Wednesday Links—The “I Promise I’ll Start Publishing Real Posts Again” Edition

Really, I will. I don’t know what’s wrong with me—I have a million things I want to write about but I just can’t focus. Every time I log into the dashboard here I open a new post, stare at the mocking flashing cursor, close the window and check my dwindling stats. I’m nearing the end of my insanely busy season at work and I’m fried. Even though we were busier this year than last, my schedule was a little better, but the daily stress levels of working in entertainment marketing takes its toll. A few nights of good rest and some yoga should do the trick. I should start getting both of those next week.

But even though I haven’t been writing much, I have been doing a lot of reading.

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Today I read this article “Career Change: Should I stay Or Should I Go?” which sums up how I’ve been feeling lately.

I’m always dragging myself out of bed. It doesn’t matter how exciting a day I have to look forward to, I don’t wake up easily. I never have. Since I was child, I’ve moved slowly and painfully when an alarm goes off. So when the reasons became more to do with my job than just who I was, it was pretty easy to look past them.

… Until the signs started to pile up. Being happy you need a root canal because that means you won’t have to be in the office until 11, for example. Stopping inside of every church or temple you can find to pray that you will be included in the next round of layoffs. Hyperventilating, feeling dizziness and/or nausea within three blocks of the office. Biting the inside of your cheek until it bleeds to stop yourself from screaming because you have to listen to the same people say the same things at the same meeting they have for years while nothing changes. Forgetting what a good day at work actually feels like.

It’s not that I hate my job, because I don’t. But considering I was looking forward to having surgery last month so I could get a break, it’s probably time to figure things out…

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On a related note, I’ve been having a lot of discussions lately about doing something more meaningful or, more accurately, doing something that gives me joy. This article about job satisfaction was interesting because it seems that even though women are paid less and have less flexible hours than men, they still find more meaning in their jobs.

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It’s probably no surprise that one of my favorite writers writes about dogs (was the list of books in my Amazon widget the giveaway?). But what I love about Jon Katz is how he not only writes about the bond between humans and dogs but he also posts regularly on his blog about his life and his search for spirituality. I read this post,” Messages From the Ether. Goodbye to “Amen Charlies” yesterday and it resonated with me because he writes about not seeking support and affirmation from the outside, something I continually struggle with. I’ve come to some realizations recently about some of the choices I’ve made in my life. For too long I craved affirmation and approval from the wrong people and didn’t put enough faith and trust in myself. The final paragraph is a gut check:

Being alone with myself was a seminal step in making decisions in the new world and remembering always that these are my decisions, and I have to stand or fall with them.  Every decision, I remind myself that this is what I need to do to be a whole human being.

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 Hopefully, I’ll get through this Meh thing I’ve got going on soon because I need to start writing again.

 

 

 

Wednesday Links—The “I Have Writer’s Block” Edition

I should title this post “Stumped” because I have been struggling for things to write about.

I take that back. There’s a lot to write about. In fact, there’s so much happening, so many things in transition, that I haven’t been able to wrap my head around all of it. Some of it isn’t my stuff to share and the things that are mine to tell, I just don’t know how—or if now is even the right time.

I know—I’m an asshole with the vague posts. I’m sorry.

But even though I haven’t been writing much lately, I’ve been reading like a fiend. Here are a few things that got my attention this week:

• I’m mildly obsessed with The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, which is why I’m fascinated with this article about Taylor Armstrong and her husband.

Russell Armstrong’s suicide made this season of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills incredibly controversial—but it’s been fascinating and important TV, writes Kate Aurthur.

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Here’s a staggering statistic: “Since 2002, the United States has lost roughly 500 independent bookstores — nearly one out of five. About 650 bookstores vanished when Borders went out of business last year.” This is a great article from The New York Times on how Barnes & Noble plans to fight Amazon to stay relevant and in business.

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This article from Mashable just confirms my belief that Pinterest is visual crack.

(PS: You can follow me on Pinterest here.)

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This article is a few years old, but I think it still resonates, especially because I’m pretty sure my dogs have more on their schedules than I do.

 

How Many Years?

Last week I was invited to join a Facebook group for my 25th high school reunion.

Let’s just address the number 25 for a second, shall we?

How the hell is is possible that I graduated from high school in 1987?

In 1987 Ronald Regan was President. The Simpsons was just a short on the Tracey Ulman Show. Michael Jackson released Bad and I’m pretty sure Lethal Weapon was my favorite movie.

That was a long-ass time ago.

I was the kid in high school who had friends in every group, but I wasn’t a part of any one group. I drifted, I suppose. I didn’t have a lot of friends, but the ones I did have were awesome. I had the occasional boyfriend, but I rarely dated anyone who went to my high school mostly because the boys I went to school with didn’t seem to pay attention to me. I wasn’t popular and I wasn’t unpopular. I didn’t sit home every weekend—I went to parties and football games and dances, but I was never part of the groups organizing them. I didn’t participate in sports, and I wasn’t involved in clubs or the band. My after-school activities consisted of going home and reading and doing homework or, when I turned 16, working.

I was painfully shy and ridiculously insecure, which made me a target for getting picked on. I tried really hard not to stand out because of that. I went to Catholic high school and I loved having to wear a uniform because it allowed me to blend seamlessly into the masses.

High school wasn’t a horrible experience for me, but it wasn’t exactly the time of my life, which is fine because now I don’t have to live my life knowing my best years are behind me. I spent the better part of those four years just trying to survive.

Looking back, I’m sure I could have made more of my experience. And the reality probably is that I wasn’t as invisible as I felt. In the past couple of years, I’ve had classmates reach out through Facebook and for the most part I’ve been thrilled to reconnect. Part of me is surprised that people remember me

Oddly, we had a five-year reunion and even more odd, I actually went. I couldn’t get anyone to go with me so, uncharacteristically for me, I went alone. I don’t remember a lot about it honestly, except that it was on one of those Hornblower yachts that cruised around the San Francisco Bay.

I had an okay time, but five years was too soon. There were a couple guys there who I had huge crushes on throughout school. They were the stereotypical Big Man on Campus dudes that all the girls wanted to date. They were athletic, popular and for a girl like me, totally unattainable. Separately, they came up to me and introduced themselves, unsure of who I was but wanting to know. When I told them, they both vaguely remembered my name but couldn’t exactly remember me. I wasn’t necessarily surprised because in the five years since graduation I had lost the braces, finally ditched the permed hair and got rid of the baby fat that plagued me through high school.

They chatted me up in a flirty way and I was briefly flattered but then I got annoyed. I was transported right back to high school and once again being judged on something external and superficial. I was probably more annoyed by the fact that I actually cared what these guys thought of me even though five years had passed and I no longer physically (or emotionally) resembled that girl.

I left the reunion swearing I would never go to another one again.

But that was 20 years ago. I’ve grown up and moved on. There’s a part of me who’s excited to see some of the people I’ve reconnected with on Facebook. There’s also a part of me who has no interest in looking back.

So I pose the question to you all? Reunion or not? Would you go? Have you gone to yours?

My yearbook photo, senior year

 

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