Weathered

I have not been feeling very chatty lately.

Wrapping up a very hard year.

Anxiously awaiting the unfolding of a new and (I pray) promising one. The recent brash of violence in the news has put its finishing touches on my depression.

I feel fragile, weathered, pulled tight, a bit like a barbed wire.

 I decided to go back and visit the pictures of a carving my husband recently finished. He was commissioned by a local to carve a female tree spirit rising out of her tree. She met with us. She chose him for the honor of carving. She honored me by suggesting he use me as his model. He made the spirit pregnant (unlike me) with new life rising out of the dying tree. Vine wrapped around her belly, arms raised in praise and protection of all that is natural in the world. She's a bit sad. Aren't we all?

Centering oneself with nature.

Sometimes it's the only way to feel okay.

Why?

I followed an internet link this morning.

It shows a photo shoot of Lady Gaga with no makeup.

The real woman.

The real beauty.

Natural.

Free from the mask.

Damned if the comments aren't crude, rude, nasty, judgmental.

Downright MEAN!!!!!

What is wrong with people?

She bares all.

She is gutsy.

She is daring.

She is famous, powerful, smart, strong, dare I say beautiful????

I actually prefer to see the real her.

I'm not a big fan of the performer

but I have gained a whole new respect for the woman.

Why is it that people have to be so mean?

Why do people feel the need to voice their negativity?

Why do people choose to be so hurtful?

It is like a bully mentality, this whole internet thing.

The comment sections disgust me.

Everyone hides behind a screen and throws the ugliness around.

I wonder.

For all those judging.

What do they think of themselves?

How is their career going?

How much money do they have in the bank?

What do they see in their own mirror?

I love, love, LOVE au natural.

I love people for who they are.

The raw them. The real them.

I love that my husband doesn't like makeup.

I still feel uncomfortable leaving the house without a touch of a mask.

"Why?" I ask myself.

Now I know.

It is this crazy media driven world which judges on masks.

Who has the best mask?

Me? I would rather live in a world where everyone took off their masks.

Accepted themselves. Loved themselves.

Mainstream Media

Stop the bullying. The judgment.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

No one is perfect.

We all judge at times.

Myself included.

We can all work on it.

Be aware of the words that cross our lips.

Be aware of the impact our words have on others.

Tonight I am attending a presentation.

I am thrilled to have the opportunity to attend locally.

Here's the scoop.

"A one-hour presentation on Rachel's Challenge. Rachel Scott was the first student killed in the Columbine tragedy. This dynamic presentation will challenge each of us to become proactive parents/community members to help support our kids to embrace and respect individual differences, appreciate the value and worth of all people, stand up for others that are being mistreated, know "who" they are and recognize their worth, and to reach out and help others."

For more info.

What an important message.

(total random side note but somewhat related. yes. more of my rambling cranial purge. shortly after seeing the article on Lady Gaga, I saw a whole article on anti-aging tricks and tips. what does that really mean? we're all going to do it whether we like it or not. anti makes it sound like we're against it. wouldn't it be great if we could embrace it? every line, every wrinkle and grey hair represents time, stories, experience, lessons. how about 'aging gracefully' instead.)

I feel extremely grateful for the online communities I have encountered.

My blog connections.

The online classes I have taken.

My CM sisterhood.

Such an amazing and supportive crowd.

I am in love with the positivity, the love, the generosity.

It's out there. I know it is. I see it and feel it every day.

Perhaps it's not the norm. Perhaps it's not everywhere.

But the love is there.

Please keep this in mind as you go about your day.

Pass a little love around today.

Make a ripple.

If we all join in, we'll be making waves.

ripples

Thank you.

All of you.

For being here.

For reading.

For your love, positivity and support.

I love you.

Have a beautiful day.

Ponderings

Ponderings

How is it that something can suck and blow at the same time?
Do these words not have opposite meanings?
 Remember Henry from yesterday?

I could not bear to take a picture of what he has been reduced to.
When the kids arrived home yesterday to see him out there
headless and... well... pretty much everything-less...
they were sad.
Losing him so soon.
It totally sucks and completely blows.
See what I mean?

bumper sticker

I was thinking about our country and its issue with over-consumption and gluttony.
Then I thought of a new bumper sticker to replace
America The Beautiful.
How about...
America the Big and Full?
I know. Bad taste.


Behavior
I often stand in line at the grocery store and imagine everyone as giant toddlers.
It makes me laugh so hard inside!
It also makes time fly.
Imagine if we were all toddlers acting on impulse and curiosity.
What if you turned around and just stared at the person behind you
or shouted whatever came to your mind.
"Why does her hair look so funny?"
What if the guy in front of you had an overwhelming urge to
scream out his frustration at wanting to exit the store in a more timely manner.
What if he just started yelling at the top of his lungs?
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!!!!!!!"
Sometimes I wonder what people would do if I just walked up and hugged them
or poked them
or grabbed things from their cart.


Exposure
Perhaps I have exposed too much of my internal dialogue in this post.
Perhaps I am the only one who thinks these things.
Perhaps not.
What if we all let our quirkiness fly?
What if we let loose more often?
Found humor in life?

How about you? Any strange ponderings lately?
Don't be shy!