No Such Thing

No Such Thing ~John Mayer

Welcome to the real world, she said to me condescendingly. Take a seat. Take your life, plot it out in black and white. Well I never lived the dream of the prom kings and the drama queens. I'd like to think the best of me is still hiding up my sleeve. They love to tell you stay inside the lines, but something's better on the other side. So the good boys and girls take the so called right track. Faded white hats, grabbing credits maybe transfers. They read all the books, but they can't find the answers. And all of our parents, they're getting older. I wonder if they've wished for anything better while in their memories tiny tragedies. I wanna run through the halls of my high school. I wanna scream at the top of my lungs. I just found out there's no such thing as the real world. Just a lie you've got to rise above. I just can't wait til my 10 year reunion. I'm gonna bust down the double doors. And when I stand on these tables before you, you will know what all this time was for. I am invincible as long as I'm alive. 

It dawned on me this morning as I was listening (while piddling around the house) to Y2K on cable (love this channel, by the way) that I truly get what the words to this song mean to me. I did all that: "welcome to the real world" "take your life, plot it out in black and white" "stay inside the lines" "take the so called right track" "hats, credits, transfers" and with all of that still couldn't "find the answers". Definitely a workaholic ready for success in the corporate world. Just a heart attack waiting to happen with an early end to life having not experienced all I really wanted to experience. Glad I began to wake out of my dark slumber (see yesterday's post) and there is NO SUCH THING as the real world. The world is what you make it. 

Basically, this song is awesome. Whether you care for JM or not, the song itself is right on. I feel blessed that at my ripe old age of 30 (okay, almost 31) I've figured out that money and things do NOT equal happiness or as JM says, "just a lie you've got to rise above". "Happiness" with life is SO MUCH MORE! Instead of climbing up the metaphorical ladder I've been climbing down and paving my own way. It's not the easier choice; it's a daring choice and even in it's tough moments (life will have those regardless) I'm "happier" with life. Truly the right choice of words may be: I'm a better me. 

We are not invincible, we're mortal, but JM is right, as long as we're alive we're invincible. Take a chance, take a leap. It's worth it. Something's better on the other side. Rise above the lie. Live the life you're really meant to live. Be who you really want to be. Take out societal (this includes friends & family, but I do hold their cares closer to my heart than society's) judgement and expectations...what makes you happy? (Just a heads up now, it's never just one thing...there's more to who we are than one thing. And the make up of that is different for everyone.)

My favorite line of this Mayer song is "I'd like to think the best of me is still hiding up my sleeve". Because no matter how "far" I've come in my journey (with many more lessons on life to learn- I am only 30, okay almost 31, and hoping I haven't even lived half of my life yet), I'd like to think the best of me is still hiding up my sleeve <3

please copy, paste & enjoy :)

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMB93xcJYE8 

What's It Matter Anyhow?

"Our opinions become fixed at the point where we stop thinking." ~Ernest Renan

Passion for photography, lover of books (having spent many a late night with them), avid movie-goer/renter/owner, & recipe conjurer (really bad at following recipe directions since I like to 'play' in the kitchen)...it's all a piece of who I am.

A wonderful man who embodies love & loyalty is the one who has my heart. He has driven me to be me and given me more support than I probably deserve. He is my best friend.

Somehow my heart beats daily outside of my body. It's trapped in this adorable little being who is witty & clever. With a smile that somehow magically brightens any room & an infectious laugh that constantly escapes his lips, he is my heart. Becoming a mother is one of the most perplexing experiences I've encountered on my journey of life. Being a mother is being red. Children have the uncanny ability to make us go from feeling fury one moment to giggling uncontrollably the next. It's just red - love & anger. Motherhood challenges me in ways I didn't know life could. Simply amazing <3

I am also a daughter, sister, niece, cousin, in-law, friend, a child of God & mostly, I'm just me :)

The day I had a child my world completely changed in ways I didn't know it would. Over a 6 month time span 3.5 years ago I had a baby (my heart), was diagnosed with a chronic illness (that's been fun to adjust to) and my father passed away suddenly (HUGE daddy's girl here) all of which caused me to enter a dark period...the light is coming back. Over this last year I can honestly say I've done more soul searching than I ever dreamed possible, took leaps with faith I didn't know I had & gained a self confidence/worth of just simply being me.

After totally readjusting my life last year, something exciting happened today. I became a legit business (co)-owner. For the past year and a half, a good friend of mine and I have been growing our very own photography business. It's been crazy to watch it get to this day. Officially, official. Excited is probably an understatement. When I got home from filling out the paperwork, it hit me- it was almost a year ago today that I walked away from working for someone else deciding to embark on this new journey of self discovery.

So, what's it matter anyhow? It's easy to get wrapped up in what we are to everyone else and sometimes lose ourselves there. I love a good book, a good movie, a good discussion, a new recipe (or one that's passed the test of time). Having outlets for ourselves & creativity is important to the soul. I'm an honest person (seriously, was told too honest sometimes when I was growing up). Guess I call it like I see & that doesn't always float well. Hoping to create an outlet; somewhere to express opinions, thoughts or ideas. Talk about a good (or bad) book or movie or recipe. (Trust me, if you've read a book or seen a movie or tasted/made a dish that you've got some thoughts on, I want to hear it!)

Expressions. Thoughts. Opinions. All of those 'other' pieces of us that sometimes get forgotten, but that doesn't make them any less important <3 What's it matter anyhow? It matters. It just does.