Chris Cornell (Intro to "Can't Change Me" on "Songbook")
I enjoy being playful. I take it as a compliment when someone thinks I'm "strange" or "quirky". If I shouldn't, I'm probably going to. Irreverent? Yes, that describes me quite well. In many situations, if I really "should" take something seriously, I often find I just can't muster the feeling. Some things that a lot of folks place importance on just don't impress me.
There are, naturally, times in life when we need to be serious. When it comes to the ones in the "should" category, in the corporate world or just socially, the "it just isn't done" world, those are the places I just can't take you or me seriously. None of it is half as important as we're making it out to be. Really. Get over it.
Interestingly enough, I'm not doing any of this to get a reaction from people. Don't get me wrong, sometimes people's reactions are entertaining, but they're never the why behind my behavior.
Sometimes I say, do, or post things that people enjoy. Other times people think I shouldn't have. That's cool with me, it's all good. Wouldn't the world be boring if we all though the same way? I respect differing opinions. Regardless of what you think of me, or my writing, I'm glad you stopped by and I'm glad you have an opinion.
The thing is - I'm actually getting more and more comfortable in my own skin and I'm basically just being unapologetically me.
A good friend recently pointed out to me that I haven't REALLY done or said anything that would be considered outrageous, and suggested that I could still stand to loosen up considerably. I had to agree with her. That's why it's so funny to think that there are folks out there who are surprised or shocked at my beliefs, comments, posts, approach to life, etc. That just shows you how long I was stifling myself before I decided to, as the quote above says, say "F**k it, I'm me!" Now, some folks don' t know how to take some of what comes out of me.
I've gotta say, I'm having fun. Fun. Every day. Enjoying my life. I spent a quarter of a century, literally, doing, saying and wearing what was expected. Showing up. Checking those boxes. Keeping my opinion to myself. Yessing everyone. Doing what was expected. Who told me to do this? Me. I thought that's who I was. I thought that to be a good person, wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend....etc....that you had to please the entire world.
I finally woke up and realized that I was being a fake. I was pretending to be a conservative, Catholic christian, republican, quiet, mild-mannered person. That's not who I am. I am not remotely conservative. I think being quiet and mild-mannered is overrated, it doesn't work for me. I'm going to express myself, I'm a big mouth sometimes. Although I'm a christian to a certain extent - my spirituality is so much BIGGER than that now. I'm not remotely religious. And I am UNEQUIVOCALLY NOT A REPUBLICAN. If you ARE a Republican, and that works for you, then I respect that. But it is absolutely not who I am. (Frankly there isn't a party that I fit perfectly into)
My passion for my writing, the way I dress, my crazy music addiction, the things I think are cool, the things that get me excited - some people may think that's fighting my age. OK, so what's appropriate for my age? Am I supposed to buy "mom jeans" ? Does it mean I'm not allowed to listen to Avenged Sevenfold because I'm not in the right demographic? Should I not put my all into my writing because people who are "pushing 50" don't just reinvent themselves?
Nope, sorry folks. To quote Lewis Carroll, "I can't go back to yesterday - because I was a different person then." I am getting to be "more me" every day. I like me. I'm gonna rock the life I have and make it more exciting, more amazing, more fun and more ME every day. And I'm going to love the people I'm blessed with in my life while I do it. That's how it works.
Hey, thanks for stopping by again. Rock your life.
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