet (because you know I couldn't leave the laptop at home) ... I decided to step out of the box and put a few things on the list that were out of my comfort zone.
First up ... the aquarium ... not so adventurous or out of the box but a great way to spend a cloudy evening after a rainstorm. Next up ... the banana boat. Now for those of you who are unfamiliar with what a banana boat is ... you are not alone. I didn't know what one was either. But basically ... it is just what it is advertised to be ... a rubber boat in the shape of a banana. Now, you can choose to do the "single banana," which is a yellow shaped banana boat built for six ... or you can choose the "double banana," a banana boat with a banana on each side connected like an H ... with a sturdy middle to fall into ... as opposed to being tossed carelessly into the ocean.
While I may be 23 pounds lighter ... the thought of being tossed into the ocean and trying to haul my now size 14W size ass back onto a boat was not exactly appealing ... I am not exactly known around town as having an extraordinary amount of upper body strength ... so the double banana it was.
As grandma has two artificial knees ... she decided to forgo this adventure. So the four teenagers and I suited up in our life jackets and waited patiently for our go round. When it came time for us to board this unseemly contraption ... we were told that two were to sit on one side of the boat ... and three on the other. I chose the side with three ... my daughter behind me ... her boyfriend in front of me ... my son on the other side and his friend behind him. We were then unceremoniously hooked up to a jet ski and told to "hold on for dear life," which I thought was funny ... until I realized they meant it. The means of which you must sit on this rotten banana is to straddle it with your knees tucked behind you and your hands clutching a strap. As I had a deep fear of falling into the ocean and forever being stranded because my body would most certainly have no way of climbing back into the boat ... I leaned strongly toward the middle ... and off we went. On the roughest ride of my life.
Apparently this banana boat thing is supposed to be fun ... ummmmm ... not so much. ... for me it was like a cardio and strength training workout all in one ... with the added bonus of salt water spraying in your face, filling your mouth and burning your eyes. I held onto that strap like my life depended on it ... because it did. The waves were high ... the driver was a lunatic ... twisting and turning and doing his job ... which apparently entailed trying to lose as many passengers as possible.
But this is where the turning point in my life came. Did you watch the first Sex and the City movie? Again ... if you haven't ... you really need to ... because the series and movies are a constant reference point in this blog. Anyhow ... in the movie Carrie is abandoned at the altar by Mr. Big and the honeymoon she has paid for in Mexico is non-refundable. So Samantha and the girls decide to take Carrie on her honeymoon wherein Carrie spends the first few days alone in her room with the shades drawn ... depressed and unable to move. She eventually joins the rest of the group outside and while lounging in the sun turns to her friends and asks, "Will I ever laugh again?" Miranda responds, "Yes. When something is really funny." Well the funny moment that became Carrie's breakthrough came at the expense of Charlotte ... who accidentally drinks the Mexican water while showering and contracts a bad case of diarrhea ... and has an accident ... in her pants.
My breakthrough came at the expense of my son ... who while on the wild banana boat ride ... got hit on his side of the boat by a huge wave and was tossed overboard ... never letting go of the strap and popping right back up onto the boat ... with his swim trunks dangerously close to being completely torn off. As I sit here and write this ... I am laughing out loud ... remembering him popping off the side of the boat in what seemed like an instant ... yelling, "and there go my shorts!" The banana boat captain had the decency to slow down and let my son retrieve his shorts and his dignity ... as the rest of us laughed so hard that no sound would come out ... tears were running down our cheeks and my abs were getting a workout they hadn't received since the early 90's. The extreme nature of my laughter was hindering my ability to hold on and was perilously increasing the likelihood that I would be the next casualty. Luckily for my son, our eyesight was greatly impaired due to the steady stream of salt water that had been assaulting them ... so his moon over the Atlantic Ocean was nothing but a white blur.
While I am certain my son does not have a fond memory of the above-mentioned event ... his unfortunate run-in with the banana boat saved my life ... made me feel alive again for the first time in months ... made me aware that I could laugh again ... really laugh ... and experience a sense of joy that had been hidden underneath the depths of despair that had accompanied me since my husband left our household.
I am not saying, however, that since my husband's abrupt departure that I haven't enjoyed myself ... that a majority of my time has been spent sitting on my butt and wallowing ... I am not much of a wallower. Not at all. But it was this particular event that snapped me out of my funk and allowed me to experience true joy. That moment granted me permission to wipe the sleep (and salt water) from my eyes and soak in the beauty of my surroundings ... see things in living color ... as opposed to seeing everything bathed in shades of gray.
This event led me to push aside my apprehensions and schedule the teenagers and I for the parasailing adventure I had wanted to participate in for as long as I can remember. Over the past several months I have worked hard at shedding those pesky extra pounds ... mustering the strength to get through every day on my own ... relearning who I am as a person ... and this was to be my reward.
So imagine my surprise when we were once again outfitted in our life jackets ... waiting patiently for our turn to fly above the ocean ... when what should appear before us to escort us toward our next adventure? A banana boat! Yes, friends, I had to once again climb aboard the dreaded banana boat and travel out into the ocean. But this time the driver's mission was not to toss us overboard ... but deliver us safely to our destination. Where in turn, I had to toss the captain a rope to hold the banana boat steady and with NO ladder, I had to haul all of this 14W fabulousness aboard the parasailing boat. It wasn't graceful ... and once aboard, I didn't have the strength to stand up as the parasail boat jostled back and forth along with the waves ... so I crawled across the bow and onto the deck and into a seat with all of the elegance of a drunk elephant.
Once aboard, the boys were strapped into their harnesses first and went for their ride and then I was up. A very handsome young man helped me into my harness ... hooked my daughter and I up and away we flew ... soaring across the ocean ... a smooth flight ... quiet and peaceful ... with a bird's eye view of God's great creation. Our journey was interrupted only by the obligatory drop into the ocean from the air wherein I was treated to a smack in the head by a particularly rude wave ... which made me laugh ... which, in turn, resulted in a mouth full of salt water. But it was a lovely ... fun ... joyous experience that I will never forget.
The only hitch in my giddy-up came when we were brought down from the sky and onto the boat and the captain yelled ... stand up when you land ... stay on your feet. Yea. That was soooo not happening. I landed on my feet at first and then promptly landed on my greatest asset ... my big ass. But even that had it's upside as the cute co-captain had to help me up and hold me steady as I regained my footing ... I can think of worse things that could happen. And if I had to do it over ... I'd fall again ... just for the attention.
Then came my equally graceful disembarkment from one boat to the other ... think "beached whale," as I found myself flopping around after half climbing/half falling into the middle of the banana boat ... trying to situate myself into a seat. And then we were off and I once again found my feet on dry land.
A lot of changes have taken place in my life over the past several months. I have gone from married to separated ... gainfully employed to unemployed ... fat to not so fat ... confused to inspired ... sad to joyous.
Every new day opens a door which offers the possibility for new opportunities. I have a choice ... to close the door ... to peek through the doorway to see if I can see what lies on the other side ... or I can throw it wide open and walk through. I choose to walk through ... because the other two choices are choices made out of fear. If I had chosen to close the door on this vacation ... out of fear and insecurity ... I would have missed out on the opportunity to find my smile ... find my joy... find my sense of adventure once again.
I encourage you to walk through that door ... kick it down if you have to. Because I, for one, refuse to be anchored down by fear of the unknown. This girl was born to fly ...
© 2010-2011 Melanie L. Miller All Rights Reserved
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Three Feet Ahead ...
I am a writer ... I may not be getting paid for it yet, but I do consider myself to be a writer. And when you are a writer ... eventually you will experience writer's block. There have been times over the past few weeks where I have sat down with my laptop, opened my blog site and realized that I had nothing to say. When I first began writing this blog ... I was full of ideas. But the thing about transferring those ideas to "paper," is that they oftentimes turn into something completely different when the product reaches completion.
The best way for me to describe my writing process is that it begins with an acorn (a small idea) ... and grows into a mighty oak (the finished product). When inspiration strikes ... I sit down ... and just allow the words to come through me. I am often surprised by where the journey takes me. These little blips and stories I share with you actually take hours to write. But once I start writing ... something else takes over all together and I cannot stop until I am done. My daughter often comments when I am deep into the process that she could ask for the moon and I would say yes because I am not really present. For me, the writing process is all consuming.
I do not limit my writing to the contents of this blog ... I am currently in the process of writing a manuscript .. I journal every day. My dear friend D often comments on my journal as the best written journal of all time because while she journals freehand in a purple notebook ... I keep mine on my computer and edit my thoughts relentlessly.
Once upon a time I was the supervisor in the transcription department of a major insurance company. Every piece of written correspondence, claim information, etc came through my department and it was my responsibility to make sure it was perfect. So editing written material is deeply embedded in my psyche ... and I apply that editing to everything that I write ... whether it be an e-mail, a thank you note, etc.
So when I sit down at my computer to share my insights with you ... I make sure that what I am writing about is relevant to where I currently am in my walk ... that I get those ideas across with humor and sensitivity and that they are honest. My posts are not groundbreaking ... or life changing. By going back and reading what I have written ... I can honestly say that they are not all my best work. Some of the posts that I think are my best receive the least feedback ... and ones that I believe to be mediocre get an overwhelming response. It's a learning process ... and I learn something every time I publish something new.
I want to personally thank everyone for the mass amount of support you showed me in regard to my post entitled Finding Myself ... I received so many e-mails that I haven't been able to answer each one personally. But I wanted you to know that your messages were read and greatly appreciated.
I fancy myself as a modern day Erma Bombeck ... finding humor in the mundane ... in everyday life. And that seems to be working for me. But lately, given my present circumstances, I'm really not feeling the funny ... feeling a little more Tony Robbins than Erma ... so please bear with me ... I am hoping it is just a phase. :) And as with all things I write ... inspiration strikes under the strangest of circumstances. With that being said ...
Last night I was on my way home from a meeting ... it was about 9:00 p.m. and a horrible thunderstorm greeted me when I exited the building. I stood in the doorway under the overhang for awhile contemplating whether or not I should wait for the rain to subside or make a run for it. The weather did not show any signs of letting up so I ran as fast as my chubby little legs would carry me ... down the sidewalk ... across the street and into the parking garage ... looking much like a drowned rat as I unlocked my car. My hoodie was soaked and did little to protect my hair ... my Keds filled with water.
As I paid my parking fee and turned onto the road that would lead me home, the rain was coming down with such force I could barely see three feet ahead of me. Once again, I contemplated pulling over and waiting for the rain to subside ... but a quick listen to a weather alert on a local radio station assured me that relief was not to be found.
Now, on a normal day ... the ride home from my meeting would take approximately 45 minutes ... and as I live in Podunk, PA ... that means traveling along unlit, country roads a majority of the way. It was already late ... my children were home alone ... and you know how dangerous teenagers can be when left to their own devices (*wink*) ... so my only choice was to forge ahead.
I said a quick prayer as I do every time I enter my vehicle ... and started on my journey ... pulling myself forward in my seat for a better view and clutching the steering wheel with both hands. I am not clear if it was the time of night or the weather conditions that kept most people off the road last night ... but I found that for a majority of my ride home ... I was alone on the roadway ... no reassuring taillights to light my path ... no headlights in my rear view mirror.
The normal 45 minute ride ... took a total of one hour and 20 minutes ... and not for one moment was I able to see more than three feet ahead of me. But you know what I found? That three feet was just enough ... just enough to dodge the falling branches that had been blown down by the forceful winds ... just enough to see the portions of flooded roadways I needed to avoid ... just enough to slowly and safely make it to the shelter of my home.
And this got me to thinking ... why is it that we often feel the need to see every mile of the journey that leads to our final destination? Looking only for blue skies and sunshine ... able to see ahead for miles and miles and miles.
Have you ever traveled across this country? The road is paved with hills and valleys ... twists and turns ... and, yes, even the occasional flat stretch of road where you can actually see miles ahead of you ... if the weather cooperates. There are sunny days ... there are rainy days ... there are thunderstorms ... tornadoes ... hurricanes ... blizzards. Weather is unpredictable ... and makes your journey unpredictable as well.
That's life ... isn't it? Would you fall in love if you could see ahead for miles and miles and see that the love wouldn't last and you would have to suffer heartbreak? Would you quit that job in search of a new career if you could see for miles and miles and know for a fact that the new career you chose wasn't what you expected it would be? Would you have children if you could see for miles and miles and know that your child would experience a terminal illness ... or suffer from an addiction? Would you take risks and chances if you could see for miles and miles and know the outcome isn't what you wanted it to be?
I never imagined that at 40 years old I would find myself taking a leap of faith and leaving a job with security to pursue life as a college student ... or that I would be doing it at a time of great upheaval in my family. I never imagined myself as a single mother to two teenagers ... living alone in a great big house ... taking on new responsibilities as head of the household. Sure ... I would like to have a crystal ball to look into the future and see where this journey ends ... if there is hope for saving my marriage ... if I rise to the challenge and finish my degree ... if I use this painful experience as a learning tool to grow and be an example to my children of how to overcome obstacles in the road. But my future is unwritten and what is to come remains unseen. One of my favorite songs of all time is Garth Brooks' The Dance ... wherein he sings " ... I could have missed the pain ... but I'd have had to miss the dance." And isn't the dance the best part?
You aren't meant to see for miles and miles ahead into your future every single day. Some days will be bright and sunny and the road will be outstretched before you with blue skies lighting your path. Other days it will be winding and difficult and thunderstorms will be in your midst. And that's okay ... because (as Joyce Meyers often says) if you worry, why pray ... and if you pray, why worry?
God will let you see what you are meant to see ... and you will be given the knowledge you need when it is time for you to know it. God will give you just enough sight to guide you ... and it may only be three feet ahead ... but just like my journey home ... three feet is just enough to avoid the branches and floods that may be blocking your path ... you may have to go a little slower ... you may not arrive to your destination in the amount of time you would like. But sometimes three feet is just enough to get you safely home ... right where you belong.
© 2010-2011 Melanie L. Miller All Rights Reserved
The best way for me to describe my writing process is that it begins with an acorn (a small idea) ... and grows into a mighty oak (the finished product). When inspiration strikes ... I sit down ... and just allow the words to come through me. I am often surprised by where the journey takes me. These little blips and stories I share with you actually take hours to write. But once I start writing ... something else takes over all together and I cannot stop until I am done. My daughter often comments when I am deep into the process that she could ask for the moon and I would say yes because I am not really present. For me, the writing process is all consuming.
I do not limit my writing to the contents of this blog ... I am currently in the process of writing a manuscript .. I journal every day. My dear friend D often comments on my journal as the best written journal of all time because while she journals freehand in a purple notebook ... I keep mine on my computer and edit my thoughts relentlessly.
Once upon a time I was the supervisor in the transcription department of a major insurance company. Every piece of written correspondence, claim information, etc came through my department and it was my responsibility to make sure it was perfect. So editing written material is deeply embedded in my psyche ... and I apply that editing to everything that I write ... whether it be an e-mail, a thank you note, etc.
So when I sit down at my computer to share my insights with you ... I make sure that what I am writing about is relevant to where I currently am in my walk ... that I get those ideas across with humor and sensitivity and that they are honest. My posts are not groundbreaking ... or life changing. By going back and reading what I have written ... I can honestly say that they are not all my best work. Some of the posts that I think are my best receive the least feedback ... and ones that I believe to be mediocre get an overwhelming response. It's a learning process ... and I learn something every time I publish something new.
I want to personally thank everyone for the mass amount of support you showed me in regard to my post entitled Finding Myself ... I received so many e-mails that I haven't been able to answer each one personally. But I wanted you to know that your messages were read and greatly appreciated.
I fancy myself as a modern day Erma Bombeck ... finding humor in the mundane ... in everyday life. And that seems to be working for me. But lately, given my present circumstances, I'm really not feeling the funny ... feeling a little more Tony Robbins than Erma ... so please bear with me ... I am hoping it is just a phase. :) And as with all things I write ... inspiration strikes under the strangest of circumstances. With that being said ...
Last night I was on my way home from a meeting ... it was about 9:00 p.m. and a horrible thunderstorm greeted me when I exited the building. I stood in the doorway under the overhang for awhile contemplating whether or not I should wait for the rain to subside or make a run for it. The weather did not show any signs of letting up so I ran as fast as my chubby little legs would carry me ... down the sidewalk ... across the street and into the parking garage ... looking much like a drowned rat as I unlocked my car. My hoodie was soaked and did little to protect my hair ... my Keds filled with water.
As I paid my parking fee and turned onto the road that would lead me home, the rain was coming down with such force I could barely see three feet ahead of me. Once again, I contemplated pulling over and waiting for the rain to subside ... but a quick listen to a weather alert on a local radio station assured me that relief was not to be found.
Now, on a normal day ... the ride home from my meeting would take approximately 45 minutes ... and as I live in Podunk, PA ... that means traveling along unlit, country roads a majority of the way. It was already late ... my children were home alone ... and you know how dangerous teenagers can be when left to their own devices (*wink*) ... so my only choice was to forge ahead.
I said a quick prayer as I do every time I enter my vehicle ... and started on my journey ... pulling myself forward in my seat for a better view and clutching the steering wheel with both hands. I am not clear if it was the time of night or the weather conditions that kept most people off the road last night ... but I found that for a majority of my ride home ... I was alone on the roadway ... no reassuring taillights to light my path ... no headlights in my rear view mirror.
The normal 45 minute ride ... took a total of one hour and 20 minutes ... and not for one moment was I able to see more than three feet ahead of me. But you know what I found? That three feet was just enough ... just enough to dodge the falling branches that had been blown down by the forceful winds ... just enough to see the portions of flooded roadways I needed to avoid ... just enough to slowly and safely make it to the shelter of my home.
And this got me to thinking ... why is it that we often feel the need to see every mile of the journey that leads to our final destination? Looking only for blue skies and sunshine ... able to see ahead for miles and miles and miles.
Have you ever traveled across this country? The road is paved with hills and valleys ... twists and turns ... and, yes, even the occasional flat stretch of road where you can actually see miles ahead of you ... if the weather cooperates. There are sunny days ... there are rainy days ... there are thunderstorms ... tornadoes ... hurricanes ... blizzards. Weather is unpredictable ... and makes your journey unpredictable as well.
That's life ... isn't it? Would you fall in love if you could see ahead for miles and miles and see that the love wouldn't last and you would have to suffer heartbreak? Would you quit that job in search of a new career if you could see for miles and miles and know for a fact that the new career you chose wasn't what you expected it would be? Would you have children if you could see for miles and miles and know that your child would experience a terminal illness ... or suffer from an addiction? Would you take risks and chances if you could see for miles and miles and know the outcome isn't what you wanted it to be?
I never imagined that at 40 years old I would find myself taking a leap of faith and leaving a job with security to pursue life as a college student ... or that I would be doing it at a time of great upheaval in my family. I never imagined myself as a single mother to two teenagers ... living alone in a great big house ... taking on new responsibilities as head of the household. Sure ... I would like to have a crystal ball to look into the future and see where this journey ends ... if there is hope for saving my marriage ... if I rise to the challenge and finish my degree ... if I use this painful experience as a learning tool to grow and be an example to my children of how to overcome obstacles in the road. But my future is unwritten and what is to come remains unseen. One of my favorite songs of all time is Garth Brooks' The Dance ... wherein he sings " ... I could have missed the pain ... but I'd have had to miss the dance." And isn't the dance the best part?
You aren't meant to see for miles and miles ahead into your future every single day. Some days will be bright and sunny and the road will be outstretched before you with blue skies lighting your path. Other days it will be winding and difficult and thunderstorms will be in your midst. And that's okay ... because (as Joyce Meyers often says) if you worry, why pray ... and if you pray, why worry?
God will let you see what you are meant to see ... and you will be given the knowledge you need when it is time for you to know it. God will give you just enough sight to guide you ... and it may only be three feet ahead ... but just like my journey home ... three feet is just enough to avoid the branches and floods that may be blocking your path ... you may have to go a little slower ... you may not arrive to your destination in the amount of time you would like. But sometimes three feet is just enough to get you safely home ... right where you belong.
© 2010-2011 Melanie L. Miller All Rights Reserved
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Queen for a Day ...
So now that I have acknowledged the elephant in the room ... let's have some fun shall we?
I cordially invite you to join me for a look back on the social event of the season ... The Royal Wedding.
I am a nerd of infinite proportion when it comes to all things British. If you were to come to my home for a visit ... you would find my library filled with a vast array of paperback books which sport covers mainly of the pastel variety. A virtual Easter egg hunt displayed on my shelves.
I am a hard core reader of "Chick Lit." Not to be confused with Harlequin romances or Johanna Lindsay novels whose covers feature Fabio in a variety of different poses ... with a damsel in distress standing just out of reach of or wrapped in his ridiculously muscular arms. No. Chick Lit is a genre that involves a wicked sense of humor, a splash of romance and heartbreak and is centered around the misadventures of an imperfect, adorable heroine along with her quirky friends. Think "Bridget Jones." Which was actually a book, by the way, long before it was a movie ... and well worth the read. And I just happen to prefer my Chick Lit to have London as its backdrop.
Most of my favorite movies are set in the UK ... the aforementioned Bridget Jones' Diary ... Love Actually (my favorite holiday movie ... second only to Christmas Vacation) ... Shakespeare in Love ... Four Weddings and a Funeral ... Notting Hill ... just to name a few. The biggest cinematic disappointment of all time? When they took my beloved Rebecca Bloomwood ... heroine extraordinaire from Sophie Kinsela's brilliant Shopaholic series ... a British heroine ... and turned her character into an American. Tragic really ... sigh.
When it comes to men who make me swoon ... give me a dash of the two Hughs ... Grant and Dancy ... throw in a shot of Colin Firth (if you haven't seen the BBC's adaptation of Pride and Prejudice please stop reading and immediately head to your local video store) ... a nightcap of Jude Law ... and let's call it a day.
My love of all things British came at an early age. Through literature. For as long as I can remember ... books have played an important role in my life. On any typical day ... at any particular time ... you will find my nose buried in a book. Finishing approximately one per week. One of my favorite articles of clothing is a T-shirt that says "Reading is Sexy."
My love affair started with Winnie the Pooh, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Through the Looking Glass ... and pretty much everything written by Jane Austen ... whom I believe to be the inventor of the Chick Lit genre. Wuthering Heights is another classic that I revisit from time to time.
I was blessed to have an overly ambitious English teacher whom, in my senior year, dedicated an entire semester to introducing her students to Old English literature. I still remember our first assignment ... to dissect the ancient, epic poem ... Beowulf. From there we traveled through the Canterbury Tales ... fell in love to the poetry of Lord Byron ... and eventually landed in the center of the Globe Theatre ... studying Macbeth. The discovery of Shakespeare for me was like discovering God. At the age of 18, I actually flirted with the idea of becoming an English Lit major in college ... until I realized that the call for such majors were few and far between.
My son and daughter can attest to my great love of all things British as they have had to sit through numerous dinner hours wherein they are required to speak in a British accent. They ask to be excused in order to use the loo, we refer to injustices suffered throughout the day as bollocks, call people we don't care for wanker or say they should bugger off (not charitable references by the way), we call the untrustworthy dodgy, if something takes us by surprise we say we are gobsmacked, we say things like cheers and when we start to tire, we say we are knackered ... yes, it may seem weird to you ... but it's actually a fun way to spend an evening ... and the teenagers like it so much, they invite their friends over so they can show off what a corker their mum is.
So with all of this love ... can you imagine the enormity of my delight and excitement as the day of the Royal Wedding approached? Had I not already left my full-time job ... there is no doubt in my mind that I would have used a vacation day to stay home and witness this blessed event. I remember watching Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer's nuptials as a young girl ... sitting on the floor of my living room ... with my friend Alexandria Troyer ... playing with my Barbie dolls ... transfixed by the spectacle unfolding across the pond. It was magic ... and the wedding of Prince William and Katherine Middleton some 30 years later ... did not disappoint.
I settled in on the special day dressed in my Sunday best ... a "hat" (actually a very large hair pin) placed upon my head ... sipping a steaming cup of Earl Gray tea and enjoying a poppy seed bagel (there were no crumpets to be found in my pantry, go figure) ... watching the guests arrive ... while taking in the amazing hats the female guests sported while awaiting their turn to enter the Abbey. Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, in my opinion, were given a bad rap for their bold choice in headpieces. I mean, it is the Royal Wedding, after all, nothing wrong with standing out in the crowd. Well done you.
Katherine's sister Pippa looked outstanding ... dare I might go as far as saying she stole the show in her form-fitting maid of honor's gown? Princes William and Harry looked very handsome in their military best ... Harry stealing William's thunder by flashing that devilish smile while speaking so softly that only his elder, more dutiful brother could hear .. and the world could only speculate. Katherine arriving with her father and exiting the limo finally revealing that breathtaking gown. Watching the exchange of vows and the horse drawn carriage ride through the streets of London ... and ending with not one, but two kisses, on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
All in all a jolly good time. So what does this have to do in the context of this blog? Well ... as my last blog posting described in detail ... my life has hit a bit of a rough patch. But my circumstances do not dictate my ability to enjoy everyday life. So, yes, you might find it odd that I dressed and hosted a viewing party for one of the Royal Wedding ... but I think it's a testament to my resilience ... that I will not let my circumstances pull me down into the darkness ... and that I still know how to have a good time ... despite the fact that I am alone.
One of the best things about being 40 is that I have grown into a strong, confident woman who likes what she likes and to heck with everyone else ... and have left behind the insecure, 20-something I used to be. So I encourage you my friends ... to figure out what it is you like to do ... what you enjoy ... and do it ... no matter what anyone else thinks ... just do it.
There is a time before my daughter leaves me to enter the gym to take her place on the court ... whether it be the volleyball or basketball court ... that I take a moment for some last-minute words of encouragement. Along with the good lucks and the play your bests ... is my favorite ... play big or go home. Because that's how I feel about all of life's moments. My life is one big Royal Wedding ... which if you follow the Royal family at all ... you know that they have hit their fair share of roadblocks .. had their fair share of scandalous moments ... faced an enormous amount of scrutiny ... but when they decide to live ... they leave the past in the past ... they play big.
So remember that when you're feeling at the end of your rope ... play big or go home ... show the world that you may be in the valley but you're enjoying the uphill climb. Live your life as if you are exactly where you are meant to be ... that your life is worth living in Royal Wedding style ... and if you say it enough ... eventually you will become to believe it ... because you are valuable ... despite your circumstances.
Yes, my king may have chosen to abdicate his throne ... but I am still Queen of this castle (which is how my favorite Aunty Gypsy jokingly refers to as my home) ... if only for today.
© 2010-2011 Melanie L. Miller All Rights Reserved
I cordially invite you to join me for a look back on the social event of the season ... The Royal Wedding.
I am a nerd of infinite proportion when it comes to all things British. If you were to come to my home for a visit ... you would find my library filled with a vast array of paperback books which sport covers mainly of the pastel variety. A virtual Easter egg hunt displayed on my shelves.
I am a hard core reader of "Chick Lit." Not to be confused with Harlequin romances or Johanna Lindsay novels whose covers feature Fabio in a variety of different poses ... with a damsel in distress standing just out of reach of or wrapped in his ridiculously muscular arms. No. Chick Lit is a genre that involves a wicked sense of humor, a splash of romance and heartbreak and is centered around the misadventures of an imperfect, adorable heroine along with her quirky friends. Think "Bridget Jones." Which was actually a book, by the way, long before it was a movie ... and well worth the read. And I just happen to prefer my Chick Lit to have London as its backdrop.
Most of my favorite movies are set in the UK ... the aforementioned Bridget Jones' Diary ... Love Actually (my favorite holiday movie ... second only to Christmas Vacation) ... Shakespeare in Love ... Four Weddings and a Funeral ... Notting Hill ... just to name a few. The biggest cinematic disappointment of all time? When they took my beloved Rebecca Bloomwood ... heroine extraordinaire from Sophie Kinsela's brilliant Shopaholic series ... a British heroine ... and turned her character into an American. Tragic really ... sigh.
When it comes to men who make me swoon ... give me a dash of the two Hughs ... Grant and Dancy ... throw in a shot of Colin Firth (if you haven't seen the BBC's adaptation of Pride and Prejudice please stop reading and immediately head to your local video store) ... a nightcap of Jude Law ... and let's call it a day.
My love of all things British came at an early age. Through literature. For as long as I can remember ... books have played an important role in my life. On any typical day ... at any particular time ... you will find my nose buried in a book. Finishing approximately one per week. One of my favorite articles of clothing is a T-shirt that says "Reading is Sexy."
My love affair started with Winnie the Pooh, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Through the Looking Glass ... and pretty much everything written by Jane Austen ... whom I believe to be the inventor of the Chick Lit genre. Wuthering Heights is another classic that I revisit from time to time.
I was blessed to have an overly ambitious English teacher whom, in my senior year, dedicated an entire semester to introducing her students to Old English literature. I still remember our first assignment ... to dissect the ancient, epic poem ... Beowulf. From there we traveled through the Canterbury Tales ... fell in love to the poetry of Lord Byron ... and eventually landed in the center of the Globe Theatre ... studying Macbeth. The discovery of Shakespeare for me was like discovering God. At the age of 18, I actually flirted with the idea of becoming an English Lit major in college ... until I realized that the call for such majors were few and far between.
My son and daughter can attest to my great love of all things British as they have had to sit through numerous dinner hours wherein they are required to speak in a British accent. They ask to be excused in order to use the loo, we refer to injustices suffered throughout the day as bollocks, call people we don't care for wanker or say they should bugger off (not charitable references by the way), we call the untrustworthy dodgy, if something takes us by surprise we say we are gobsmacked, we say things like cheers and when we start to tire, we say we are knackered ... yes, it may seem weird to you ... but it's actually a fun way to spend an evening ... and the teenagers like it so much, they invite their friends over so they can show off what a corker their mum is.
So with all of this love ... can you imagine the enormity of my delight and excitement as the day of the Royal Wedding approached? Had I not already left my full-time job ... there is no doubt in my mind that I would have used a vacation day to stay home and witness this blessed event. I remember watching Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer's nuptials as a young girl ... sitting on the floor of my living room ... with my friend Alexandria Troyer ... playing with my Barbie dolls ... transfixed by the spectacle unfolding across the pond. It was magic ... and the wedding of Prince William and Katherine Middleton some 30 years later ... did not disappoint.
I settled in on the special day dressed in my Sunday best ... a "hat" (actually a very large hair pin) placed upon my head ... sipping a steaming cup of Earl Gray tea and enjoying a poppy seed bagel (there were no crumpets to be found in my pantry, go figure) ... watching the guests arrive ... while taking in the amazing hats the female guests sported while awaiting their turn to enter the Abbey. Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, in my opinion, were given a bad rap for their bold choice in headpieces. I mean, it is the Royal Wedding, after all, nothing wrong with standing out in the crowd. Well done you.
Katherine's sister Pippa looked outstanding ... dare I might go as far as saying she stole the show in her form-fitting maid of honor's gown? Princes William and Harry looked very handsome in their military best ... Harry stealing William's thunder by flashing that devilish smile while speaking so softly that only his elder, more dutiful brother could hear .. and the world could only speculate. Katherine arriving with her father and exiting the limo finally revealing that breathtaking gown. Watching the exchange of vows and the horse drawn carriage ride through the streets of London ... and ending with not one, but two kisses, on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
All in all a jolly good time. So what does this have to do in the context of this blog? Well ... as my last blog posting described in detail ... my life has hit a bit of a rough patch. But my circumstances do not dictate my ability to enjoy everyday life. So, yes, you might find it odd that I dressed and hosted a viewing party for one of the Royal Wedding ... but I think it's a testament to my resilience ... that I will not let my circumstances pull me down into the darkness ... and that I still know how to have a good time ... despite the fact that I am alone.
One of the best things about being 40 is that I have grown into a strong, confident woman who likes what she likes and to heck with everyone else ... and have left behind the insecure, 20-something I used to be. So I encourage you my friends ... to figure out what it is you like to do ... what you enjoy ... and do it ... no matter what anyone else thinks ... just do it.
There is a time before my daughter leaves me to enter the gym to take her place on the court ... whether it be the volleyball or basketball court ... that I take a moment for some last-minute words of encouragement. Along with the good lucks and the play your bests ... is my favorite ... play big or go home. Because that's how I feel about all of life's moments. My life is one big Royal Wedding ... which if you follow the Royal family at all ... you know that they have hit their fair share of roadblocks .. had their fair share of scandalous moments ... faced an enormous amount of scrutiny ... but when they decide to live ... they leave the past in the past ... they play big.
So remember that when you're feeling at the end of your rope ... play big or go home ... show the world that you may be in the valley but you're enjoying the uphill climb. Live your life as if you are exactly where you are meant to be ... that your life is worth living in Royal Wedding style ... and if you say it enough ... eventually you will become to believe it ... because you are valuable ... despite your circumstances.
Yes, my king may have chosen to abdicate his throne ... but I am still Queen of this castle (which is how my favorite Aunty Gypsy jokingly refers to as my home) ... if only for today.
© 2010-2011 Melanie L. Miller All Rights Reserved
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Finding Myself ...
Alone.
This blog post won't be packed full of witty observations or the lighter fare which my readers have come to expect of me. However, this is an important blog post for me to share so that I may move forward and get back to my old creative self.
So, my dear readers, I have been noticeably absent in my postings of late and much has transpired in my life since I left you last. I did take that leap of faith and strayed away from my comfort zone and left my job to pursue my college degree as a full-time student ... and just three days later, my husband left our household.
My husband has been plagued by a lot of demons over the course of many years and the nature of these demons are not mine to divulge. That is strictly his story to tell. However, his abrupt decision to depart came as quite a shock (and that's putting it mildly). And since rumors tend to spread like wildfire ... I would like to be the one who authors this tale... straight from the horse's mouth so to speak.
I will not go into the details that have led to this separation as there are only four people in this world who need such detail ... my husband, my children and I. What I will say, however, is that my husband is not a bad man ... not a bad husband ... not a bad father. Quite the opposite actually. But as I mentioned above, he has demons to conquer ... and he feels the need to find a way to fight them ... on his own.
And as I have mentioned to you on several occasions ... I struggle with letting go and letting God ... and this has been a test of major magnitude. Allowing my husband to be himself ... allowing him to go on this journey alone. I pray every day that God will walk my husband through this dark valley and carry him through safely to the other side. And what I have learned through much prayer and meditation is that God is the potter ... not me ... and it is necessary that I allow God to continue working in my life and to open my heart so that He can show me the path he has paved for me and my family. I would be lying if I said that this road is not a difficult one. I have had many moments of complete despair. And I will have many more. But faith, hope and love keep me plugging along.
I have openly used my husband in many of my anecdotes since the inception of this blog ... making witty references that my husband is not my BFF and that the union of marriage involves a lot of hard work. And I did once attest to the fact that the only way two people stay married and stay together is because they both want to ... and I stand by that today. Because love is freely given ... and cannot be forced.
My husband and I still love each other ... very much. We love our children very much and are still parenting them together ... and are both very active in helping them get through the enormous amount of change they are being subjected to. We are still very close friends ... we talk daily. We even spent the recent Easter Sunday holiday together as a family. Because we are a family ... a family that, unfortunately, no longer resides together under one roof ... but a family nonetheless. Our separation did not generate from a lack of love ... but sometimes, I suppose, love isn't always enough.
So why share this very personal tidbit with all of you, one might ask. Well, because when I began writing this blog, I felt compelled to be completely honest about my life ... and I have no explanation as to why I felt that way. But the overwhelming number of responses I have received to my silly little posts have led me to believe that I was called to begin this blog for a reason. That I had struck a chord within many of you. So to withhold this important piece of my particular puzzle would hinder me from being true to myself ... and not being true to myself is something that I will not allow.
So with that thought firmly planted in my mind and with the support and encouragement from the "peeps" who are convinced that I have a talent for writing ... I have decided to once again make my debut into the blogging world.
One afternoon over one of our three-hour lunches, the peeps were in their "you need to get back to writing" mode and we were throwing around ideas for the title of my next blog entry. Some of the titles tossed around were ... "Did You Hear About The M's?" ... "The Times They Are A Changing, Part Deux" ... and my personal favorite ... "Holy Sh*t, Have I Got A Story For You!" As you can see, however, none of the aforementioned titles made the cut.
I started this blog because I wanted to share my personal journey into my 40th year as a woman who had a love/hate relationship with age and the bathroom scale. Yes, I still have a love/hate relationship with that pesky bathroom scale ... well, not just the bathroom scale ... I would have a similar relationship with a scale if it were say, in the living room or dining room for that matter ... or in a doctor's office. You get the idea.
What started out as a silly little way to kill the time and make people laugh has actually become so much more. I have shared with you my thoughts, feelings and discoveries about being in the autumn of my life. About how important it is for we, as women (and perhaps my one or two male readers) to take time out for themselves. To take time to enjoy their life. To find time to exercise ... to read ... to write ... to follow their passion ... to try something new. None of which I gave much thought to until I started putting my thoughts down in writing. Obviously, at the time I had absolutely no way of knowing how this story would unfold ... or that I would find myself with exactly this much time on my hands in order to focus on myself. But c'est la vie.
I had some reservations about writing about this subject ... felt it might embarrass my husband or my children. And then I realized that I feel comfortable sharing this portion of my life with you because I have nothing to be ashamed of ... I did everything that I knew how to do to be a good partner ... a good wife ... a good mother. And I have not failed. This is yet another chapter in my life ... and the rest of this particular chapter remains unwritten. And by sharing it ... I can be free ... free to move forward and free to be creative.
If you are someone like my husband and have demons to conquer ... you know you become lost ... broken ... and lose a sense of self. You need to "find yourself" so to speak. And this is where the title of this blog was born ... because I find myself to be fortunate. For I am not lost. I may be broken but I am not defeated ... and I have a very strong sense of self. I know that I am a strong, confident, independent woman who is 40, fabulous and fat (although on a plus side I have lost 16 pounds since all of this went down ... which I definitely wouldn't recommend to any of you ... nor will I patent it as a fast-track to weight loss). I have a lot of work to do on myself ... because I have been part of a "we" for 19 years and am on shaky ground when it comes to just being an "I." I will figure it out.
I am still heading off to school this fall in order to finish my college degree ... I am still on a mission to conquer these extra pounds ... and the lost weight I mentioned above which began as a reaction to stress, I was able to turn into a positive by labling it as a "jump start" to a healthier attitude ... walking whenever I start to feel alone and sorry for myself. I am still going to maintain this blog ... because I love it ... and I believe that perhaps someone out there might benefit from my experience and the hiccups along the way. Tomorrow I will be attending a Zumba class at Curves with the Sargent ... which should provide for a much more entertaining blog post in the future. And I still have my sense of humor and the ability to enjoy my life ... despite my circumstances.
No, I don't need to "find myself," because I am right here ... in the palm of God's hand ... and headed wherever He decides to take me. And arent' you lucky? You get to go alone for the ride ;)
© 2010-2011 Melanie L. Miller All Rights Reserved
This blog post won't be packed full of witty observations or the lighter fare which my readers have come to expect of me. However, this is an important blog post for me to share so that I may move forward and get back to my old creative self.
So, my dear readers, I have been noticeably absent in my postings of late and much has transpired in my life since I left you last. I did take that leap of faith and strayed away from my comfort zone and left my job to pursue my college degree as a full-time student ... and just three days later, my husband left our household.
My husband has been plagued by a lot of demons over the course of many years and the nature of these demons are not mine to divulge. That is strictly his story to tell. However, his abrupt decision to depart came as quite a shock (and that's putting it mildly). And since rumors tend to spread like wildfire ... I would like to be the one who authors this tale... straight from the horse's mouth so to speak.
I will not go into the details that have led to this separation as there are only four people in this world who need such detail ... my husband, my children and I. What I will say, however, is that my husband is not a bad man ... not a bad husband ... not a bad father. Quite the opposite actually. But as I mentioned above, he has demons to conquer ... and he feels the need to find a way to fight them ... on his own.
And as I have mentioned to you on several occasions ... I struggle with letting go and letting God ... and this has been a test of major magnitude. Allowing my husband to be himself ... allowing him to go on this journey alone. I pray every day that God will walk my husband through this dark valley and carry him through safely to the other side. And what I have learned through much prayer and meditation is that God is the potter ... not me ... and it is necessary that I allow God to continue working in my life and to open my heart so that He can show me the path he has paved for me and my family. I would be lying if I said that this road is not a difficult one. I have had many moments of complete despair. And I will have many more. But faith, hope and love keep me plugging along.
I have openly used my husband in many of my anecdotes since the inception of this blog ... making witty references that my husband is not my BFF and that the union of marriage involves a lot of hard work. And I did once attest to the fact that the only way two people stay married and stay together is because they both want to ... and I stand by that today. Because love is freely given ... and cannot be forced.
My husband and I still love each other ... very much. We love our children very much and are still parenting them together ... and are both very active in helping them get through the enormous amount of change they are being subjected to. We are still very close friends ... we talk daily. We even spent the recent Easter Sunday holiday together as a family. Because we are a family ... a family that, unfortunately, no longer resides together under one roof ... but a family nonetheless. Our separation did not generate from a lack of love ... but sometimes, I suppose, love isn't always enough.
So why share this very personal tidbit with all of you, one might ask. Well, because when I began writing this blog, I felt compelled to be completely honest about my life ... and I have no explanation as to why I felt that way. But the overwhelming number of responses I have received to my silly little posts have led me to believe that I was called to begin this blog for a reason. That I had struck a chord within many of you. So to withhold this important piece of my particular puzzle would hinder me from being true to myself ... and not being true to myself is something that I will not allow.
So with that thought firmly planted in my mind and with the support and encouragement from the "peeps" who are convinced that I have a talent for writing ... I have decided to once again make my debut into the blogging world.
One afternoon over one of our three-hour lunches, the peeps were in their "you need to get back to writing" mode and we were throwing around ideas for the title of my next blog entry. Some of the titles tossed around were ... "Did You Hear About The M's?" ... "The Times They Are A Changing, Part Deux" ... and my personal favorite ... "Holy Sh*t, Have I Got A Story For You!" As you can see, however, none of the aforementioned titles made the cut.
I started this blog because I wanted to share my personal journey into my 40th year as a woman who had a love/hate relationship with age and the bathroom scale. Yes, I still have a love/hate relationship with that pesky bathroom scale ... well, not just the bathroom scale ... I would have a similar relationship with a scale if it were say, in the living room or dining room for that matter ... or in a doctor's office. You get the idea.
What started out as a silly little way to kill the time and make people laugh has actually become so much more. I have shared with you my thoughts, feelings and discoveries about being in the autumn of my life. About how important it is for we, as women (and perhaps my one or two male readers) to take time out for themselves. To take time to enjoy their life. To find time to exercise ... to read ... to write ... to follow their passion ... to try something new. None of which I gave much thought to until I started putting my thoughts down in writing. Obviously, at the time I had absolutely no way of knowing how this story would unfold ... or that I would find myself with exactly this much time on my hands in order to focus on myself. But c'est la vie.
I had some reservations about writing about this subject ... felt it might embarrass my husband or my children. And then I realized that I feel comfortable sharing this portion of my life with you because I have nothing to be ashamed of ... I did everything that I knew how to do to be a good partner ... a good wife ... a good mother. And I have not failed. This is yet another chapter in my life ... and the rest of this particular chapter remains unwritten. And by sharing it ... I can be free ... free to move forward and free to be creative.
If you are someone like my husband and have demons to conquer ... you know you become lost ... broken ... and lose a sense of self. You need to "find yourself" so to speak. And this is where the title of this blog was born ... because I find myself to be fortunate. For I am not lost. I may be broken but I am not defeated ... and I have a very strong sense of self. I know that I am a strong, confident, independent woman who is 40, fabulous and fat (although on a plus side I have lost 16 pounds since all of this went down ... which I definitely wouldn't recommend to any of you ... nor will I patent it as a fast-track to weight loss). I have a lot of work to do on myself ... because I have been part of a "we" for 19 years and am on shaky ground when it comes to just being an "I." I will figure it out.
I am still heading off to school this fall in order to finish my college degree ... I am still on a mission to conquer these extra pounds ... and the lost weight I mentioned above which began as a reaction to stress, I was able to turn into a positive by labling it as a "jump start" to a healthier attitude ... walking whenever I start to feel alone and sorry for myself. I am still going to maintain this blog ... because I love it ... and I believe that perhaps someone out there might benefit from my experience and the hiccups along the way. Tomorrow I will be attending a Zumba class at Curves with the Sargent ... which should provide for a much more entertaining blog post in the future. And I still have my sense of humor and the ability to enjoy my life ... despite my circumstances.
No, I don't need to "find myself," because I am right here ... in the palm of God's hand ... and headed wherever He decides to take me. And arent' you lucky? You get to go alone for the ride ;)
© 2010-2011 Melanie L. Miller All Rights Reserved
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