I've been trying a wide variety of holistic/organic recipes. Some involve the food I eat, and some actually involve using foods, herbs and oils for medicinal purposes.
Now let's talk about something I know MOST of us deal with- a sore achey back.
I found a simple aid ~ thyme and eucalyptus.
It's been said that thyme was used for medicinal purposes as early as 3,500 BC. Thyme was used to relieve asthma, coughs and colds; to kill yellow fever organisms; to reduce swelling provoked by gout; and to treat nervous disorders. The Romans, who believe that thyme promoted bravery, would frequently bathe in the herb before going to battle.
Eucalyptus oil enhances the action of thyme.
All you need is:
15 drops thyme essential oil
4 drops eucalyptus essential oil
Mix oils in hot bath water and soak for 15 minutes.
Follow us with a massage of your achey joints and you will feel an amazing difference!
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Monday, August 6, 2012
Weekend In Review
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| My niece came to spend the night with me. On Saturday morning, we headed over to Rose Hill Cemetery in Macon. |
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| It was blazing hot - so we drove down the street to Gateway Park. |
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| Otis Redding. He's from Macon! |
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Home is Where the Heart Is.
I left a long time ago screaming at the top of my lungs, "See you, suckas!" only to find myself right back where it all started. I'm back in Macon.
If you have been following my blog over the past couple of years, you know that from time to time I would write longingly of my old friends and family, of the "good old days," and how I really missed everyone. However, about a decade ago, I could not wait to go try something different. I longed for crowded streets, tall buildings and more money. I wanted to dine in some of the snazziest restaurants with world-class chefs. I wanted sip over-priced martinis on a roof top bar overlooking a city skyline. I wanted to jet off to the airport, flying to my next meeting and slap down my corporate credit card in some random hotel and feel that sense of being an important business traveler.
Those things happened...
Then fate brought me back - home.
I think I am very lucky in the sense that I have always seen the beauty of my fair city. The Greek revival columns mixed with the Victorian mansions lining the streets. The cherry blossoms and magnolias blooming each year, and the beautiful twinkle of lightning bugs (we call them that down here, you might call them fire flies.) Speaking of lightning, how about the "heat lightning?" The summer skies light up all night, creating a magnificent spectacle. All of these things make my home.. well, home.
I often give you sneak peeks and I have even gone so far as to write a post or two about "home." But now, I really want to entice you. I have been back, and officially living here long enough to see the changes, not just tell you about the attractions, but really share with you what makes this place so special. I'd like nothing more than to be your tour guide, if you ever choose to visit. I mean that.
With that being said, let me give you my recommendations for a weekend trip. Sure, I'll probably accidentally leave a few things out, but I assure you, it is not on purpose. Let's pretend you only have a weekend to visit ~
If you really want to stay someplace spectacular, I would recommend the 1842 Inn. It's right on College Street, in walking distance to so many attractions and truly in the heart of downtown Macon.
Or perhaps you are looking for a basic hotel, I would probably recommend the Marriott (downtown/convention center) or La Quinta in North Macon (near shopping and the Interstate.)
Food? Oh my goodness.. so many excellent choices. If you would like have a really nice dinner, I would go for Marco Ristorante Italiano or The Tic Toc Room or Dolce Vita. Looking for great coffee, I have fallen in love with Roasted (they also serve fantastic middle eastern/Mediterranean food *authentic.) Lunch? Definitely Molly's Cafe or Market City Cafe. Looking for a good beer? Perhaps pop on over to The Rookery. (Did you know that outside of Marco, each of these restaurants are within 3 blocks of one another? Granted, there are tons of great places to eat at The Shoppes at River Crossing. (Maybe you want to shop and grab a quick bite.. that's a great place to stop.)
Now the question may come down to what to do? There's shopping, galleries, museums, historic homes, LOTS of outdoor activities - the best part? The weather is great year round. (Well, outside of being HOT.. but hey, we survive, just keep drinking water!)
Try a little paddle boarding or paddle board yoga on Lake Tobo..
Want to see what else you could get into outside here? Another very short video by Gateway Macon:
If you are into the more "active" trip..
What you may not know.. Macon is know for it's music scene.. It's true!
TONS of museums (hint hint..)
Galleries (another thing my family is REALLY involved in..)
Finally.. the history and the architecture is what makes most people fall in love with our little city..
I hope you will consider visiting me.. visiting here. We are only about 1 1/2 south of Atlanta - AND there is a wonderful shuttle from the ATL airport to Macon. We are 2 hours from Savannah and 2 hours from the Mountains and 3 hours from Florida. Soo.. the next question is...
(IF NOTHING ELSE.. WATCH THIS FABULOUS VIDEO ABOUT MY CITY..)
For info and details on all of this and anything else I missed please go to:
http://visitmacon.org and for all events and activities *not listed anywhere else, visit http://ovations365.com
For my blog friends, consider it! If you write about art, food, history.. etc...
Check us out! We need more bloggers to talk about where have down here!
If you have been following my blog over the past couple of years, you know that from time to time I would write longingly of my old friends and family, of the "good old days," and how I really missed everyone. However, about a decade ago, I could not wait to go try something different. I longed for crowded streets, tall buildings and more money. I wanted to dine in some of the snazziest restaurants with world-class chefs. I wanted sip over-priced martinis on a roof top bar overlooking a city skyline. I wanted to jet off to the airport, flying to my next meeting and slap down my corporate credit card in some random hotel and feel that sense of being an important business traveler.
Those things happened...
Then fate brought me back - home.
I think I am very lucky in the sense that I have always seen the beauty of my fair city. The Greek revival columns mixed with the Victorian mansions lining the streets. The cherry blossoms and magnolias blooming each year, and the beautiful twinkle of lightning bugs (we call them that down here, you might call them fire flies.) Speaking of lightning, how about the "heat lightning?" The summer skies light up all night, creating a magnificent spectacle. All of these things make my home.. well, home.
I often give you sneak peeks and I have even gone so far as to write a post or two about "home." But now, I really want to entice you. I have been back, and officially living here long enough to see the changes, not just tell you about the attractions, but really share with you what makes this place so special. I'd like nothing more than to be your tour guide, if you ever choose to visit. I mean that.
With that being said, let me give you my recommendations for a weekend trip. Sure, I'll probably accidentally leave a few things out, but I assure you, it is not on purpose. Let's pretend you only have a weekend to visit ~
If you really want to stay someplace spectacular, I would recommend the 1842 Inn. It's right on College Street, in walking distance to so many attractions and truly in the heart of downtown Macon.
Or perhaps you are looking for a basic hotel, I would probably recommend the Marriott (downtown/convention center) or La Quinta in North Macon (near shopping and the Interstate.)
Food? Oh my goodness.. so many excellent choices. If you would like have a really nice dinner, I would go for Marco Ristorante Italiano or The Tic Toc Room or Dolce Vita. Looking for great coffee, I have fallen in love with Roasted (they also serve fantastic middle eastern/Mediterranean food *authentic.) Lunch? Definitely Molly's Cafe or Market City Cafe. Looking for a good beer? Perhaps pop on over to The Rookery. (Did you know that outside of Marco, each of these restaurants are within 3 blocks of one another? Granted, there are tons of great places to eat at The Shoppes at River Crossing. (Maybe you want to shop and grab a quick bite.. that's a great place to stop.)
Now the question may come down to what to do? There's shopping, galleries, museums, historic homes, LOTS of outdoor activities - the best part? The weather is great year round. (Well, outside of being HOT.. but hey, we survive, just keep drinking water!)
Try a little paddle boarding or paddle board yoga on Lake Tobo..
Want to see what else you could get into outside here? Another very short video by Gateway Macon:
If you are into the more "active" trip..
What you may not know.. Macon is know for it's music scene.. It's true!
TONS of museums (hint hint..)
Galleries (another thing my family is REALLY involved in..)
Finally.. the history and the architecture is what makes most people fall in love with our little city..
I hope you will consider visiting me.. visiting here. We are only about 1 1/2 south of Atlanta - AND there is a wonderful shuttle from the ATL airport to Macon. We are 2 hours from Savannah and 2 hours from the Mountains and 3 hours from Florida. Soo.. the next question is...
(IF NOTHING ELSE.. WATCH THIS FABULOUS VIDEO ABOUT MY CITY..)
For info and details on all of this and anything else I missed please go to:
http://visitmacon.org and for all events and activities *not listed anywhere else, visit http://ovations365.com
For my blog friends, consider it! If you write about art, food, history.. etc...
Check us out! We need more bloggers to talk about where have down here!
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Things I Have Learned This Week
1. That I am blown away by the kindness of people in my hometown. I've been gone so long, and the people/places have changed - yet this new breed making things happen are just as open and warm to me as the old faces were back in the day.
2. Spending weekends with my niece, just the two of us, is fantastic for recharging my battery. The older she gets, the more I enjoy her company.
3. Clayten aka Satan. True Story: At lunch, my niece told me about her experience at VBS. Her step mother and father (while in Florida) enrolled her in one at a Protestant church in Ocala. Autumn's mom (my sister) is a pagan, while the rest of the family is Catholic. She looked at me (at lunch today) and says, "I know everything about Jesus now." I smiled and said, "Really? Tell me all about it." She then went on to say, "When we see the snake, Clayten, we growl at him." I listened and was trying to figure out who "Clayten" was. Then she said, "Make sure to say: Get behind me, Clayten." I busted out laughing... and said, "Autumn, do you mean Satan?" She looked at me so serious and said, "Yeah.. that guy." Cracks me up. hahahaha
4. One really, truly can live on egg whites and turkey bacon.
5. I look good in cobalt blue.
6. Swimming is amazing therapy. Both physical and emotional.
7. I still don't "get" the Olympics.
8. I have VIP passes to the Bronner Brother's Hair Show. Remember that film Chris Rock did on Good Hair? Well.. Upscale Magazine did a piece on us, and sent me passes. Now I need to figure out if I want to go to Atlanta alone and check this out!
9. Apparently lasers can cure everything. From wrinkles to fungus!
10. I love cheese.
11. That a simple thing like - color my hair - can make me feel good.
12. I am extremely uncomfortable when people make a comment about something I am wearing. Even when it is a "compliment." I don't like drawing a lot of attention to myself, believe it or not. OR.. you can pay attention, just don't TELL me.
13. I suppose I am just a bit shy.
14. So many fun visitors coming (lesson learned here - I DO CARE ABOUT PEOPLE) - my former exchange student from Australia is hiking the Appalachian trail and should be in Georgia in a few months. (he's some where near Maine.) Plus, two former interns are going to give Ol' Macon a chance and check out the job market!
15. It's nice to be in a more humid climate. Wait.. let me rephrase. My skin is happy to be in a more humid climate. Though Bham could get humid - it had NOTHING on Macon. The slogan for our city, "It's Hotter Here" means more than one thing!
16. Apparently my niece is impatient with me writing this and wants to go swimming - NOW.
17. Garlic toast before bed is never a good idea.
18. Especially when you consumed 6 prunes with dinner.
19. I'm finally reading some fiction. (again.) I go through phases.
20. I love South Korean House Music. Case in point:
2. Spending weekends with my niece, just the two of us, is fantastic for recharging my battery. The older she gets, the more I enjoy her company.
3. Clayten aka Satan. True Story: At lunch, my niece told me about her experience at VBS. Her step mother and father (while in Florida) enrolled her in one at a Protestant church in Ocala. Autumn's mom (my sister) is a pagan, while the rest of the family is Catholic. She looked at me (at lunch today) and says, "I know everything about Jesus now." I smiled and said, "Really? Tell me all about it." She then went on to say, "When we see the snake, Clayten, we growl at him." I listened and was trying to figure out who "Clayten" was. Then she said, "Make sure to say: Get behind me, Clayten." I busted out laughing... and said, "Autumn, do you mean Satan?" She looked at me so serious and said, "Yeah.. that guy." Cracks me up. hahahaha
4. One really, truly can live on egg whites and turkey bacon.
5. I look good in cobalt blue.
6. Swimming is amazing therapy. Both physical and emotional.
7. I still don't "get" the Olympics.
8. I have VIP passes to the Bronner Brother's Hair Show. Remember that film Chris Rock did on Good Hair? Well.. Upscale Magazine did a piece on us, and sent me passes. Now I need to figure out if I want to go to Atlanta alone and check this out!
9. Apparently lasers can cure everything. From wrinkles to fungus!
10. I love cheese.
11. That a simple thing like - color my hair - can make me feel good.
12. I am extremely uncomfortable when people make a comment about something I am wearing. Even when it is a "compliment." I don't like drawing a lot of attention to myself, believe it or not. OR.. you can pay attention, just don't TELL me.
13. I suppose I am just a bit shy.
14. So many fun visitors coming (lesson learned here - I DO CARE ABOUT PEOPLE) - my former exchange student from Australia is hiking the Appalachian trail and should be in Georgia in a few months. (he's some where near Maine.) Plus, two former interns are going to give Ol' Macon a chance and check out the job market!
15. It's nice to be in a more humid climate. Wait.. let me rephrase. My skin is happy to be in a more humid climate. Though Bham could get humid - it had NOTHING on Macon. The slogan for our city, "It's Hotter Here" means more than one thing!
16. Apparently my niece is impatient with me writing this and wants to go swimming - NOW.
17. Garlic toast before bed is never a good idea.
18. Especially when you consumed 6 prunes with dinner.
19. I'm finally reading some fiction. (again.) I go through phases.
20. I love South Korean House Music. Case in point:
Friday, August 3, 2012
The Truth Is..
At the end of each week, I take a moment and review my blog posts, looking for those little nuggets of truth and lessons learned. This week, as I read the seemingly innocent rants and raves, I knew what behind all of those posts. The lack lustre, the pokes, the short sentences - I was hiding what was really going on.
I still plan to do a "Things I Learned This Week" tomorrow, but instead I want to fess up to somethings. Some of this is extremely personal and private. For that reason, after I hit post, I will run over to my FB fan page and Twitter page and delete it from there. But for my blog readers, the ones who are writers and check their feeds, this one is for you. (I have to admit, it's therapeutic for me.)
1. Things are not going so great at home. They haven't for a while. I thought moving into our new apartment would make everything perfect. I made sure to get the required number of rooms, number of bathrooms.. etc. What has happened is heart breaking. He moved into the other room. He never makes eye contact. He rarely speaks to me. He deleted me from his social media sites and even removed the fact we are married. I have tried to discuss this with him, but unfortunately, he won't even communicate with me at all. He does not go anywhere - so it's not like he is in another relationship. There are nights I just cry myself to sleep. I know what I need to do - but the moment he says hi, or good morning, or asks me a question that might involve a future together, a little twinge of hope pops up. Then he shuts me out - cold as ice, again. No, I don't know what I have done.. and no, I have run out of ideas to fix it. I just had to tell you guys this, since you followed my journey for so long. I know I deleted a majority of my super personal posts, but I think I am in a good place to share this.
2. Work is going splendidly! I LOVE MY JOB. I love what I do, I love who we serve and it should be a time of celebration. Yes, I was offered a bump in salary and I could not be happier. Life is good in that department, which makes the other so heart breaking.
3. I spend a lot of time watching documentaries and reading books. That's what I do when I am at home. I get up, make breakfast, go to work. Come home (he is locked in his room,) I make dinner, and retire to my room to watch a movie, then I take a long bubble bath and read my book. I head back to bed.
4. I am working on making me better. I will continue to diet. I am finally in financial place to join a gym. I will volunteer for a few groups. I plan to re-register at my home church. I have started going out on the weekends again. Finding that quality support group. No, there is no talk of the crap going on at home, I just need to go out and feel normal. Not sit at home and feel alone.
5. I finally have inspiration for a book. Seriously. It took a while, but I think I have a basic story line forming in my head.
6. I want to get back my zest for travel. Planning for myself.. not worrying about someone else.
7. I need to establish residency. After I do so, I'll be able to make some sweeping changes (in six months,) if need be.
8. I am NOT interested in putting myself through any more hell. I tried. Dear God in heaven, I tried. Maybe I am just not cut out for relationships.
9. I need to just breathe.
10. I just need to know I will be okay.
PS - Let's not forget Whale-gate two Mondays ago. Sheesh...
I still plan to do a "Things I Learned This Week" tomorrow, but instead I want to fess up to somethings. Some of this is extremely personal and private. For that reason, after I hit post, I will run over to my FB fan page and Twitter page and delete it from there. But for my blog readers, the ones who are writers and check their feeds, this one is for you. (I have to admit, it's therapeutic for me.)
1. Things are not going so great at home. They haven't for a while. I thought moving into our new apartment would make everything perfect. I made sure to get the required number of rooms, number of bathrooms.. etc. What has happened is heart breaking. He moved into the other room. He never makes eye contact. He rarely speaks to me. He deleted me from his social media sites and even removed the fact we are married. I have tried to discuss this with him, but unfortunately, he won't even communicate with me at all. He does not go anywhere - so it's not like he is in another relationship. There are nights I just cry myself to sleep. I know what I need to do - but the moment he says hi, or good morning, or asks me a question that might involve a future together, a little twinge of hope pops up. Then he shuts me out - cold as ice, again. No, I don't know what I have done.. and no, I have run out of ideas to fix it. I just had to tell you guys this, since you followed my journey for so long. I know I deleted a majority of my super personal posts, but I think I am in a good place to share this.
2. Work is going splendidly! I LOVE MY JOB. I love what I do, I love who we serve and it should be a time of celebration. Yes, I was offered a bump in salary and I could not be happier. Life is good in that department, which makes the other so heart breaking.
3. I spend a lot of time watching documentaries and reading books. That's what I do when I am at home. I get up, make breakfast, go to work. Come home (he is locked in his room,) I make dinner, and retire to my room to watch a movie, then I take a long bubble bath and read my book. I head back to bed.
4. I am working on making me better. I will continue to diet. I am finally in financial place to join a gym. I will volunteer for a few groups. I plan to re-register at my home church. I have started going out on the weekends again. Finding that quality support group. No, there is no talk of the crap going on at home, I just need to go out and feel normal. Not sit at home and feel alone.
5. I finally have inspiration for a book. Seriously. It took a while, but I think I have a basic story line forming in my head.
6. I want to get back my zest for travel. Planning for myself.. not worrying about someone else.
7. I need to establish residency. After I do so, I'll be able to make some sweeping changes (in six months,) if need be.
8. I am NOT interested in putting myself through any more hell. I tried. Dear God in heaven, I tried. Maybe I am just not cut out for relationships.
9. I need to just breathe.
10. I just need to know I will be okay.
PS - Let's not forget Whale-gate two Mondays ago. Sheesh...
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Things I wish I could say to my friends... but have not. ;-)*
*recognize the humor
Okay.. it's Friday. Usually I tell you what you need to see (movie or TV wise.)
How about my vent of the week, instead??? I started to write one of my famous lists... but instead, I turned to my favorite subscription on Youtube to share with you some of my vents this week.
I love this Project Rant (project.) They contain a few things I would like to say.. honestly..
Enjoy!
I dedicate this one to a certain some one. ;-)
Oh my... I dedicate this one to many some ones...
I have about 4 friends that this one could go out to....
This one is dedicated to some teenagers I know, and sadly, some 40-something year olds.
Well...
HAHAHAHA... In high school, I was the drama kid. In college, I was the writer and ended up hating the drama kids... .
You know who you are:
This is a general rant...
One of the MANY reasons I have been traumatized by people who wear open toes shoes.
Finally...
Okay.. it's Friday. Usually I tell you what you need to see (movie or TV wise.)
How about my vent of the week, instead??? I started to write one of my famous lists... but instead, I turned to my favorite subscription on Youtube to share with you some of my vents this week.
I love this Project Rant (project.) They contain a few things I would like to say.. honestly..
Enjoy!
I dedicate this one to a certain some one. ;-)
Oh my... I dedicate this one to many some ones...
I have about 4 friends that this one could go out to....
This one is dedicated to some teenagers I know, and sadly, some 40-something year olds.
Well...
HAHAHAHA... In high school, I was the drama kid. In college, I was the writer and ended up hating the drama kids... .
You know who you are:
This is a general rant...
One of the MANY reasons I have been traumatized by people who wear open toes shoes.
Finally...
Going for the impossible
Today is the day I am supposed to share with you how I am doing on my weight loss journey.
Well...
I gained .2 of a pound last week.
Yep.
But I am still on track.
I am fairly certain I know what happened:
Potato chips.
That's right, I brought a bag in and I proceeded to eat a few from time to time. Not my finest moment, but I did revert back to bad habits.
But there was a very clear correlation to my eating the chips and gaining the .2 of a pound.
What's next?
Well.. make it through the week.
It's week 7 (Seriously) on this journey - I have lost 13 pounds and it seems I have slowed down a bit.
There is a missing component and I plan to change before the month's end.
I plan on heading back to the gym.
An official gym.
Soo.. it should all level out after that.
If you are on a weight loss journey, how are you doing?
Have you slowed down?
Let's keep on.. keeping on. Shall we?
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Do I have to blog about everything that bothers me?
I can vent or I can clam up.
I choose to vent.
Well, on my blog.. that is.
It's true.
If something is driving me crazy, my first reaction (in all seriousness) is to write some passive aggressive status update on Facebook. It's amazing how many times I have written some super witty statement bashing half of the population on my page... then I erase and cancel. No use in pissing off people.
Then I head to Twitter. I have 140 characters to get out what I want to say. Most of the time, I can get to my point, but on the really BIG stuff, I resort to my blog. Here, I am able to get out EXACTLY what I want to say, and to the audience that chooses to hear/read what it is that drives me bonkers.
Then 20 minutes to an hour later, I delete the post.
Why? For fear of saying what I really think and completely isolating myself from any friends that may still be around.
Sad, isn't it?
I think society has basically told me, "Be honest, when it benefits me. Be quiet, when it does not benefit me." I think that's what makes me sort of.. well.. a bitch. If you ask me a question, and I truly care about you, I am going to tell you what I think. My intention is NOT to hurt you. I swear on that. I just think people need to be more honest with each other.
Heck, I could have 500 fantastic "besties" if I just kissed a few people's *insert noun here.* But instead, I am who I am.. take it or leave it. Fiercely loyal, intensely inquisitive, and.. well.. the older I get, I am a bit more opinionated. Where does that leave me?
I suppose at the end of the day.. it's best to just keep my thoughts, those "types" of thoughts, to myself. Then again, which would you rather: Know what I am thinking, or have me think things that may not be so kind, and pretend it's all good?
For the record, this is not about any one thing in particular, but a lot of things I am noticing online. Friends deleting friends over political reasons (yep.. we are in another season,) people blocking people over petty things, others questioning whether you believe XYZ.. heck.. and my favorite complaint for most people, "Do you even know what the hell you are talking about?" Take for instance, some people today on FB with the whole Chic-fil-A thing.
I won't even go there. Actually, I have met the Cathy family. I have heard some not-so-nice things said about "other people" from them. I don't quite think any of that sounds very "Christian" to me... but again.. it is probably a GREAT idea for me to keep that to myself.
Let those who think they know what's up in the world shout it from the rooftops. I like how Napoleon put it once, "Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake. "
Nicely put, Napoleon. Nicely put.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Roller Coaster of Fantastic
I call it event hangover. That's what I am suffering from. Maybe it's the adrenaline let down of something you have been working on really hard for a really long time, and then suddenly comes to an end.
If your job does not involve a dash of "theatrics," you may not understand what I am saying.
As a kid, I spent most of my formative years performing. Either in ballet or theater or writing or whatever. There would be the nervous audition, the pain-staking hours of rehearsal and blocking and planning, followed by the performance where everyone would show up, applaud, and go about their lives. Month in and month out, my life was full of highs with lots of praise and preparation, followed by lows .. where the applause fades and the release of adrenaline just oozes out of your blood stream.
Then I went into television. Same thing. Except now, there were these fantastic time constraints and daily applause AND hundreds of thousands of people in the audience. I would come in, arrange the stories, write the stories, sit in the booth and watch magic happen. Sure, it felt like a performance and in many ways it was.. but the difference is, it made a HUGE impact on people's lives. How do you come down from that?
Now.. it's a different game. One that involves many different puzzle pieces. Planning, negotiating, delegating, a dash of performance followed by applause and possibly the changing of a life. THAT is powerful and equally intoxicating.
I just had 90 straight days of super highs, super success, and now.. I wait for the next hoorah. It's like I am going through withdrawls.
It's like a drug - you crave that manic organization, the begging and pleading for donor dollars, the hand shakes and smiles and promises of, "Yes.. Yes.. I'll support your cause," and then the spotlight, and the regurgitation of information (your lines,) and suddenly.. the magic happens: people show up, they applaud, they learn, they donate, they revel in all of the art and culture... then it's over.
You sit, feet aching, playing the scenes over and over in your head.. hoping you smiled at the right person, shook the right hands, traded the right business cards...
Then you wait..
And do it all over again..
If your job does not involve a dash of "theatrics," you may not understand what I am saying.
As a kid, I spent most of my formative years performing. Either in ballet or theater or writing or whatever. There would be the nervous audition, the pain-staking hours of rehearsal and blocking and planning, followed by the performance where everyone would show up, applaud, and go about their lives. Month in and month out, my life was full of highs with lots of praise and preparation, followed by lows .. where the applause fades and the release of adrenaline just oozes out of your blood stream.
Then I went into television. Same thing. Except now, there were these fantastic time constraints and daily applause AND hundreds of thousands of people in the audience. I would come in, arrange the stories, write the stories, sit in the booth and watch magic happen. Sure, it felt like a performance and in many ways it was.. but the difference is, it made a HUGE impact on people's lives. How do you come down from that?
Now.. it's a different game. One that involves many different puzzle pieces. Planning, negotiating, delegating, a dash of performance followed by applause and possibly the changing of a life. THAT is powerful and equally intoxicating.
I just had 90 straight days of super highs, super success, and now.. I wait for the next hoorah. It's like I am going through withdrawls.
It's like a drug - you crave that manic organization, the begging and pleading for donor dollars, the hand shakes and smiles and promises of, "Yes.. Yes.. I'll support your cause," and then the spotlight, and the regurgitation of information (your lines,) and suddenly.. the magic happens: people show up, they applaud, they learn, they donate, they revel in all of the art and culture... then it's over.
You sit, feet aching, playing the scenes over and over in your head.. hoping you smiled at the right person, shook the right hands, traded the right business cards...
Then you wait..
And do it all over again..
Just for Fun...
I selected one at random and decided to give it a whirl. Please feel free to copy and paste the questions in your blog, it's a great way to share a little something about you with your readers!
Let's get started.
| Have you ever? | |
| Have you ever lied to someone to make them feel better? I honestly don't think so. Typically this is a problem for a lot of people. I believe in being honest, but I do try to soften the blow if necessary. | |
| Have you ever talked on the phone for more than 3 hours at one time? I am sure I have, especially back in high school. I remember being on the phone with my friends for hours after school, even falling asleep on the phone. | |
| Have you ever layed in the middle of the road? I have. But I got up very quickly. Not much of a risky/risk taker. | |
| Have you ever danced in the rain? I actually have. But again, it felt sort of silly, so it was probably less than a minute. | |
| Have you ever been on the computer until 3 am? Probably until 6am. I'm always on my laptop. | |
| Have you ever gotten stitches? Yes, but only once. I slammed my thumb in a car door once and it sliced it and broke it in half. | |
| Have you ever snitched on someone? Oh yeah. Someone really, REALLT bad, | |
| Have you ever been snitched on? Probably. | |
| Have you ever lost a friend over something little? Sure, many misconceptions and misunderstandings. | |
| Have you ever broken someone's heart? Honestly, I don't know. | |
| Have you ever felt heartbroken? Goodness, yes! | |
| Have you ever killed a slug with salt? NEVER | |
| Have you ever lied to someone you loved? Sure. | |
| Have you ever watched a takeover on Fuse? Nope. | |
| Have you ever shot a gun? No. | |
| Have you ever been mud-bogging? No. | |
| Have you ever been bitten by a horse? | NO! I tend to stay clear of horses. |
| Have you ever spent an entire day looking for cray fish? No. | |
| Have you ever swam across a lake? | Yes |
| Have you ever dived into a public pool where there are 'no diving' signs? Most certainly, | |
| Have you ever smacked someone across the face? Umm.. yeah, a few times. | |
| Have you ever fallen in love? At least 1/2 a dozen times. ;-) | |
| Have you ever stayed up all night playing video games? Yes. I love the Sims. | |
| Have you ever told someone to go to hell? On multiple occassions. | |
| Do you? | |
| Do you like the color purple? I do like it. | |
| Do you like Hollywood Undead? Not familair. | |
| Do you eat your veggies? Daily! | |
| Do you like to fish? Nope. | |
| Do you like to hunt? Absolutely NOT. | |
| Do you know how to swim? Most definitely. | |
| Do you play a lot of video games? Sometimes. I stick to Heart, Mahjong and the Sims | |
| Do you ever discriminate against anybody? I discriminate against rednecks. | |
| Do you ever have a hunch that something isn't right but do it anyway? | Yes, and regretted it later. |
| Do you ever get yelled at for stupid stuff? I have. | |
| Do you ever yell at people for stupid reasons? I don't yell anymore. | |
| Do you like to play guitar hero? Never played. | |
| Do you like broccoli? Actually, no. But I do like it in soup. | |
| Do you like technology? Love. | |
| Do you ever think about someone you don't want to think about? Sometimes. | |
| Do you ever play with knives? Not usually. | |
| Do you ever cuss? Not as much as I used to. | |
| Do you ever sing in the shower? Not typically. | |
| Do you ever hum while the vacuum is on? Nooo.. | |
| Who? | |
| Who is the lead singer of Nickelback? | The guy with the blond hair. |
| Who is the lead singer of Creed? | The guy with the dark hair. |
| Who is the lead singer of Hollywood Undead? | Someone. |
| Who is the lead singer of Sugarland? | That blonde chick from Georgia |
| Who is the lead singer of Theory of a Deadman? | Someone. |
| Who is the president? | B to the O. (Obama) |
| Who was the 16th president? | Hee hee.. What the hell type of questions are these? |
| Who is the main robot in Futurama? | Have no idea. |
| Who is the lead singer of Linkin Park? | Someone. |
| Favorites. | |
| Favorite color? | More than likely light blue/aqua |
| Favorite flavor ice cream? | Mint Chocolate Chip |
| Favorite food? | Lately - a french fry. (Because I am on a diet and I crave carbs.) |
| Favorite type of soap? | Bar soap. By Nubia |
| Favorite person? | ME |
| Favorite singer? | John Legend or Jill Scott |
| Favorite rapper? | Snoop |
| Favorite Punk Rock group? | The Ramones |
| Favorite alternative rock band? | Violent Femmes |
| This or That. | |
| Hot or cold? | Cold |
| Spicy or mild? | Spicy |
| Sweet or salty? | |
| Hamburger or hot dog? | Hotdog |
| Fat or skinny? | Neither |
| Short or tall? | Tall |
| Rock or country? | Rock |
| Love or lust? | Lust LOL |
| Hug or kiss? | Kiss |
| Soda or coffee? | COFFEE |
| Bath or shower? | Shower |
| Die or live forever? | Live forever |
| Listen to music or play music? | Listen |
| Melon or berries? | Melon |
| Watch tv or play video games? | TV |
| Drive or ride? | Ride |
| Tell a lie or hurt someone with the truth? | Hurt with truth |
| Swim or float? | Float |
| Eat or drink? | Drink |
| Random End Questions. | |
| How old are you? | 39 |
| Guy or girl? | Chica |
| Age? | ?? |
| How old do you want to be when you die? | 101 |
| What song is stuck in your head? | Love on Top by Beyonce |
| Do you spend more time inside or outside? | Inside |
| Do you drink a lot of water? | SOOO much |
| Do you shower regularly or not so regularly? YES | |
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Good Times...
A man traveling across a field encountered a tiger. He fled, the tiger after him. Coming to a precipice, he caught hold of the root of a wild vine and swung himself down over the edge. The tiger sniffed at him from above. Trembling, the man looked down to where, far below, another tiger was waiting to eat him. Only the vine sustained him.
Two mice, one white and one black, little by little started to gnaw away the vine. The man saw a luscious strawberry near him. Grasping the vine with one hand, he plucked the strawberry with the other.
Two mice, one white and one black, little by little started to gnaw away the vine. The man saw a luscious strawberry near him. Grasping the vine with one hand, he plucked the strawberry with the other.
How sweet it tasted! " ~ Buddha
I grabbed my strawberry this weekend.
 |
| Sleeping Beauty in my bedroom.. last weekend |
 |
| Showing me her Taekwondo form |
 |
| This weekend, (Friday night,) my friend Telisa and I headed downtown to a coffee cafe & lounge on Second Street called Roasted. |
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| Telisa and I enjoying our coffee and beers outside in downtown Macon,. |
 |
| Another old friend of ours, Chris, joined us for a little conversation. |
 |
| Later we headed over to Cherry Street to a little ATL DJ-dance party called "Nonsense." We gave it two thumbs up. |
 |
| Saturday night I headed to Leslie's house for Lisa's going away party. She's moving St. Mary's. (On the coast of Georgia at the Florida border.) |
 |
| I brought her a little something something |
 |
| Bye Bye Miss Lisa. |
 |
| Leslie - Lisa's BFF |
 |
| After the party, I met Telisa downtown for Bragg Jam 2012 |
 |
| The gift I made for Lisa... |
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| Late night snack at the Greek Deli on the corner of Cherry and 2nd. Now for a few videos... |
The last bar we went to during Bragg Jam - at The Rookery on Cherry Street, in downtown Macon. Band was called Eye Candy.
First band we saw - "Jubee and the Morning After" at Fowl Play on Cherry Street.
Floco performing on Friday night at Roasted.
Marc Scibilia - from NYC-Nashville.. his song was featured on the tv show "Bones."
Sunday - A Day of Rest
In the Bible, it says that the Lord took rest on Sunday.
I have decided to follow suit.
My body is telling me to recharge. I think the best thing I can do for myself is just that - recharge.
I've had a fantastic weekend. I worked yesterday, went to a friend's going away party and then participated in Bragg Jam (a HUGE musical festival in Macon.) Friday night, I met up with friends and heard some great bands and even went dancing for a bit.
NOW... I need to find some time to recharge my battery.
I think there is something super spiritual about spending time alone and deep in thought. I'll admit, I don't know how "deep" my thoughts will get today.. but I do plan to spend time, in my pjs, in my room... recharging.
How do you recharge your own battery?
PS - How many times did I just say recharge? Clearly I am exhausted.
I have decided to follow suit.
My body is telling me to recharge. I think the best thing I can do for myself is just that - recharge.
I've had a fantastic weekend. I worked yesterday, went to a friend's going away party and then participated in Bragg Jam (a HUGE musical festival in Macon.) Friday night, I met up with friends and heard some great bands and even went dancing for a bit.
NOW... I need to find some time to recharge my battery.
I think there is something super spiritual about spending time alone and deep in thought. I'll admit, I don't know how "deep" my thoughts will get today.. but I do plan to spend time, in my pjs, in my room... recharging.
How do you recharge your own battery?
PS - How many times did I just say recharge? Clearly I am exhausted.
I don't typically order processed chicken.
I thought I would do a quick post on the whole chic-fil-a bit. I have gotten a few inbox messages from both good friends and random acquaintances.. so I thought I should explain myself.
I posted a thing on FB, only one story, about the whole boycott of Chic-fil-a. There was a wonderful piece written Conor Gaughan.. you can read it HERE. All I really said was that it was beautifully written and that I choose to no longer patron Chic-fil-A. The idea being.. I don't want to spend my money with a place that discriminates ANYONE.
By doing so, I am not discriminating against Christians, I still go to church and "tithe." What I don't support is a company that has openly supported "Christian" organizations that discriminate against homosexuals or openly bash. I am a Christian.. but I try REALLY, really hard to "love" everyone. I don't necessarily agree with everything.. but I do believe it is my job to treat people fair.
With that being said.. I have a confession to make.
I don't actually eat chicken from any fast food restaurant (anymore.) Nor have I in a really REALLY long time.
I won't even eat chicken in a regular restaurant, unless I know where the chicken is purchased.
Seriously.
Ask my mother - she made some chicken dish, and I asked what brand of chicken it was, and she said, "Oh Nicole.. it's chicken. Just eat it."
I walked to the trash can and saw it was Tyson. I smiled and said, "No way."
Let me just take the whole chicken boycott one step further, shall I?
At the end of the day.. should we eat chicken from big business at all?
I posted a thing on FB, only one story, about the whole boycott of Chic-fil-a. There was a wonderful piece written Conor Gaughan.. you can read it HERE. All I really said was that it was beautifully written and that I choose to no longer patron Chic-fil-A. The idea being.. I don't want to spend my money with a place that discriminates ANYONE.
By doing so, I am not discriminating against Christians, I still go to church and "tithe." What I don't support is a company that has openly supported "Christian" organizations that discriminate against homosexuals or openly bash. I am a Christian.. but I try REALLY, really hard to "love" everyone. I don't necessarily agree with everything.. but I do believe it is my job to treat people fair.
With that being said.. I have a confession to make.
I don't actually eat chicken from any fast food restaurant (anymore.) Nor have I in a really REALLY long time.
I won't even eat chicken in a regular restaurant, unless I know where the chicken is purchased.
Seriously.
Ask my mother - she made some chicken dish, and I asked what brand of chicken it was, and she said, "Oh Nicole.. it's chicken. Just eat it."
I walked to the trash can and saw it was Tyson. I smiled and said, "No way."
Let me just take the whole chicken boycott one step further, shall I?
At the end of the day.. should we eat chicken from big business at all?
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Things I Have Learned This Week
Here we go:
1. That I can feel like a million bucks one minute, and all it takes is one negative thought/word/deed and the mood can shake. However, I am EXTREMELY resilient. Less than 24 hours and I am 100%. Take that haters.
2. That a whale is 98 feet and 3 tons. (Yeah, I had to look it up.) I do not look like a whale on TV.
3. My weight loss staple and trick - turkey bacon and egg whites.
4. Blond eyebrows sort of freak me out.
5. By gones should be by gones.
6. There is a new dance, "The Shakira," and my friend Telisa and I are the queen at it.
7. No doubt, I'm going to miss my friend Lisa. She's moving. I learned that I can form new/old friendships and grow close to people in a very short time.
8. I am still under the philosophy - 'I'll believe it when I see it.'
9. My new life is shaping up to be FANTASTIC.
10. Some of my financial worries will soon subside.... getting a raise (by the end of the month.)
11. I have a new found sense of security, now that my insurance has kicked in.
12. I am totally working the Weight Watchers program. I actually have will power. Woot!
13. I'm okay. I'm working on me. I am living my life. If someone else once to join that ride, they are more than welcomed. But you can't make those you love, love you back. (Even though they are technically/legally bound to do so. LOL)
14. I love when I discover new music. Yes, I just learned this week.. that I enjoy the discovery.
15. I need more dancing in my life.. Again. You know what that means - time to look for a dance class, in the town that made me fall in love with dancing in the first place. Dare I look for an adult ballet class? Dare I contact an old teacher of mine? Dare I? Dare I? Ohh... maybe not yet... 30 more pounds... hmmm..
16. Prunes and probiotics are freaking fantastic.
17. Did I mention I am loving life?
18. Out of pain and turmoil, I do some of my best writing/creating/developing. Why are tortured souls more creative? hahahahaa
19. I have decided on red as the accent for the living and dining room.
20. I wonder if I can find some art history or womens studies classes to take.. for credit or not for credit, don't care. Hmmm...
1. That I can feel like a million bucks one minute, and all it takes is one negative thought/word/deed and the mood can shake. However, I am EXTREMELY resilient. Less than 24 hours and I am 100%. Take that haters.
2. That a whale is 98 feet and 3 tons. (Yeah, I had to look it up.) I do not look like a whale on TV.
3. My weight loss staple and trick - turkey bacon and egg whites.
4. Blond eyebrows sort of freak me out.
5. By gones should be by gones.
6. There is a new dance, "The Shakira," and my friend Telisa and I are the queen at it.
7. No doubt, I'm going to miss my friend Lisa. She's moving. I learned that I can form new/old friendships and grow close to people in a very short time.
8. I am still under the philosophy - 'I'll believe it when I see it.'
9. My new life is shaping up to be FANTASTIC.
10. Some of my financial worries will soon subside.... getting a raise (by the end of the month.)
11. I have a new found sense of security, now that my insurance has kicked in.
12. I am totally working the Weight Watchers program. I actually have will power. Woot!
13. I'm okay. I'm working on me. I am living my life. If someone else once to join that ride, they are more than welcomed. But you can't make those you love, love you back. (Even though they are technically/legally bound to do so. LOL)
14. I love when I discover new music. Yes, I just learned this week.. that I enjoy the discovery.
15. I need more dancing in my life.. Again. You know what that means - time to look for a dance class, in the town that made me fall in love with dancing in the first place. Dare I look for an adult ballet class? Dare I contact an old teacher of mine? Dare I? Dare I? Ohh... maybe not yet... 30 more pounds... hmmm..
16. Prunes and probiotics are freaking fantastic.
17. Did I mention I am loving life?
18. Out of pain and turmoil, I do some of my best writing/creating/developing. Why are tortured souls more creative? hahahahaa
19. I have decided on red as the accent for the living and dining room.
20. I wonder if I can find some art history or womens studies classes to take.. for credit or not for credit, don't care. Hmmm...
Friday, July 27, 2012
You gotta see...
I have not experienced any amazing documentaries this week, and for that I apologize. My whole week sort of got thrown a curve ball (don't know what I am talking about, read Monday's post.)
Instead I escaped with Temptation Island - Season 2.
Seriously.
I could not look away. LOL
Fascinating social experiment. Ridiculous.. but fascinating.
BUT.. I am enjoyed some music you should check out.
I recently discovered - Fun.
Yep -F.U.N. That simple.
You may already know about them... I did not, well.. not until a couple of weeks ago.
Check them out:
What do you think?
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Crunchy & Creamy?!
Those are my two favorite words when it comes to food - crunchy & creamy.
BUT, that usually means something along the lines of cheese, chips or dip.
Almost 6 weeks ago, I joined weight Watchers. I have reached my 5% goal and heading toward goal #2 - my 10% weight loss goal to my goal weight. It's ironic my mean-letter-writer decided to "school" me on predisposing myself to health risks and obesity. At first, I wondered if it was someone I knew - but then I realized, it could not be. I worked for the American Heart Association for five years and always preached preventative measures for good health. I also am a HUGE ADVOCATE for organic living. The problem is - I suffer from two things: laziness and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. Two components to slow weight loss.
I won't get into PCOS here, but look it up. You'll understand then how someone who was in really good shape most of her life suddenly gained weight, and had hardly changed a single thing. But that doesn't matter...
What matters is this article in Shape magazine about 40 different crunchy and creamy snacks for under 200 calories!!!
Even if you are not "dieting," these are fantastic treats to curve those little well.. not to repeat myself too much.. but.. crunchy and creamy. Yummm...
Here is just a sampling of ideas:
Pretzels with Almond Butter
Original Pop Chips with Avocado & Sun dried Tomatoes
Frozen blueberries with 14 whole almonds
Multi grain crackers with light ricotta and chopped dried apricots
Cucumber slices with Laughing Cow swiss cheese
Air popped popcorn with unsweetened cocoa
Cottage cheese with Honey Brown rice crackers
Peanut Butter celery with strawberries..
And the list goes on!
Check out this fantastic tip HERE
Tell me.. which one is your favorite and what would you add to the list?
PS - I want to clarify something. One day, someone said to me... How can you eat so much "organic food" and not be skinny? The answer is - Organic does not mean low fat.
Here is the proper definition of organic: are foods that are produced using methods that do not involve modern synthetic inputs such as synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Organic foods are not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents, or chemical food additives.
Hope that helps!
BUT, that usually means something along the lines of cheese, chips or dip.
Almost 6 weeks ago, I joined weight Watchers. I have reached my 5% goal and heading toward goal #2 - my 10% weight loss goal to my goal weight. It's ironic my mean-letter-writer decided to "school" me on predisposing myself to health risks and obesity. At first, I wondered if it was someone I knew - but then I realized, it could not be. I worked for the American Heart Association for five years and always preached preventative measures for good health. I also am a HUGE ADVOCATE for organic living. The problem is - I suffer from two things: laziness and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. Two components to slow weight loss.
I won't get into PCOS here, but look it up. You'll understand then how someone who was in really good shape most of her life suddenly gained weight, and had hardly changed a single thing. But that doesn't matter...
What matters is this article in Shape magazine about 40 different crunchy and creamy snacks for under 200 calories!!!
Even if you are not "dieting," these are fantastic treats to curve those little well.. not to repeat myself too much.. but.. crunchy and creamy. Yummm...
Here is just a sampling of ideas:
Pretzels with Almond Butter
Original Pop Chips with Avocado & Sun dried Tomatoes
Frozen blueberries with 14 whole almonds
Multi grain crackers with light ricotta and chopped dried apricots
Cucumber slices with Laughing Cow swiss cheese
Air popped popcorn with unsweetened cocoa
Cottage cheese with Honey Brown rice crackers
Peanut Butter celery with strawberries..
And the list goes on!
Check out this fantastic tip HERE
Tell me.. which one is your favorite and what would you add to the list?
PS - I want to clarify something. One day, someone said to me... How can you eat so much "organic food" and not be skinny? The answer is - Organic does not mean low fat.
Here is the proper definition of organic: are foods that are produced using methods that do not involve modern synthetic inputs such as synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Organic foods are not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents, or chemical food additives.
Hope that helps!
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
What I'm Obsessing Over...
Did you know I am crazy for birds?? Yep - always have been.
As a child, I thought parrots were amazing. As a teenager, my bedroom was covered in pink flamingos. In college, I became a little fascinated with the owl and I've ALWAYS been wild for peacocks.
This year, the raven or crows (any blackbird) has my attention.
Anyway.. that's just one random fact about me.
Here is a sampling of beautiful bird pictures I have collected. To see the original photographer please click HERE. You can even see my full collection there.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Tuesday Recipe ~ Revitalizing Sea Salt & Rosemary Oil Body Scrub
Time for another recipe - as promised!
Do you exfoiliate? I'm not talking about your face, I mean the rest of your body? Well you should! I have the WONDERFUL homemade body scrub you simply must try.
Revitalizing Sea Salt & Rosemary Oil Body Scrub
1/2 cup coarse sea salt
1/4 cup rosemary oil
body scrub tool
Dip the body-scrub tool in a big of oil, then dip in the coarse salt. Rub over the skin in a circular motion, paying attention to rough spots. Rinse off with warm water, pat dry and moisturize.
Easy - and your body will love you for it!
Do you exfoiliate? I'm not talking about your face, I mean the rest of your body? Well you should! I have the WONDERFUL homemade body scrub you simply must try.
Revitalizing Sea Salt & Rosemary Oil Body Scrub
1/2 cup coarse sea salt
1/4 cup rosemary oil
body scrub tool
Dip the body-scrub tool in a big of oil, then dip in the coarse salt. Rub over the skin in a circular motion, paying attention to rough spots. Rinse off with warm water, pat dry and moisturize.
Easy - and your body will love you for it!
Monday, July 23, 2012
And so it goes.. Racism & Size-ism 101
I figured if I did the latter, I was not being true to myself. This blog may have lost a lot of the super-personal/sensitive issues, but one thing I believe in more than anything else is to take those things that happen in my life, good or bad, and share them here so we can talk about them.
As you know, I started a new job about 90 some-odd days ago. I LOVE it. I love what I do, I love who we serve, I love the mission, the volunteers, the staff - it is a wonderful place for someone like me.
We had a super successful event this past Friday, and we had a ton of press around it. Actually, and not to brag, but we had a ton of press around all of our events. With all of this recent attention, I choose to be more selective over my ramblings.
But I think you need to see this one, because there is so much to learn from it.
I woke up this morning feeling spectacular. I'm so not just saying this, I was in a fantastic mood and felt like conquering the world. I woke up feeling grateful, feeling calm and I sincerely could not wait to get to work to chat with everyone about our great success.
Then I got this letter and here is what it said:
My heart sank to my stomach.
I stood there for a moment in shock, I had not even sat down at my desk yet.
Here in my hand was my first piece of hate mail.
I knew it might come one day.
I took a deep breath and headed downstairs and showed it to one of my co-workers. We both sort of shook our heads in disbelief. Look, I get it - someone sees a white girl doing a ton of interviews about a museum that showcases African American art, history and culture. Okay. Fine, that can be a little jarring for some.
Then this white girl happens to have an interesting last name. Okay, that can be a little jarring.
Then this girl happens to be.. well.. not perfect. I am not thin. Not even close. I used to be, but that doesn't matter now. What this person decided to do was to take a good close look at me and try to break me down because of my size, my skin color and because I have a foreign last name.
You have this white, southern catholic, chubby professional married to an egyptian sunni muslim, working at an african american museum. For people who have a problem with diversity - this must really shake them to the core.
I love my job. I do and I will continue to. The place I work has a very diverse team, all shapes and sizes, ethnicities, etc.
So that is not the issue.
I guess the issue I have, is the good old fashioned modern day bullying. That's what it is. It took me back to elementary school when 'Angela' got her friends to send me a mean note, making fun of me. Or to middle school, when the school bully, 'Lori,' decided to push me around. Or to high school, when some random girl got mad and tried to ruin a relationship due to jealously. . etc.. We've all been there.
But at 39, I did not see this one coming... or did I?
This community is very much divided when it comes to race. It is very much divided between the haves and the have nots. It's a beautiful place... but there are some deep seated issues we all need to work on.
I am one person who has decided to return to her hometown. I decided to work somewhere I could ACTUALLY make a difference. I'm going to hold my head high and do just that. I love my job. I love where I live. I love my life.
BTW - No matter how much weight I gain or lose, my face is mine. My voice is mine. My eyes are mine. My heart is mind. My mind is mine. My education is mine. My history is mine. My success is mine. There is nothing, no one can do, to change that.
PS- Now time to address the "viewers" comments:
Thank you for your letter. An email would have sufficed and used less trees. As a matter of fact, yes- my last name is "African," my husband is from Egypt which is in North Africa. However, Abdou is Arabic. I do happen to like "Negroes" as you put it - some of my closest friends happen to be African American. Yes, I am white and yes, I do work at a museum dedicated to African American art, history and culture. I was hired because I was qualified and it had nothing to do with race. PS: you are absolutely right, I do need to lose weight. Luckily, I am working very hard to do so. 13 pounds down - thanks for caring. (FYI - As for looking like a whale on TV... well.. I am just a wee bit lighter than 3 tons and much shorter than 98 feet.)
Happy Monday Folks!
PS - I STILL Love Macon. So take THAT, haters. ;-)
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