“PANDEMIC RELIEF”…. READY OR NOT …
DEAR FRIENDS .. ( going by that old adage .. “Friends are just strangers we have not met yet ..)
(I AM OPEN FOR BUSINESS.. Y’all)
Monday .. May 24.. 2021…sitting in MY Starbucks.. outside LINCOLN CENTER..
where I “work”… (actually cleaning the stages.. as no indoor performances are slated until September .. but I do like the smell of brass cleaner and Lysol..)
WHO MADE IT? ( raise your hands high)
I did .. for the most part .. “sanity” somewhat in tact…
I tried it ALL during the last year.. I was a STOCIC, a BUDDHIST..
I even attended virtual ZOOM A.A.. ( I decided life lived by the 12 steps..must be the path to CLARITY.. and PURPOSE)
I spent weeks playing own version of SURVIVOR on a random beach..absorbing way too many hours of sunshine until I was barely recognizable…( Searching for the MEANING OF LIFE among the TRUMPED out Suffolk Crowd.. passive aggressively playing the Soundtrack to the DNC on my WONDERBOOM and staring at them.. ( they had no idea what I was doing.. Nor did they care)
I moved from EAST TO WEST.. (same neighborhood… but this is NYC.. we pick a home base.. we stick to it) Riverside Drive…I wanted to live like MADGE MAISEL..
Big closets and retro charm…
YES… And NO..
“MADGE” is still there.. She is WIDOWED, DIVORCED.. kids live in California..
She has osteoporosis… she can’t work “retail” at the Make up counter and she
Can’t do “stand up”Because her life just isn’t funny now.. she’s angry and depressed and shops at Citerrella .. ( zabars for specific cheeses)
She spends her time in her apartment trying to “Zoom”… And walking on the upper level of Riverside Park.. where nothing has changed.. BUT HER..
This is the common life path of the UWS “VIRGINIA SLIMS” woman.. She forgot to go “A LONG, LONG WAY”…
Anyway.. In November.. My neighbor burned the third floor down…
I live on that floor.. And my dresses and heels have yet to see the light of day..
GOOD BYE… MADGE…
HELLO “SCARLETT”.. ( as I dusted the smoke charred plaster off me )
“TOMORROW IS ANOTHER DAY..
“AS GOD IS MY WITNESS..I WILL NEVER GO “HUNGRY” AGAIN..”
YES… I AM HUNGRY… WE ALL ARE…
With HUNGER comes either DESPERATION or INSPIRATION..
( Ladies.. PICK A TEAM HERE..)
I… FOR ONE.. TRULY WANT IT ALL…
So.. To that effect… I have outlined what ALL is…
READY?
- HEALTH
- INCOME
- RELATIONSHIPS
- LEARNING.
That’s it… because “ IF YOU HAVE MORE THAN 3 PRIORITIES
YOU HAVE TOO MANY… …
HEALTH…. DO SOMETHING…
(Fauci credits this with his pandemic “sanity”… at 80 years old..
He guided the country and pretty much .. world through this fucked up mess..)
DO IT … ( Nike says).
Do what?
Anything you want… JUST MOVE..
THE BODY IS DESIGNED FOR MOVEMENT… ( that’s why STIFF is a real problem ..JOINT HEALTH.. Y’all )
I dance .. I hoop.. I roller skate.. I took up beginning jujitsu ..
( fascinating in how the body is nothing but a series of levers and pulleys ..
The trick is to outthink .. not muscle someone into submission)
I MOVE .. I practice FORM AND FUNCTION..
I squat … because it strengthens my mobility .. agility and gives me the glutes of a much “younger” woman ..
I do not want “FLAT” butt.. I want “POWER” BUTT..
POWER BUTT gets it done ..
GET IT DONE .. FITNESS KNOWS NO AGE.. ( quote me on that ..)
STRONG PEOPLE STRUGGLE ..
( so drop the “ I AM FINE”….and TELL YOUR TALE..)
If Your people don’t listen .. FIND new people .. PERIOD ..
Anthony Bourdain ( this one still hurts ..) had ONE rule ..
“DO NOT HANG OUT WITH ASSHOLES”
Assholes are not necessary .. they make our minds hurt ..
HEALTH..
“GO WHEN YOU CAN.. CRY WHEN YOU HAVE TO .. FEEL YOU MUST..
ITS A PART OF THE PLAN…”. R.I.P. DAN FOGELBERG.
WEAR YOUR HEART ON YOUR SLEEVE.. TO HELL WITH THE “POKER FACE”..
SAY IT .. ( NIKE QUOTE .. PART 2)
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — -
INCOME
A FEW WORDS HERE for those struggling … ( I am in this category ..)
Simon SINEK calls it the “Friendship” test
Ask those in your circle … ( not family… they have no choice .. usually)
“WHY ARE WE “FRIENDS”…
Now..many will “hmmm and haw”…,
“I don’t know..”..not an answer ..PRESS ON..
“You handle “shit”… you are complex without complicating things ..
And you lighten things up .. “
( I do get “ you can be ridiculously “funny”..)
TAADAA…once I get out of my own head …I am a teacher, an educator and a manager ..
I want people to DO BETTER.. ( mostly so I do not have to handle their “shit”..
But whatever my motivation .. )
Now that I have all this “life experience”…I can find opportunities in my unique lane .. and I do ..
BECAUSE I DESERVE TO BE ….HAPPY..
YES… I DO…
I sat across from my two lovely adult daughters last Monday …… two women who don’t need me to do anything but LISTEN..
( so proud I could CRY .. tears of JOY .. )
I WANT THEM TO BE HAPPY..
They talked about their plans.. their relationships .. their dogs ..
( which double as my “grandchildren.. and probably will..forever ..)
THEY SEEM “HAPPY”…
HOW ABOUT ME? Did I ever show them how to be “HAPPY”?
Did we dance, did we celebrate moments or just get through them ..
( ANSWER.. their father died .. I was more concerned about them
Surviving emotionally than being “HAPPY”.. it was a complicated time ..)
NO.. I DID NOT ..
I have had a series of relationships ..emotionally unavailable .. long suffering
Workaholics .. who admire my ability to LIGHTEN up their stressful lives ..
I actually have. more FUN on my own ..
That’s not HAPPY..
RELATIONSHIPS .. YEP.. have to work on that one ..
Because … I am a damn good person to have a relationship with ..
And although .. I get verbal “feelies” .. and birthday messages .. and a constant
“Let’s make plans”…
I want “HAPPILY EVER AFTER”..
I never got that .. I want it ..
Let’s leave it here.. pick it up. .. next “post”..
For now.. FOR TODAY
DO IT. ( start moving) SAY IT. ( express yourself.. No one cares enough to read your mind).. And ask “WHY ARE WE “FRIENDS”… “
THAT IS YOUR LIFE “WHY”…
Tattoo that one on your prefrontal cortex.. We need that..
Going into the POST PANDEMIC “UNIVERSE”…
MORE TOMORROW,
“MAY YOU FIND FRIENDS, LOVERS.. AND MORE..”