Adolescence

Whilst talking on the phone the other day to a good friend, I realized something.

It's amazing what 10 years of experience and perspective will do.

One of my youth has been weighing on my heart for a while now. She is talented, beautiful, funny and just seems completely lost.

In every different situation, she is a different person. From minute to minute her personality changes from happy to sad, excited to coma-like, from being inclusive to completely excluding.

I also see a lot of my 10 years ago self in her. The insecurity to really be who you are. The ability to be the same person in different crowds. Being able to express emotions without coming across as rude or hurtful.

I want to tell her (and maybe myself at that age too): "You are beautiful, talented, funny and amazing just as you are. Why not just be yourself?"

Tagged

According to Spode's post, I'm it and supposed to write 5 weird things about me. Here goes:

1. My closet is organized by style, type and color . Example (though it's not really necessary, ya'll aren't idiots): Sweaters are categorized by a)sweater b) work or casual and c) color. The clothes of the season are placed in the center for easy access.

2. When I entered high school, I was 4 feet 11 inches and weighed about 70 pounds (I wore a size double zero and was asked by a senior if I were anorexic and if I needed help of some kind) and stayed pretty much the same height and weight until January of my Senior year in which I grew 7 inches in 6 months. I started college weighing about 100 pounds and was 5'7". Having spent most of my teenage years being shorter than everyone, I am sometimes startled by my height when standing next to someone else.

3. On "Chili day" in elementary school we were always served the same items: Chili, a stick of cheese (usually cheddar), crackers/cornbread, dill pickles and appleause. My classmates and I would add the cheese, crackers and pickles to our chili. I was also responsible for starting the 3rd Grade "Chocolate Milk Rebellion" that lasted for 3 weeks. Our cafeteria lady had to rearrange her whole milk order.

4. In the past, I have a dumpster dropped on my car, fallen on stage and broken my nose in front of 1000 people, gotten my hand stuck in my steering wheel, tripped over my own cuffed pants, faceplanted after jumping off a 50 foot cliff, and been attacked by a poisonous caterpillar.

5. Certain words cause me to shudder. Moist and puke are two that come to mind, but I'm sure there are others.

TAG: Jess, Lindsey, Amy and Sarah Wright

Twenty-Five

Happy Birthday to Me.

Happy Milestone Birthday.

Yesterday I turned 25 and I haven't decided yet whether or not it's going to cause a quarter-life crisis or not. In June, easily the most distressing month of all time, the mere thought of turning 25 (even 7 months away) caused me to panic. But now, having hit the 25 mark (and learning to check the 25-34 age range box), I haven't had the same kind of panic.

I think there are a lot of factors that would make me want to sit in a corner and weep for days, but there are also a lot of good things happening in my life, so for this post, I'm focusing on them.

*I have some good friends, some great friends actually. Spode and her man brain, Jamie and her ability to always overanalyze with me, kristy and her amazing loyalty (I really do think if i killed someone, she'd find 70 reasons why they deserved it and 30 different plans on how to hide the body). Not to mention, Bethany and S. Sarah, both Lindseys and everyone else who takes good care of me and loves me for me.

*Work is going well. Lots of things have changed for the better with this new year. I'm finally getting (I think) good at what I do. I'm seeing relationships grow and strengthen, plans working and falling into place, and it's quite exciting. I'm also looking forward to all of our high schooler's hard work paying off when we roll into Orlando this summer.

*I'm hopeful that there are good things yet to come, love, marriage, family, getting my masters' degree, buying a home, becoming debt free, etc. There've been a lot of good things that have happened to me, but I'm thinking it's only going to get better. :)

That's about all folks, ps, I do like presents, or better yet, gift cards to express.

Musings Of A Snowed In Extrovert...

The worst part about winter weather in oklahoma city is the lack of road crews to clean it up. A quarter of an ince of sleet parlayzes the city for 3 or 4 days. Panic! ensues at Walmart. All the staples fly off the shelves at an alarming rate. Want water? Too bad! They're out.

Being a Northerner, used to Northern Winter Road Clearance Efficiency (from here on out NWRCE), I found myself my only meaningful social interaction (the blockbuster and albertson guys don't count) for about 72 hours.

Now, I like myself well enough. I like spending time with me. I can sleep in and I can read and I can watch movies from said Blockbuster... but for three days? At about hour 48, phone calls to long distance friends aren't enough, simulated relationships on tv aren't enough, braving the crazy drivers to go to church isn't enough. I start to crave meaningful connections... someone to be snowed in with. A presence beyond myself in my tiny apartment.

All I wanted this snowy day was a hand to reach out and say "I care about you. I'll bring the popcorn and the effort because I'm your friend."

Year In Review...

Auld Lang Sine my friends.... whatever that means.

2006 has come and gone. Here are the things that topped the charts in my 2006.

1. Lots of weddings, and for those that got married, I couldn't be happier. Congrats. (I realized that a lot can happen in about a year's time). God's Blessings on the lives started together in 2006

2. Junior High drama doesn't necessarily stay in Junior High.

3. Work and personal life hit all time highs on the stress charts, that involved me taking stands, saying things that needed to be said (though I didn't want to) and doing things that needed to be done (even if I didn't want to). I moved from in favor to out of favor to having a social life to no social life and back again. I met my first full blown alligator here that made me seriously consider my call and Calling.

4. A 3 year old friendship ended quietly in June.

5. I learned that maturity is knowing when to stay silent and when to speak up. I also learned the growing up is about exercising some control over the impulses. I learned that maturity is knowing how to find validation in your own worth, in God's worth in you.

6. I learned that Tara and I like to share. :)

7. I realized that my friends from Concorida are my true kindred spirits. It can be months or years and it's like no time has passed. I learned how to make the most of the time spent together.

8. I dealt with extreme loneliness, extreme joy, extreme hurt.

9. I learned how to be a friend without expectations.

10. I re-learned how to live on my own, and better yet, how to enjoy it.

That's about it. Happy Aught Seven Blogger buddies.