Monthly Archives: June 2010

Mark another one off the bucket list

Posted on by
8

I recently conquered my fear of public speaking! Not quite as exciting as riding in the wienermobile, but still thrilling for me in a “I’m not the big scaredy cat I thought I was” kind of way.

I was asked to present at a social media conference for financial communicators (at NASDAQ!) back. Totally thrilled, I accepted, but for some reason it was all very surreal and I didn’t think it would actually end up happening. I’ve always been scared of public speaking — not like in a meeting or in a casual setting — but up in front of a room full of people, on a stage, alone, lights blaring …

Just like this scene. But the conference rolled around last week and surprise, I was still supposed to present. Once I got up there, I wasn’t scared at all. I don’t know if it’s because I’m 40 (and fabulous) or what, but I wasn’t full of crazy nerves like I remember from my younger days. (Or maybe it was because I just don’t give a crap anymore? ha!) So it was really rewarding to conquer the beast, and I received some flattering feedback from people in the audience. And I got to participate in the NASDAQ closing bell ceremony. That alone was worth it.

Now on to my next two big fears: Spiders and walking on these …

WTF? Wednesday

Posted on by
2

I’m back! Lots to share, but for now it’s 11:40 p.m. and I need to get a WTF? Wednesday up!

I love mopeds. My first method of transport was a moped — my first driver’s license was Class M and I had two mopeds when I was 15 (one looked like a bicycle with an engine and the other was a fancy new Honda that was made entirely of plastic). When I saw this guy driving through downtown, I thought “cool!” But then I noticed his moped had a SIDECAR. WTF?

Mopeds are dangerous enough for the driver — I can’t imagine being shackled to the side in a plastic bowl.

On a recent trip to Texas Art Supply, I came across this:

I don’t know how Jesus feels about it, but it seems a little wrong to me. When Dan and I went to the Vatican, we were shocked at the amount of crap they were willing to put the Pope’s face on. But, that’s just the Pope. This is Jesus!

Of course, I bought it anyway. We plan to move soon, so I will test the Jesus tape’s power with an experiment — put some highly breakable stuff in a box without wrapping it and see if it makes to the new house in tact. Maybe movers will be more careful if my stuff is wrapped in heavenly tape.

WTF? Wednesday – I am 40!

Posted on by
7

Yes, I know I hardly look a day over 38, but I am now the big 4-0.

The last few weeks have been really hard on me. I’ve been engaging in lots of soul searching … questioning myself, my choices, where I am in life … all the things you ponder when you realize that you are, in fact, a middle-aged person.

But then last Friday, some of my dearest friends threw me an incredible cocktail party (thanks KB, Kim, Carol, Heather and Jeanne Marie!), and standing in a room full of amazing people, I had an AH-HA moment. It wasn’t that I was dreading 40. I was just sad about leaving an incredible decade behind.

I found myself in my 30s. I learned to trust my intuition. I became confident in my voice and my opinions. I married Dan. We traveled all over the world together. I went skydiving, and scuba diving, and I climbed the Sydney Harbor Bridge. I went to a SuperBowl and the World Series (when the Astros finally made it to the finals!). I took Dan dog sledding. We built a home together from the ground up. I became a mommy to two gorgeous little girls – a job I was never sure I would be good at, and then found I loved more than any other. I started blogging and met a new community of people through the love of writing. I finished college after many years of night school. I learned to appreciate all of the people in my life, by losing a few that I loved most. I discovered that I am always the same girl on the inside – just a little wiser and now a little older.

Standing in that room full of people that I have made true connections with over the years, helped me realize that the 40s will be even better than the 30s. It’s the same journey, but the fruit of my 30s – the friendships I have built along the way – will be going with me.

Kicking and screaming into middle age.