On the dance floor, the smell of baby powder invades my nostrils and coats the floor creating a smooth surface that allows my feet to glide across it with rhythm and grace. The pounding bass consumes me, relieving my head of all cognizant thought and the vibration from the speakers makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck. My senses heighten while my consciousness is lost in the flash of pulsating lights against the thin veil of my eyelids. I feel powerful and alive.
After the breakdown, the beat drops. I stomp into action, letting my feet fall purposefully with the bass. I hop with my right foot to my toes and push off with my left foot. Mid-spin, I catch someone’s eye and for a brief moment, we connect. I do not know if the gaze belongs to a man or woman, a straight or gay person, a white, black, Asian person, and it doesn’t matter. All I can see is the white of his or her teeth. There are few things as reassuring as a smile. We may be different people from different corners of the universe, but in this brief moment, we unite, dancing to the same beat.
If the music stops, I just know the world will cease to spin.
Showing posts with label we are beautiful. Show all posts
Showing posts with label we are beautiful. Show all posts
11.1.10
3.8.09
My own skin
It seems that all women struggle with self-esteem issues, especially when it comes to their physical appearances. I am no different. I have spent pretty much my entire life feeling uncomfortable in my own skin.
When I was a pre-teen I read an article in some beauty/fashion magazine that listed the bodily dimensions of the top super-models at the time. To this day, I remember the inadequacy I felt comparing my own body to these women's impossible proportions.
I was the tallest girl in my class at the time and I wore a 32C bra. Developing at a young age is really tough on girls. I was treated differently, not only by my my peers but by adults too. I was actually sent home from school one day for dressing "too provocatively." I clearly remember the colorful, striped, wide-strapped Stussy tank-top that caused all the trouble. I can also recall defending myself in the principal's office, stating matter-of-factly that my shirt was no more revealing than the shirts that the other girls were wearing. And, I will never forget my disciplinarian's response: "You're different from the other girls. You are causing a distraction for the boys." According to him, it was my fault that the pubescent boys in my class were more interested in boobs than in mathematics.
Sometime around that same period in my life, I developed an eating disorder—the classic binge and purge technique. I also started taking diet pills, which I got from a friend who stole them from her older sister. I wound up getting suspended for 10 days and sentenced to drug treatment/therapy at the local family health clinic when I got caught with them in school.
It wasn't until my early 20s that I would even consider wearing a bathing suit without shorts in public. I was in a horrible car accident when I was nine years old that left me with a huge scar down my left thigh and what is now a barely discernable limp. I spent the next decade obsessed with and embarrassed of my "disfigurement."
By the time I entered high school, I was attracting a lot of attention from older men who would try to pressure me to do things with them that I wasn't ready to do. I remember when I was 14 years old being at a house party and this guy Mike had cornered me in a bedroom and was forcefully pushing me onto the bed. Luckily for me, someone heard me yelling and busted through the door to yank the scumbag off of me. On another occasion, I was left on the side of a road after refusing to give a guy a blow job in exchange for a ride home.
At 16 years old, I started dating men in their 20s. I saw nothing wrong with it then, but now it literally makes me feel sick to my stomach. If I had a 16-year-old daughter bringing 20-year-old men around, heads (or nuts) would roll. Being sexualized my men at such a young age wrecks a young girls self-esteem....
I moved out of the house immediately after graduating from high school and moved into an apartment in Philly with my boyfriend at the time. He was a 22-year-old bum with no job. My mother was completely opposed to the idea and cut me off financially. That's how I wound up working multiple waitressing and odd jobs to pay my way through college and to support myself—and my boyfriend who never seemed to keep a job.
When the bum boyfriend first started showing signs of aggression, verbally abusing me, punching holes in the apartment walls and busting up my things, I just ignored it. I guess years of being emotionally abused by my drug-addict father had led me to believe this sort of behavior was acceptable. It wasn't until he shoved me down the staircase in our apartment building that I finally left him.
I will never forget that night. We were in the apartment arguing. Fed-up, I went into the bedroom and called my friend Nadine to tell her I was coming to the little South-Philly bar she was working at. I needed to get away. The boyfriend heard me on the phone and stole my shoes to try to stop me from leaving. He started pushing me out the door, barefoot, screaming at me to "go ahead and leave then." He pushed me hard the last time, and I fell down the stairs in our apartment building hall. I jumped to my feet and ran out the door. Tears streaming, barefoot, I walked down Washington Ave. towards the bar. I called Nadine, and she informed me that she had called the police and they were on the way to my apartment, so I should go back and have them take me inside to get my car keys and some things to come stay with her.
When I got back to the apartment, there were two police cars. The boyfriend was screaming at the cops, and when he saw me, he threatened to kill himself if I left. I left anyway. I left him with the apartment and everything in it and moved into Nadine's place. He didn't kill himself.
For the next couple of years, I hated men. Really hated them. Maybe I had always hated them....I certainly didn't trust them.
Jack has helped me through a lot of my issues with men. We were friends for years before we started hooking up. It took months of dating exclusively before I would call him my boyfriend and even longer before I would stop flinching when we had even the slightest disagreement. He is so unbelievably patient with me...
Until now, Jack was the only person I had ever told about a lot of the things I have written about in this post. It feels really good to get these things out. I feel one step closer to becoming "comfortable in my own skin."
When I was a pre-teen I read an article in some beauty/fashion magazine that listed the bodily dimensions of the top super-models at the time. To this day, I remember the inadequacy I felt comparing my own body to these women's impossible proportions.
I was the tallest girl in my class at the time and I wore a 32C bra. Developing at a young age is really tough on girls. I was treated differently, not only by my my peers but by adults too. I was actually sent home from school one day for dressing "too provocatively." I clearly remember the colorful, striped, wide-strapped Stussy tank-top that caused all the trouble. I can also recall defending myself in the principal's office, stating matter-of-factly that my shirt was no more revealing than the shirts that the other girls were wearing. And, I will never forget my disciplinarian's response: "You're different from the other girls. You are causing a distraction for the boys." According to him, it was my fault that the pubescent boys in my class were more interested in boobs than in mathematics.
Sometime around that same period in my life, I developed an eating disorder—the classic binge and purge technique. I also started taking diet pills, which I got from a friend who stole them from her older sister. I wound up getting suspended for 10 days and sentenced to drug treatment/therapy at the local family health clinic when I got caught with them in school.
It wasn't until my early 20s that I would even consider wearing a bathing suit without shorts in public. I was in a horrible car accident when I was nine years old that left me with a huge scar down my left thigh and what is now a barely discernable limp. I spent the next decade obsessed with and embarrassed of my "disfigurement."
By the time I entered high school, I was attracting a lot of attention from older men who would try to pressure me to do things with them that I wasn't ready to do. I remember when I was 14 years old being at a house party and this guy Mike had cornered me in a bedroom and was forcefully pushing me onto the bed. Luckily for me, someone heard me yelling and busted through the door to yank the scumbag off of me. On another occasion, I was left on the side of a road after refusing to give a guy a blow job in exchange for a ride home.
At 16 years old, I started dating men in their 20s. I saw nothing wrong with it then, but now it literally makes me feel sick to my stomach. If I had a 16-year-old daughter bringing 20-year-old men around, heads (or nuts) would roll. Being sexualized my men at such a young age wrecks a young girls self-esteem....
I moved out of the house immediately after graduating from high school and moved into an apartment in Philly with my boyfriend at the time. He was a 22-year-old bum with no job. My mother was completely opposed to the idea and cut me off financially. That's how I wound up working multiple waitressing and odd jobs to pay my way through college and to support myself—and my boyfriend who never seemed to keep a job.
When the bum boyfriend first started showing signs of aggression, verbally abusing me, punching holes in the apartment walls and busting up my things, I just ignored it. I guess years of being emotionally abused by my drug-addict father had led me to believe this sort of behavior was acceptable. It wasn't until he shoved me down the staircase in our apartment building that I finally left him.
I will never forget that night. We were in the apartment arguing. Fed-up, I went into the bedroom and called my friend Nadine to tell her I was coming to the little South-Philly bar she was working at. I needed to get away. The boyfriend heard me on the phone and stole my shoes to try to stop me from leaving. He started pushing me out the door, barefoot, screaming at me to "go ahead and leave then." He pushed me hard the last time, and I fell down the stairs in our apartment building hall. I jumped to my feet and ran out the door. Tears streaming, barefoot, I walked down Washington Ave. towards the bar. I called Nadine, and she informed me that she had called the police and they were on the way to my apartment, so I should go back and have them take me inside to get my car keys and some things to come stay with her.
When I got back to the apartment, there were two police cars. The boyfriend was screaming at the cops, and when he saw me, he threatened to kill himself if I left. I left anyway. I left him with the apartment and everything in it and moved into Nadine's place. He didn't kill himself.
For the next couple of years, I hated men. Really hated them. Maybe I had always hated them....I certainly didn't trust them.
Jack has helped me through a lot of my issues with men. We were friends for years before we started hooking up. It took months of dating exclusively before I would call him my boyfriend and even longer before I would stop flinching when we had even the slightest disagreement. He is so unbelievably patient with me...
Until now, Jack was the only person I had ever told about a lot of the things I have written about in this post. It feels really good to get these things out. I feel one step closer to becoming "comfortable in my own skin."
25.6.09
Reversing a trend {week 6}
Each week (or so :) I post a compliment to myself and a compliment to a friend. The goal of this project is to help myself and all the amazing women I know to embrace our inner-beauty.
I have an adventurous spirit. Without hesitation, I have traveled alone to foreign countries. Without fear, I tested my paddling skills last summer by taking on a stream with raging post-storm rapids. I've trekked through the Andes Mountains, camped at the bottom of a crater in Israel, climbed a volcano in Nicaragua, danced at a rave on a desert-island off the coast of Honduras, and tried surfing in Costa Rica. I've eaten everything from quail eggs to raw conch straight from the seafloor, and from guinea pig to tepezcuintle. If you're looking for a road-trip partner, I'm your girl.
Nicole of Nicole K. Photography is an amazing photographer. She is able to capture the essence, beauty and character of a person on film in a way that few others can. Just look at these powerful photos she took of a soldier and his family for Operation: Love Reunited. Or, these amazing images she took of a friend's new baby. Nicole is also one of the photographers team behind The Littlest Heroes Project, a nonprofit with a mission to "help provide and capture memories for families who are dealing with hectic schedules due to having a child who is suffering from a serious illness or life altering disability."
I addition to her shear talent and good will, I admire Nicole's ambition to use her passion to start her own small photographic services business. How awesome is that!?! Nicole specializes in family, baby and maternity shots and is considering adding wedding photography to her offerings. If you're in the Maryland-D.C. area and need a photographer, check out Nicole K. Photography!
I have an adventurous spirit. Without hesitation, I have traveled alone to foreign countries. Without fear, I tested my paddling skills last summer by taking on a stream with raging post-storm rapids. I've trekked through the Andes Mountains, camped at the bottom of a crater in Israel, climbed a volcano in Nicaragua, danced at a rave on a desert-island off the coast of Honduras, and tried surfing in Costa Rica. I've eaten everything from quail eggs to raw conch straight from the seafloor, and from guinea pig to tepezcuintle. If you're looking for a road-trip partner, I'm your girl.
Nicole of Nicole K. Photography is an amazing photographer. She is able to capture the essence, beauty and character of a person on film in a way that few others can. Just look at these powerful photos she took of a soldier and his family for Operation: Love Reunited. Or, these amazing images she took of a friend's new baby. Nicole is also one of the photographers team behind The Littlest Heroes Project, a nonprofit with a mission to "help provide and capture memories for families who are dealing with hectic schedules due to having a child who is suffering from a serious illness or life altering disability."
I addition to her shear talent and good will, I admire Nicole's ambition to use her passion to start her own small photographic services business. How awesome is that!?! Nicole specializes in family, baby and maternity shots and is considering adding wedding photography to her offerings. If you're in the Maryland-D.C. area and need a photographer, check out Nicole K. Photography!
13.6.09
Reversing a trend {week 5}
Each week I post a compliment to myself and a compliment to a friend. The goal of this project is to help myself and all the amazing women I know to embrace our inner-beauty.
I am a great cook. My signature dishes range from Latino-delights like pastel de pollo and mole de guajalote to Asian-inspired meals like pad thai and mee krob. I think that my creativity and willingness to experiment, combined with my skill at separating out the flavors in the food I eat, are what make me a great cook. I know. This compliment to myself was kind of lame. I'm only on week five, and it's getting hard to find something nice to say about myself :(
Floreta at The Solitary Panda is one tough chick. In fact, she recently earned her 2'nd level white belt in poekoelan, a style of martial arts from Indonesia. Through her study and practice, Floreta has not only learned to kick ass but has achieved a level of self awareness that I completely respect and admire. She is among the most introspective people that I have ever meet in the blogging community, or in real life for that matter. She accepts and explores her sexuality and other primal urges. She writes poems wrought with emotion and explores her artistic side. She writes intelligently about her views on society and she openly shares her life experiences, past and present. To sum it up, Floreta is awesome. Read her blog!
I am a great cook. My signature dishes range from Latino-delights like pastel de pollo and mole de guajalote to Asian-inspired meals like pad thai and mee krob. I think that my creativity and willingness to experiment, combined with my skill at separating out the flavors in the food I eat, are what make me a great cook. I know. This compliment to myself was kind of lame. I'm only on week five, and it's getting hard to find something nice to say about myself :(
Floreta at The Solitary Panda is one tough chick. In fact, she recently earned her 2'nd level white belt in poekoelan, a style of martial arts from Indonesia. Through her study and practice, Floreta has not only learned to kick ass but has achieved a level of self awareness that I completely respect and admire. She is among the most introspective people that I have ever meet in the blogging community, or in real life for that matter. She accepts and explores her sexuality and other primal urges. She writes poems wrought with emotion and explores her artistic side. She writes intelligently about her views on society and she openly shares her life experiences, past and present. To sum it up, Floreta is awesome. Read her blog!
3.6.09
Reversing a trend {week 4}
Each week I post a compliment to myself and a compliment to a friend. The goal of this project is to help myself and all the amazing women I know to embrace our inner-beauty.
I don't judge people based on superficial standards. My friends range from scientists and educators at prestigious institutions to career bartenders and construction workers. I have friends who grew up on the streets, as well as friends who lived in mansions as kids. If you put all of my friends together in a room, you'd think you just stepped into a commercial for the UN or something. My friends come in all shapes and sizes, all colors and shades, all religions and sexual orientations. I even have a friend who's a Republican. GASP!
This is not to say I am indiscriminate. Just this weekend a friend of mine, gave me an interesting compliment. He said: "When I first met you I couldn't figure you out. I couldn't understand why you got along with me but didn't like my friends. I thought you were snobby, but then you wouldn't like me...." He continued: "You aren't snobby, you just know what you have and appreciate it."
My friend hit it on the head. I am not snobby. What I am is a real-no-bull-shit person. I judge people and accept them as friends based on their ability to laugh at life and themselves, their willingness to talk openly and honestly, and the way they treat other people . I don't see eye-to-eye with all my friends on everything, but I respect their convictions and confidence in their thoughts and beliefs.
Life is too short to allow yourself to be bogged down with people you can't trust, people who aren't nice or people who don't treat you well. You have a choice. I have a choice. I choose to surround myself with "real" people. Fuck da' bullshit!
The Wife in Stilettos is a strong, brave woman. Around Mother's Day, she wrote a series of beautiful poems to her mom. To open-up and speak honestly in such a public way takes a lot of guts. Also, not to long ago, I read a post by The Wife in Stilettos where she wrote: "We're in limbo. The husband and I may be in Canada today, but we quite frankly don't know where our shoes may take us tomorrow." I respect and admire her ability to face life's uncertainties shows with a care-free and fearless attitude.
She recently (by recently, I mean sometime last month) bestowed upon me "One Lovely Blog Award." Thanks lady!
Be sure to check out The Wife in Stilettos!
I don't judge people based on superficial standards. My friends range from scientists and educators at prestigious institutions to career bartenders and construction workers. I have friends who grew up on the streets, as well as friends who lived in mansions as kids. If you put all of my friends together in a room, you'd think you just stepped into a commercial for the UN or something. My friends come in all shapes and sizes, all colors and shades, all religions and sexual orientations. I even have a friend who's a Republican. GASP!
This is not to say I am indiscriminate. Just this weekend a friend of mine, gave me an interesting compliment. He said: "When I first met you I couldn't figure you out. I couldn't understand why you got along with me but didn't like my friends. I thought you were snobby, but then you wouldn't like me...." He continued: "You aren't snobby, you just know what you have and appreciate it."
My friend hit it on the head. I am not snobby. What I am is a real-no-bull-shit person. I judge people and accept them as friends based on their ability to laugh at life and themselves, their willingness to talk openly and honestly, and the way they treat other people . I don't see eye-to-eye with all my friends on everything, but I respect their convictions and confidence in their thoughts and beliefs.
Life is too short to allow yourself to be bogged down with people you can't trust, people who aren't nice or people who don't treat you well. You have a choice. I have a choice. I choose to surround myself with "real" people. Fuck da' bullshit!
The Wife in Stilettos is a strong, brave woman. Around Mother's Day, she wrote a series of beautiful poems to her mom. To open-up and speak honestly in such a public way takes a lot of guts. Also, not to long ago, I read a post by The Wife in Stilettos where she wrote: "We're in limbo. The husband and I may be in Canada today, but we quite frankly don't know where our shoes may take us tomorrow." I respect and admire her ability to face life's uncertainties shows with a care-free and fearless attitude.
She recently (by recently, I mean sometime last month) bestowed upon me "One Lovely Blog Award." Thanks lady!
Be sure to check out The Wife in Stilettos!
20.5.09
Reversing a trend {week 3}
Each week I post a compliment to myself and a compliment to a friend. The goal of this project is to help myself and all the amazing women I know to embrace our inner-beauty.
I am not afraid to be silly. I like to make silly faces, interject witty (read:immature) commentary into conversations and break out cheesy dance moves like the "grocery cart" on a crowded dance floor. This may sound like a strange compliment to give myself, but I feel like not taking yourself to seriously is an important quality to have.
Lizzi (Life According to Lizzi) is a creative and talented artist. She's an excellent painter, photographer and writer. Even more impressive than her shear talent is that Lizzi does not allow her roles as a mother, a wife and a working professional to keep her from exploring her creative side. She makes time for self-expression and is bold enough to post her work to a blog and share it with the world.
I met Lizzi in the blogosphere earlier this year. Since then, we have become modern-day pen pals, reading and commenting on one another's blogs and keeping the conversation going through e-mail. I am certain that Lizzi and I would be real-life-flesh-and-blood friends if we weren't separated by 2,000+ miles....
Just last week, Lizzi bestowed upon me the "Queen of ALLL Things Awe-Summm!!!" award. Thanks Lizzi!
1. List 7 things that make me Awe-Summm
1. I make silly faces at strangers.
2. I make people laugh.
3. I am willing to try anything, at least once.
4. I can rap my favorite ghetto-tek tracks at 160 beats per minute.
5. I am a good cook, and my dishes range from Latin American to Israeli inspired.
6. I love to learn about everything and anything.
7. I am friends with people of all different backgrounds.
And, here is a list of seven bloggers who I think are totally awe-summ!!!!! Be sure to check them out.
1. Chef Green at Sauce on the Side
2. The Wife in Stilletos
3. Jasmine at An Experiment in Poverty
4. Floreta at The Solitary Panda
5. All the wonderful women at Wednesday Spaghetti
6. Diane at The Pits
7. ShansPLC at Word.
I am not afraid to be silly. I like to make silly faces, interject witty (read:immature) commentary into conversations and break out cheesy dance moves like the "grocery cart" on a crowded dance floor. This may sound like a strange compliment to give myself, but I feel like not taking yourself to seriously is an important quality to have.
Lizzi (Life According to Lizzi) is a creative and talented artist. She's an excellent painter, photographer and writer. Even more impressive than her shear talent is that Lizzi does not allow her roles as a mother, a wife and a working professional to keep her from exploring her creative side. She makes time for self-expression and is bold enough to post her work to a blog and share it with the world.
I met Lizzi in the blogosphere earlier this year. Since then, we have become modern-day pen pals, reading and commenting on one another's blogs and keeping the conversation going through e-mail. I am certain that Lizzi and I would be real-life-flesh-and-blood friends if we weren't separated by 2,000+ miles....
Just last week, Lizzi bestowed upon me the "Queen of ALLL Things Awe-Summm!!!" award. Thanks Lizzi!
Before I can officially accept my crown, here's what I am supposed to do:
1. List 7 things that make me Awe-Summm
2. Pass this award onto 7 deserving bloggers
3. Tag said bloggers and link back to who tagged you
Here's my list:1. I make silly faces at strangers.
2. I make people laugh.
3. I am willing to try anything, at least once.
4. I can rap my favorite ghetto-tek tracks at 160 beats per minute.
5. I am a good cook, and my dishes range from Latin American to Israeli inspired.
6. I love to learn about everything and anything.
7. I am friends with people of all different backgrounds.
And, here is a list of seven bloggers who I think are totally awe-summ!!!!! Be sure to check them out.
1. Chef Green at Sauce on the Side
2. The Wife in Stilletos
3. Jasmine at An Experiment in Poverty
4. Floreta at The Solitary Panda
5. All the wonderful women at Wednesday Spaghetti
6. Diane at The Pits
7. ShansPLC at Word.
13.5.09
Reversing a trend {week 2}
Each week I post a compliment to myself and a compliment to a friend. The goal of this project is to help myself and all the amazing women I know to embrace our inner-beauty.
I am motivated. My motivation is intrinsic--it comes from within. I am on a never-ending quest to better myself and my position in life. I set goals for myself, and I achieve them. Throughout high school I held two two jobs to save money for college. When I was in college, I decided that I wanted to work at the Smithsonian and nowhere else. Three unpaid internships later, I got the job offer. Now that I have the job, I realize that this is not the way I want to live my life, rushing around, working overtime and dealing with office politics. No. This is not for me. I want to be my own boss, and I will.
Natasha is passionate. Through her poetry, Natasha bares her soul with intricately woven words that are sometime delicate and other times harsh. She writes constantly and performs often, allowing life to be her muse. She doesn't hold back. Natasha encourages others to express themselves, supporting fellow writers and collaborating with other local wordsmiths.
Taking a break from grad school, Natasha is currently focusing all her energy on getting her name and art out into the world. She has already been published a couple of times, as well as invited to be a featured performer at a number of poetry/spoken word venues. I know more opportunities and good things are coming her way!
I am motivated. My motivation is intrinsic--it comes from within. I am on a never-ending quest to better myself and my position in life. I set goals for myself, and I achieve them. Throughout high school I held two two jobs to save money for college. When I was in college, I decided that I wanted to work at the Smithsonian and nowhere else. Three unpaid internships later, I got the job offer. Now that I have the job, I realize that this is not the way I want to live my life, rushing around, working overtime and dealing with office politics. No. This is not for me. I want to be my own boss, and I will.
Natasha is passionate. Through her poetry, Natasha bares her soul with intricately woven words that are sometime delicate and other times harsh. She writes constantly and performs often, allowing life to be her muse. She doesn't hold back. Natasha encourages others to express themselves, supporting fellow writers and collaborating with other local wordsmiths.
Taking a break from grad school, Natasha is currently focusing all her energy on getting her name and art out into the world. She has already been published a couple of times, as well as invited to be a featured performer at a number of poetry/spoken word venues. I know more opportunities and good things are coming her way!
6.5.09
Reversing a trend
Earlier this week, Jasmine at An Experiment in Poverty, and I were talking about the sad fact that there are so many wonderful, beautiful and competent women who suffer from low self-esteem. Instead of going on a tirade about how fashion magazines teach little girls that you have to be thin and pretty to be liked and about the unspoken expectation that women be good mothers, wives, housekeepers and hostesses all while holding down 9-5 jobs, I have decided to tackle the problem head-on.
Each week, I am going to post a compliment to myself and a compliment to a friend.
I am competent. My life--like anyone's life--has been like a roller coaster ride, full of ups and downs. But, no matter what life throws my way, I can walk away a stronger person. I have made mistakes. It's only human. But, my mistakes do not make me any less of a person.
Lora (at Jakezilla) is someone I know I can always count on. If you need advice, talk to her. She will look at your problem objectively, without making you feel stupid for not being able to do so yourself.
I met Lora about a decade ago--we were both waitresses at an Irish bar in Philly. I don't remember much about the Lora I first met, except that she liked whiskey and making silly faces. We weren't great friends back then, but we kept in touch and grew closer over the years. I'm not sure what she saw in me, but I always liked Lora because she was didn't--and still doesn't --allow others to tell her how to live her life. She refuses to conform to society's definition of what a woman--a wife, a mother, a daughter, a professional--is supposed to be. Lora is just Lora, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Each week, I am going to post a compliment to myself and a compliment to a friend.
I am competent. My life--like anyone's life--has been like a roller coaster ride, full of ups and downs. But, no matter what life throws my way, I can walk away a stronger person. I have made mistakes. It's only human. But, my mistakes do not make me any less of a person.
Lora (at Jakezilla) is someone I know I can always count on. If you need advice, talk to her. She will look at your problem objectively, without making you feel stupid for not being able to do so yourself.
I met Lora about a decade ago--we were both waitresses at an Irish bar in Philly. I don't remember much about the Lora I first met, except that she liked whiskey and making silly faces. We weren't great friends back then, but we kept in touch and grew closer over the years. I'm not sure what she saw in me, but I always liked Lora because she was didn't--and still doesn't --allow others to tell her how to live her life. She refuses to conform to society's definition of what a woman--a wife, a mother, a daughter, a professional--is supposed to be. Lora is just Lora, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
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