Category Archives: Normal People Things

Resolution Dissolution (and Resurrection!)

Posted in Normal People Things by

As you’ve probably noticed, I’ve already broken one of my New Year’s resolutions.  I resolved to write on this blog every day, not matter how small the entry.  That…hasn’t happened.  I’ve posted occasionally, but fallen very short of my one-post-a-day goal.  Technology is partly to blame.  I cannot figure out how to make my WordPress app on my phone work–in a fit of frustration I deleted app and have yet to add it back (clearly “be more patient” was not one of my resolutions).  But that isn’t a great excuse, so I’m fixing it I fixed it and re-resolve to write a little bit every single day.

My other resolution was to love myself more.  I was inspired to make this resolution by one of the most fabulous people on the planet, RuPaul.  One of my favorite RuPaul quotations is, “If you don’t love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?”

This is so true.  If I don’t love myself–if I’m not happy with who *I* am–how can I love my fiance, my step-kids, or anyone else?  If I can’t see the beauty and the goodness in myself, how can I truly see it in others?  Short answer:  I can’t.  So I’m loving myself more this year.

I’m going to start an exercise where I pick out something I love about myself each day.  These can be physical traits, personal traits, anything at all that I love about me.  Who knows–maybe I’ll post them here each day!  Satisfying two resolutions with one blog post.  🙂

Amen!

Amen!

Titanium

Posted in Normal People Things, Work Life by

It’s been a rough few weeks, folks.

Work has been crazy busy lately, and it took a toll on me.  Between all day customer classes, exam reviews for internals, required meetings, and ton of other commitments, I barely had time to breathe.  There were some several days during that two week period where I didn’t eat anything all at work because there simply wasn’t time for it.  After work, I headed home to take care of household duties–laundry, dishes, meals, and caring for my fiance and our three boys.  I was exhausted physically and mentally.  Emotionally, I was a wreck–I was so overwhelmed with everything on my plate, constantly a few seconds from tears.

Then I started listening to Pitch Perfect radio on Pandora and I finally found some clarity.

No, it wasn’t the a capella covers and Glee mash-ups that brought me some sanity.  It was a single song, Titanium by David Guetta ft. Sia.  This song was all over the radio when it came out in 2011; it was also covered in the movie Pitch Perfect (hence why it showed up on my Pandora station).  It’s more of a dance song, which probably explains why I never really paid attention to all the lyrics–too busy shakin’ my groove thang–but the words in the song really gave me strength during a time when I was feeling especially down.

“I’m bulletproof, nothing to lose

Fire away, fire away

Ricochet, you take your aim

Fire away, fire away

You shoot me down but I won’t fall

I am titanium

You shoot me down but I won’t fall

I am titanium”

Titanium:  the stuff airplanes, spacecraft, and missiles are made of.  Talk about being able to handle tough situations.

After hearing that song a number of times on the station and finally listening to the lyrics, I realized that I *am* titanium.  Even with the 12-hour work days and endless amount of chores to do at home, even with the stress and competing priorities, no one can knock me down but me.

“You shoot me down, but I won’t fall–I am titanium.”

Puzzled

Posted in family, Normal People Things by

When was the last time you made something broken whole again?

There is a great satisfaction in seeing individual pieces come together, orchestrating the reunion of so many wayward fragments. My grandmother was fully aware of this, and I hope it was the reason why she passed her love of puzzles on to me.

My grandmother is a firecracker. She isn’t afraid to share her views on the world. In fact, her coworkers nicknamed her Frank…you can guess why. She also enjoys her quiet moments, and one of her pastimes includes working jigsaw puzzles.

I remember spending nights at her apartment in our tiny Kentucky hometown and seeing her 1,000-piece puzzles. Placed on a sheet of poster board, the puzzle quietly occupied a section of her living room floor. She worked on puzzles of lush landscapes or beautiful architecture–a testament to her skill and keen eye.

She taught me her techniques and life lessons at the same time. Separating the edge pieces from the middle ones, completing the frame first, was really a lesson in patience and planning ahead. Keeping all the pieces in the box instructed me to stay organized and take care of my belonging. Laying down the final piece reminded me that even though things seem like they will never come together, eventually everything will connect.

Most of all, I learned to relish quiet moments. We deal with so much noise throughout the day–phone calls and emails and texts and tweets and all of the other interactions we have on a daily basis. Taking a moment to sit down and complete a quiet activity can bring calm to a very hectic world.

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Drops of Encouragement

Posted in Normal People Things by

Now that I’m training full time, I’m talking a LOT. Not to say I don’t talk a lot outside the classroom (we all know it’s something I do more than I should) but now I spend most of my work time talking my head off too. Combined with a cold, I sound like a ripoff James Earl Jones. I think it sounds sultry; most people just mention congestion meds. My throat is a wee bit creaky.

Cough drops have been my friend as of late. I guess I haven’t bought them in awhile (or at least not name brand ones) because I completely missed the addition of “A Pep Talk in Every Drop.” Each wrapper features brief phrases mean to cheer you up and push you forward.

Maybe I’m a sucker, but this is fantastic. Someone who feels bad enough to need a cough drop could probably use a word of encouragement. They make the brand look sympathetic, like a friend.

And they actually kind of work. At least I was pleasantly surprised and unexpectedly appreciative of those kind words. We should speak more encouraging words to one another. Lift each other up and help each other be their most superior selves.

And your throat can be feeling just fine.

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Drops of Kindness