tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65947893534349978012024-03-13T11:56:47.408-04:00CourtneyConover.comMom. NFL wife. Certified yoga teacher (RYT-200). Writer.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger81125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6594789353434997801.post-55662582161681529662023-11-10T08:07:00.000-05:002023-11-10T08:07:09.805-05:0011 Hip Phrases You May Want to Know<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkmv13YVPRz8yQPwf2JOH4VKTfdvAA4TB0TJnUXqGm6ZiGpJcF061yBRKzZ3h_Sy65uX9Ckux-LmK1q-TzUJOGdoVpN2c2o-LqjVQFKk4qJAQmFaZ08Pww3yGh6ZDStNIvz6maqL3jKFtSa43LFJjg6lfD581oQ0dESDiPIbBNLUIOOuRKzFo2cuVxm67U/s2880/pexels-cup-of-couple-6633071.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="1920" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkmv13YVPRz8yQPwf2JOH4VKTfdvAA4TB0TJnUXqGm6ZiGpJcF061yBRKzZ3h_Sy65uX9Ckux-LmK1q-TzUJOGdoVpN2c2o-LqjVQFKk4qJAQmFaZ08Pww3yGh6ZDStNIvz6maqL3jKFtSa43LFJjg6lfD581oQ0dESDiPIbBNLUIOOuRKzFo2cuVxm67U/w426-h640/pexels-cup-of-couple-6633071.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #7f6000;">Image: Pexels/Cup of Couple<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It’s almost Thanksgiving, so you know what that means.</span></span><div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">There’s the prospect of nearly three different generations gathering around the table to cut the turkey, feast on trimmings, and catch up on life.</span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">And that means lots can get lost in translation.</span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">But if you’re like me, that moment has already arrived.</span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">Back in the spring, my 10-year-old daughter tried teaching me the choreography of a new mini dance routine that had just started making the rounds on YouTube Shorts. And, apparently, whatever I was doing with my arms was all wrong.</span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">“That’s cringe, Mom,” she said in a judgy tone. </span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">Cringe?</span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">I didn’t quite get what she was saying, but I knew it wasn’t good. “Excuse me?” I said genuinely, perplexed.</span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">“Cringe,” she emphasized. “Like, it’s embarrassing.</span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">Okay. Duly noted, I thought. So cringe—a verb—is now an adjective? Got it.</span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">Don’t let this happen to you.</span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">As we age, it can be hard enough to keep up with the latest slang as it is. Add to the mix social media and the lightning pace with which technology progresses and new words and phrases can arrive on the scene so fast, it makes our head spin.</span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">Here are a few to make note of:</span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><b>1. Glow up</b></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">This means a makeover or transformation from bad to good, as in, “I feel like I really glowed up this year because I started a great new job.”</span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><b>2. Stan</b></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">Rumor has it, we have rapper Eminem to thank for this one: In 2000, he released The Marshall Mathers LP, on which his track, "Stan," told a tale about an extreme fan named Stan. But in terms of slang, stan is a combination of "stalker" and "fan." If you stan someone, it means you're obsessed but not in a creepy way, as in, "You paid that much for concert tickets? You're totally stanning Taylor Swift." </span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><b>3. Salty</b></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">It means annoyed by, upset by, or resentful of something that has been done or said, as in, “Of course I'm salty—you made fun of me in front of all our friends!”</span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><b>4. Bougee</b></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">A shortened form of "bourgeois," this term refers to the display of ostentatious or sophisticated behavior, typically associated with a perceived middle or upper-class lifestyle. People often use it to describe someone pretentious, materialistic, or striving to portray an image of social superiority. “He’s so bougie, he’ll only order filet mignon!”</span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><b>5. Ghostlighting</b></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">Ghostlighting is a hybrid of two concepts, gaslighting and ghosting. It references the act of someone ghosting you—which means, ceasing all communication with you—and then coming back into your life and pretending that they never ghosted you and not giving an explanation. “I can’t believe he thinks everything can go back to normal after ghostlighting me!”</span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><b>6. Snatched</b></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">Similar to glow up, this term is more focused on one’s physical appearance. If someone is looking snatched, they look really good, as in, “Hey, gorgeous, your makeup looks snatched!”</span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><b>7. Cap</b></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">An older but still relevant term, cap means to lie, as in, “Quit capping and just tell us the truth!” However, if you say "no cap" it means you are being authentic or truthful.</span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><b>8. Sip tea</b></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">Sip tea is an alternative to "spilling the tea," meaning you're sitting back and listening to gossip rather than partaking in it. Example: “I’m right here sippin’ tea. Please, continue with your story.”</span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><b>9. Trill</b></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">"Trill" is an amalgamation of the words "true" and "real" and is most often used in the hip-hop community to describe a person who is widely respected, honest, and successful. As country-pop artist Kane Brown sings in his hit, “Grand”: “I always keep it trilly with the fans.”</span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><b>10. Whole</b></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">This word is as it sounds, but it describes something that usually wouldn't be characterized as whole, because it's common sense to know that it is. For example: A whole person, a whole baby, a whole dog, etc. For example, “I peeked inside the carriage, and there was a whole baby staring back at me.</span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><b>11. Fire</b></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">Something that is really good—amazingly, crazily (in a good way). As in, “Did you see that documentary? It’s fire.”</span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">And guess what?</span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">It’s likely that once you get these definitions down pat, they’ll be outdated. And it’ll be time to learn new ones.</span></div></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">© Copyright Courtney Conover, 2023</span><div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.thewaynedispatch.com/?s=Courtney+Conover"><img height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEheiPKqF-uR9ktb7uGkbtIx3BDgWSdPZbuWR6Za5Y8EgMgNhBLN9TYpgyExR5ODPLcqy7aS-dMmCNV6Es-3_llatcPeHuNRmZ_0zzg3AIRQwST2vgCw-HYYMfYpPMR--amqvu-iw5vf97pLrvzxflUk-AySnAiTHwRQ57uECOpIaEGn4tiBsUblLNaXNg=w400-h278" /></a><br />
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</div> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6594789353434997801.post-30922570401117188382023-07-11T15:12:00.002-04:002023-07-11T15:16:03.938-04:005 Eyesores Houseguests Notice First<div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilfJVCzphX-y0jGDLPdrWQBHwBGJX8UtQoFqPbuEcggMXbd14aElb_pjoPqkPmn4693lxCSqJ2hB3oRAenOI5ChAVl6gJRoi1FL9MMC7syyuEjH4wnb-XZG2d-Rt6qWQzSmxhDf8RdyQVPxoXyd-tJJjBIzRygScoSEzv8Qy0SI8sjSGnYsN841DKPrx0L/s1920/pexels-ketut-subiyanto-4545965.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1264" data-original-width="1920" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilfJVCzphX-y0jGDLPdrWQBHwBGJX8UtQoFqPbuEcggMXbd14aElb_pjoPqkPmn4693lxCSqJ2hB3oRAenOI5ChAVl6gJRoi1FL9MMC7syyuEjH4wnb-XZG2d-Rt6qWQzSmxhDf8RdyQVPxoXyd-tJJjBIzRygScoSEzv8Qy0SI8sjSGnYsN841DKPrx0L/w640-h422/pexels-ketut-subiyanto-4545965.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather;">Image: Pexels/Ketut Subiyanto</span><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 26pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Did you know that out of all the months of the year, July ranks third in popularity? </span></p><p style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;"><br /></span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;">According to Ranker, a website that polls millions on everything from film to sports to food, July even topped December, which clocked in at fourth; May secured the top spot, while June came in second.</span></span></p><p style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;"><br /></span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;">Regardless of where you stand in this debate, we can’t deny that July is pretty swell. (Yes, it can also be sweltering.) But high heat aside, this month does carry an array of undeniable perks: For starters, there’s the 4th of July holiday, the three Bs (boats, beaches, and BBQ), and the joy of a warm July night is simply unparalleled.</span></span></p><p style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;"><br /></span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;">And all the above usually leads to one thing:</span></span></p><p style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;"><br /></span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;">The guests are coming. I repeat: THE GUESTS ARE COMING!</span></span></p><p style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;"><br /></span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;">Whether your abode boasts a backyard oasis, a plain ‘ol porch, or a DIY fire pit, chances are probably fair that you’ll play host at some point this month. And even if your get-together is outdoors, guests will still be traipsing through your home to use your bathroom or fetch more ice for the cooler.</span></span></p><p style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;"><br /></span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;">That means, unless mitigated, your home’s messes and clutter will be on full display. According to professional organizer Meredith Goforth and Imane Fiocchi, founder of Neon Lace, a textile and dye studio that specializes in table linens and kitchen accessories, here’s what tends to be most noticeable:</span></span></p><p style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;"><br /></span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;"><b>Small Piles of Mess<br /></b></span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;">If they’re small, they can’t possibly be a big deal…right? Not so, says Goforth. And that’s because these small piles have become common blind spots to us, but they stick out to guests immediately. “We become accustomed to clutter in certain areas of the home,” Goforth says. “Piles of shoes by the door, stacks of mail on the counter, or pet hair that always lingers on the couch.” These are the kinds of things that stick out to fresh eyes.</span></span></p><p style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;"><br /></span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;"><b>Not-So-Clean Bathrooms<br /></b></span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;">There’s one room in the house that requires a more thorough cleaning, Goforth says, because guests will absolutely notice a dirty bathroom. “To go the extra mile, I also like to organize the bathroom cabinets with anything a guest may go looking for—like pain reliever, mouthwash, or feminine hygiene products,” Goforth says.</span></span></p><p style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;"><br /></span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;"><b>Overlooked Entryways<br /></b></span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;">Think about it: A large portion of how a visitor views your home is predicated on what they see as soon as they walk in. Says Goforth, “The front entryway is your home’s first impression—and you shouldn't forget to keep it tidy and fresh.” To spruce things up, she recommends adding seasonal décor and a clean doormat and removing any kids’ toys or dead plants. Fiocchi agrees. “There are two major culprits that often affect your entryway: shoes and packages,” she warns.</span></span></p><p style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;"><br /></span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;"><b>Overstuffed Closets<br /></b></span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;">This area can be difficult to camouflage—especially during colder months when hanging up guests’ jackets and coats are a necessity. But even in the summer—when you may not even open a closet, guests will surely notice a closet’s inability to close properly because of the hoodie, softball bat, stray boot—you name it—that’s this close to tumbling out.</span></span></p><p style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;"><br /></span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;"><b>Kitchen Catastrophes<br /></b></span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;">Goforth acknowledges that keeping your kitchen tidy can be tricky because, she says, “if you’re serving any food, it’s impractical to expect a sparkling kitchen.” Therefore, some signs of food and drink preparation are unavoidable—and entirely acceptable. However, that’s no excuse to make a massive mess, either. Goforth’s advice? Think: clean surfaces and clear clutter.</span></span></p><p style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;"><br /></span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;"><b>Closing Thoughts<br /></b></span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;">When all else fails, the duo offers these nuggets of conciliatory advice: “If you don’t have any overnight guests, bedroom doors can stay closed,” Goforth says. She also notes that playrooms are allowed to be reasonably messy—especially if it’s a kid-free event. Fiocchi adds that even pet toys are granted some leeway. Finally, there’s this: “No one really cares about the garage,” Fiocchi argues. “So, when all else fails, just store all the mess in there.” </span></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="color: #783f04; font-size: medium;">© Copyright Courtney Conover, 2023</span><div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.thewaynedispatch.com/?s=Courtney+Conover"><img height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEheiPKqF-uR9ktb7uGkbtIx3BDgWSdPZbuWR6Za5Y8EgMgNhBLN9TYpgyExR5ODPLcqy7aS-dMmCNV6Es-3_llatcPeHuNRmZ_0zzg3AIRQwST2vgCw-HYYMfYpPMR--amqvu-iw5vf97pLrvzxflUk-AySnAiTHwRQ57uECOpIaEGn4tiBsUblLNaXNg=w400-h278" /></a><br />
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</div> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6594789353434997801.post-18131297236133388472023-06-01T12:16:00.001-04:002023-06-01T12:16:21.484-04:00Who was the world’s oldest verified human?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguyk28BENcpo5z7TWkRrWDrJw0xxp5258qFT3ic35JbDQ5Dt-lp3LamYRHrjDBjKMSjZQIK-sUd4ROkXr7iXt8MtJadABRbTfK4hJvtlGKha_an-0MPdfAUQk5yUYrvucRzLQ-YtY3ZZQxYap63Q5KZZ5SinNoeHcn2RnzfFpzQOxCJkeQRDF7EVnxEA/s1920/pexels-shvets-production-7544692.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguyk28BENcpo5z7TWkRrWDrJw0xxp5258qFT3ic35JbDQ5Dt-lp3LamYRHrjDBjKMSjZQIK-sUd4ROkXr7iXt8MtJadABRbTfK4hJvtlGKha_an-0MPdfAUQk5yUYrvucRzLQ-YtY3ZZQxYap63Q5KZZ5SinNoeHcn2RnzfFpzQOxCJkeQRDF7EVnxEA/w640-h426/pexels-shvets-production-7544692.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather;">Image: Pexels/Shvets Production</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather;">“I only have one wrinkle,” Jeanne Calment of
Arles, France, once said. “And I’m sitting on it.”</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather;">As you might surmise—just from that quote alone,
Calment wasn’t the kind of woman who bit her tongue.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather;">But, then again, when you’ve lived to see the
age of 122 like Calment did, I think you’ve earned the right to be a bit
cheeky.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather;">Most would agree that a good sense of humor
contributes to one’s overall quality of life. And prior to her historic passing
in 1997, Calment essentially proved at least that much to be true: She didn’t
take anything too seriously—including herself.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather;">Here’s another Calment zinger: According to <i>The
Irish Times</i>, when the crowd gathered at Calment’s nursing home to celebrate
her 120th birthday back in 1995, Calment, who outlived both her daughter and
grandson, revealed that she was awaiting “death and journalists.”</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather;">I read an article on Calment’s life weeks ago,
and it got me thinking about the keys to contentment and longevity, which, to
be fair, I tend to do this time of year anyway.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather;">While the anticipated newness of January often
prompts many to ponder and reevaluate their lives, I’ve come to feel similarly
about the month of June. Some might find this odd because June is the year’s
half-way point. But, when you think about it, this month often has all the
makings of a <i>This Is Your Life </i>episode, as many of life’s biggest
milestones traditionally occur within these 30 days. From graduations,
weddings, anniversaries, and more, the incentive for celebrations (and new
beginnings) abounds.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather;">But back to the topic at hand, which is how to
live long.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather;">Turns out, prior to her death, Calment sat down
with Jean-Marie Robine, an expert demographer who studies the links between
health and longevity. And Robine narrowed down three fundamental reasons why he
believed Calment lived as long as she did.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">1. Wealth</span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather;">It’s no surprise that having a little extra coin
can make life easier, and this is a notion that Calment benefitted from having
grown up in a bourgeois family in the south of France. For starters, Calment
attended school until the age of 16, which was uncommon for women during that time.
She also took private classes in cuisine, art, and dance until she married at
age 20.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">2. Not smoking—until much later in life </span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather;">Times have changed tremendously since Calment
was a young woman. Robine stresses that we must consider what life was like at
the end of the nineteenth century in a tiny town in the South of France. Case
in point: Women weren’t allowed to smoke—until they married.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather;">Robine says, “It was absolutely forbidden—and impossible—for
a girl, and specifically in a bourgeois family, to do that.”</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather;">So, when Calment’s husband offered her a
cigarette, she jumped at the chance to indulge in something that had long been
considered risqué.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather;">Enter irony: When Calment smoked for the first
time, she didn’t like it and ended up quitting…until she turned 112 when she
resumed the habit while living in a nursing home.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">3. A full dance card</span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather;">And just to clarify for younger <i>Dispatch</i> readers
of this publication, having a full dance card means that your social life is out
of this world. Robine learned that, due to Calment’s immense freedom, she spent
most of her time attending social events and meeting new people. She traveled
often with her husband and even (<i>gasp!</i>) saw the construction of Paris’s
Eiffel Tower. Said Robine, “She was discovering this fascinating world at the
turn of the nineteenth and twentieth century.”</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather;"><i><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Ahhh</span></i><span style="font-size: 14pt;">, to be young, rich, footloose, and fancy free. Sounds delightful,
doesn’t it?</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather;">Many of us, unfortunately, simply can’t relate
to such good fortune and are more accustomed to stomaching the grind of a 9-to-5,
enduring the perils of childrearing, and having to soldier through a garden
variety of life’s annoyances.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather;">And if you fit in the latter category, there’s
still hope: As a disclaimer, Robine assures, “We have to keep in mind that a
big part of the longevity of Jeanne Calment is due to chance because it’s just
so exceptional.”</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather;">© Copyright Courtney Conover, 2023</span><div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.thewaynedispatch.com/?s=Courtney+Conover"><img height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEheiPKqF-uR9ktb7uGkbtIx3BDgWSdPZbuWR6Za5Y8EgMgNhBLN9TYpgyExR5ODPLcqy7aS-dMmCNV6Es-3_llatcPeHuNRmZ_0zzg3AIRQwST2vgCw-HYYMfYpPMR--amqvu-iw5vf97pLrvzxflUk-AySnAiTHwRQ57uECOpIaEGn4tiBsUblLNaXNg=w400-h278" /></a><br />
<br />
</div> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6594789353434997801.post-9029560900965231412023-05-04T13:11:00.002-04:002023-05-04T13:13:46.546-04:005 Natural Ways to Sweeten Coffee<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOeoazPI57Mgs_QIGmhP5ufimdmutftlSFaDXjr1lAI19ApLfKyAIHed2O93ZWW24R-6vxA5IiInRGpWkkDfuGnwy-ScEabeAyW3oTMy6-nSCN4nv_S_E2vLIEHUoEfN36nC-G5PNyBviLk39WzWreJM2A4_r63hwIf7Ba5ytXvwYu99ZjqMRljtwrGw/s1920/pexels-mareefe-678412.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOeoazPI57Mgs_QIGmhP5ufimdmutftlSFaDXjr1lAI19ApLfKyAIHed2O93ZWW24R-6vxA5IiInRGpWkkDfuGnwy-ScEabeAyW3oTMy6-nSCN4nv_S_E2vLIEHUoEfN36nC-G5PNyBviLk39WzWreJM2A4_r63hwIf7Ba5ytXvwYu99ZjqMRljtwrGw/w640-h426/pexels-mareefe-678412.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #7f6000;">Image: Pexels/Mareefe</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Has your household’s cache of leftover Easter
candy been depleted yet?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Back when my kids were really little, I used one
of my favorite treats as “filler” for their Easter baskets—much to my kids’
dismay: <i>“Oh, darn! That’s right! You despise Hershey’s Special Dark! Sorry,
I keep forgetting!”</i> was my tired refrain when they would root through their
baskets for the jellybeans, gummy candy, and Peeps—you know, the good stuff—and
then scrunch their noses at what remained.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">It didn’t take long for my kids to catch on: The
chocolate was for <i>me</i> not them. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #7f6000;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">My kids are older now, and my signature move is
no longer effective. But I’ll tell you one thing that hasn’t changed: I still
love sugar. And I am especially fond of adding it to my morning coffee. Maybe
you do, too.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">But here’s the thing: Not all sugar is created
equal. There’s a difference between natural sugars and added sugars. Have you
ever wondered why you crave sugar but then feel terrible after eating, for
instance, a cookie? California-based Center for Healthy Eating and Activity
Research (CHEAR), which provides evidence-based treatments for individuals who
struggle with their weight and eating habits, explained why in one of their
recent blogs:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">“Foods containing natural sugars [i.e., apples,
bananas, Greek yogurt, and sweet potatoes] offer nutrients that keep your body
healthy, provide fast yet stable energy, and keep your metabolism stable. Added
sugars, on the other hand, are harmful in large quantities. Added sugars are
typically processed quickly, either immediately used for energy or sent
directly to the liver for fat storage. Your blood glucose level drops quickly
after eating added sugars, known as a sugar crash, and that leaves you hungry,
irritable, and usually craving another pickup. When this happens, you may not
be able to make smart choices about what and how much to eat which could
contribute to weight gain.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">And so, with that in mind, the following are a
few ways of sweetening your coffee—without adding tons of artificial sugar.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><b>Stevia</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #7f6000;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">You’ve likely heard of this option before. A
popular coffee sweetener, Stevia is a natural sweetener derived from the stevia
plant. It’s actually 200-300 times sweeter than table sugar, you only need a
pinch or two to sweeten up your cup of Joe. Pro tip: When purchasing Stevia,
search for a minimally processed variety made with 100% pure stevia extract,
which will ensure that your sweetener is free from artificial ingredients and
preservatives. </span></span></p><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #7f6000;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><b>Organic Coconut Sugar</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">This one is my personal favorite. Adding coconut
sugar to your coffee is a delicious and natural way to sweeten your coffee. Not
only will coconut sugar sweeten your coffee, it will also add a unique flavor
that you can’t get elsewhere.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><b style="color: #7f6000;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><b style="color: #7f6000;">Dates</b><span style="color: #7f6000;"> </span></span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Dates…in coffee? Yup. Dates are one of the best
natural sweeteners. Who knew? Date paste is a great way to boost your coffee’s
flavor while simultaneously satisfying your sweet tooth. Additionally, dates
are jam-packed with nutritional benefits: They’re high in antioxidants, fiber,
and trace vitamins and minerals. Use the following recipe to make date paste:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">* Cover 2 cups of pitted dates with water and
allow to soak for an hour.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">* Once thoroughly soaked, drain the dates and
reserve the soaking liquid.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">* Using a blender, blend the dates and slowly
add some of the soaking liquid until you have a smooth paste.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">* Stir this homemade paste into your daily
coffee or use as a jam.</span></p><div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><b>Dark Chocolate</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Oh, goodness. Be still, my beating heart. If
you're a fan of mochas, then this one is truly for you. To sweeten your morning
coffee, take a square of dark chocolate and add it to your steaming coffee cup.
Doing so will allow the chocolate to melt into your beverage and blend a rich
taste through your drink. Plus, the texture of dark chocolate will add a
creaminess to your coffee that's—chef’s kiss—out of this world. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><b>Cinnamon</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #7f6000;">Use cinnamon in its powdered form or as a dried
stick—it's a spice that can be used to sweeten just about anything. It’s often
used as a natural replacement for table sugar or brown sugar, and it’s loaded
with health benefits. One of cinnamon's greatest qualities is its beneficial
impact on blood sugar levels. Furthermore, cinnamon's anti-inflammatory
properties may ward off headaches and other health issues caused by
inflammation. Caution, though: When it comes to adding cinnamon to your coffee,
a little goes a long way. </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /><br /></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;">© Copyright Courtney Conover, 2023</span></span></div><p></p><div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.thewaynedispatch.com/?s=Courtney+Conover"><img height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEheiPKqF-uR9ktb7uGkbtIx3BDgWSdPZbuWR6Za5Y8EgMgNhBLN9TYpgyExR5ODPLcqy7aS-dMmCNV6Es-3_llatcPeHuNRmZ_0zzg3AIRQwST2vgCw-HYYMfYpPMR--amqvu-iw5vf97pLrvzxflUk-AySnAiTHwRQ57uECOpIaEGn4tiBsUblLNaXNg=w400-h278" /></a><br />
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</div> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6594789353434997801.post-12012699628897167752023-04-03T11:37:00.001-04:002023-05-04T13:12:06.317-04:00Dish soap or miracle worker? <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC82AgUxQbf-OYPUlZruU7Eb-MaBp07K3HDzYHy-ir_WIlCTt9yEizG5HZbth77GOx2Fa-vpr9KhTbx6Y_udRZtxSty0WLTIEl2ToM66fbaLKqNkZQc7QaeE8nbDbDlyu8Gl8lVeK_If2GFm9THh3gIFHi49K_uSRlEZBNbnbvYpsXQGBW8gO20UwZWg/s1200/Dawn_CNN.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC82AgUxQbf-OYPUlZruU7Eb-MaBp07K3HDzYHy-ir_WIlCTt9yEizG5HZbth77GOx2Fa-vpr9KhTbx6Y_udRZtxSty0WLTIEl2ToM66fbaLKqNkZQc7QaeE8nbDbDlyu8Gl8lVeK_If2GFm9THh3gIFHi49K_uSRlEZBNbnbvYpsXQGBW8gO20UwZWg/w640-h360/Dawn_CNN.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;">Photo Credit: CNN</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Jell-O. Kleenex. Onesies.<br /></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <br /></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Popsicle. </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Q-Tips. Sharpie.<br /></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <br /></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">We might not realize it, but we use proprietary
eponyms—when a brand name becomes synonymous with a particular item—all the
time. It doesn’t seem to happen so much anymore—then again, we hear <i>Just
google it</i> a lot these days.<br /> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> <br /></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Grocery store shelves, however, are full of
products that have attained the kind of cult-like status that makes marketing
executives weak in the knees.<br /></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> <br /></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Which brings us to a famously blue product
launched in 1973 called Dawn. Maybe you’ve heard of it. The dish soap has
launched a thousand lists for an endless array of uses.<br /> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> <br /></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Think I’m overreacting? Just google it.<br /></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <br /></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">This column was not sponsored by Procter &
Gamble, Dawn’s parent company; I promise. This column was, however, inspired by
the whopping variety of ways consumers claim that Dawn has saved the day—some
of which I’m not sure I believe. You be the judge. All I know is, spring is on
the horizon and the act of deep cleaning may find its way on many of our to-do
lists.<br /></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <br /></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Aside from its most popular job of dishwashing,
Dawn has also been highly touted for its grease-removal capabilities: Remember
how Dawn cleaned up the cute little ducks who fell victim to the Exxon Valdez
and Deepwater Horizon oil spills many years ago?<br /></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <br /></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">But wait, there’s more. Like, a lot more:<br /></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <br /></span><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Remove Gum from Hair<br /></span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">It’s been said that all one has to do is apply Dawn
to the gum and then wait for it to start breaking the piece down. Full
disclosure: I’ve never tried this—thank goodness, I haven’t had to. But rest
assured, should my daughter (or I) find ourselves with this particular
conundrum on our hands, I’ll be desperate enough to give this remedy a try.<br /></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> <br /></span><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Moldable Ice Pack<br /></span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Make a moldable ice pack that doesn’t completely
freeze by simply mixing equal parts Dawn and water. Then put the solution in a
Ziploc bag and stick it in the freezer. I haven’t tried this one, either, but I
figure it’s worth a shot. (I would double my Ziplocs, though, just in case.)<br /></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> <br /></span><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Make Spectacles Spectacular<br /></span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">For this problem, Dawn works in two unique ways.
First, you can clean your glasses by rubbing a small dab of soap onto the
lenses and then wiping it off with a soft, dry cloth—which I totally stand by;
I’ve done this. It works! The second perk of this tip is that the invisible
film created by Dawn will apparently prevent your eyeglasses from fogging up in
the future.<br /></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <br /></span><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Showers and tubs<br /></span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">We all know it seemingly takes a mere
nano-second for showers and bathtubs to become filthy. And the more time
between scrubs, the more difficult tiles and tubs are to clean. But here’s the
hack: Microwave equal parts Dawn and vinegar, pour the mixture into a spray
bottle, and then spray on the surfaces. They say you’ll never go back to
conventional products again.<br /></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> <br /></span><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Banish paint stains<br /></span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Man, I wish I had known this back when my
husband and I were painting our children’s rooms several years ago. We tried
mightily not to get paint on our hands, but mishaps of this kind are an
unfortunate inevitability. And as you probably know, removing paint from your
hands can be a pain in the you-know-what. But evidently, it’s not when you wash
your skin with Dawn.<br /></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> <br /></span><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Garden protection<br /></span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">They say that Dawn even works as a spray for
killing bugs. Who knew? To protect your garden’s fruits and vegetables, put two
teaspoons of Dawn and one quart of water in a spray bottle, then shake well.
While you might see a film on your plants, experts insist it won’t harm the
plants—just the insects. The soapy water is thought to wash away a bug’s
protective coating, so the pest dries out and dies. Once the soapy water has
dried, it no longer has any effect on garden pests and should then be rinsed
off the plant.<br /></span><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> <br /></span></b><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Stubborn stain removal<br /></span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Kids come home with the darndest stains. And sometimes,
we adults are no better (hello, red wine!). Once again, Dawn, they say, can
save the day. Applying the dish soap directly on the stain and then scrubbing with
a toothbrush, prior to laundering as usual is all it takes. I haven’t tried
this one, either, but I wholeheartedly plan to the next time I run out of my
usual stain remover. </span></span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;"><span><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">© Copyright Courtney Conover, 2023</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.thewaynedispatch.com/?s=Courtney+Conover"><img height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEheiPKqF-uR9ktb7uGkbtIx3BDgWSdPZbuWR6Za5Y8EgMgNhBLN9TYpgyExR5ODPLcqy7aS-dMmCNV6Es-3_llatcPeHuNRmZ_0zzg3AIRQwST2vgCw-HYYMfYpPMR--amqvu-iw5vf97pLrvzxflUk-AySnAiTHwRQ57uECOpIaEGn4tiBsUblLNaXNg=w400-h278" /></a><br />
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</div> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6594789353434997801.post-70353200259263532212023-03-02T09:01:00.001-05:002023-03-02T09:01:43.858-05:00How Many of These Apps Do You Use?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMkQ2lUSZBQqGsNepFkeJLVXfvH7OtX-jJYwiqITppS4wzo9399fO-F7oO8qjEZIxEvz9g3pejuZ_U9zGXi85N1_kfquU8xCWoy11RqzK6tKptMV8kgIEinkwLZYEx0aAY-tBlrlYj1QtQsYcs_wziAQ99rZ1McM6f67ulKCMWGdfSi1I-dbairWJa_w/s1920/pexels-pixabay-38544.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1275" data-original-width="1920" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMkQ2lUSZBQqGsNepFkeJLVXfvH7OtX-jJYwiqITppS4wzo9399fO-F7oO8qjEZIxEvz9g3pejuZ_U9zGXi85N1_kfquU8xCWoy11RqzK6tKptMV8kgIEinkwLZYEx0aAY-tBlrlYj1QtQsYcs_wziAQ99rZ1McM6f67ulKCMWGdfSi1I-dbairWJa_w/w640-h426/pexels-pixabay-38544.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04;">Image: Pexels/Pixabay<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">I openly admit it: I am a reluctant beneficiary of technology.</span></div><div><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">I like the smell, feel, and sound of turning a weathered page of a hardcover book. I prefer writing my lists on the backs of discarded bill envelopes or pieces of scrap paper as opposed to taking advantage of my cellphone’s voice dictation capability. I have, however, become quite dependent on checking my phone’s weather app—but only after years of fighting it.</span></div><div><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">I’m a veritable dinosaur when it comes to high-tech advancements. There, I said it. And while I don’t think I’m alone, I do think I’m in the minority—and with good reason: In many instances, technology does indeed make life easier. I know, I know: There is no replacement for knowing how to get by using just your noggin. After all, computers freeze, smartphone screens shatter when they inadvertently fall off the counter, and there are many things in life that simply can’t be programmed.</span></div><div><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">But there is a heck of a lot of things that are. We can do just about everything on our phones these days. From banking to watching movies, to staying in touch with loved ones, it’s easy to see why we’ve become glued to our phones.</span></div><div><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">And, astonishingly, as Forbes magazine reported recently, the mobile industry is still growing—more than a decade after the era of the smartphone began.</span></div><div><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">Forbes found that Americans installed 37 billion apps in the first quarter of last year, which was an 11% increase from 2021. (It’ll be interesting to see what this year’s first quarter numbers show.) Most of 2022 downloads—about 28 billion to be more specific—were on Android devices, while only about eight billion were on iOS (Apple's mobile operating system that powers the iPhone and iPod Touch). However, when it came to actual revenue, the percentages were reversed: iOS accounted for almost $2 for each dollar spent on Android: $1.80.</span></div><div><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">Regardless of whether you find these stats eyebrow-raising, you may be surprised by the following compilation of the top 10 most popular apps—worldwide—of 2022:</span></div><div><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">10. Spotify (238M users)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">9. Stumble Guys (254M users)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">8. Facebook (298M users) </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">7. Subway Surfers (304M users)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">6. Telegram (310M users)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">5. Snapchat (330M users)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">4. CapCut (357M users)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">3. WhatsApp (424M users)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">2. Instagram (548M users)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">1. TikTok (672M users)</span></div><div><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">Facebook dropped by more than 25%, while TikTok won big, and CapCut, a video editing software that was once considered ho-hum, cracked the top four most-downloaded apps in the world. (It’s important to note that CapCut is made by TikTok’s parent company and has since become a favored tool of influencers for creating—you guessed it—TikTok videos.)</span></div><div><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">If nothing else, the list above is an interesting metric because it sheds light on what's happening in the world. The same can be said for the following list of the top 10 most popular apps right here in the U.S.:</span></div><div><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">10. Facebook (45.5M users)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">9. Messenger (46.3M users)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">8. Amazon (47M users)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">7. Roblox (50.9M users)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">6. Subway Surfers (51.4M users)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">5. Snapchat (54M users)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">4. WhatsApp (63M users)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">3. Cash App (64M users)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">2. Instagram (72M users)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">1. TikTok: (99M users)</span></div><div><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">Adam Blacker, Director of Content & Communications for Apptopia, a leader in the app store analysis industry, says that what we’re seeing here is evidence of big changes in the mobile ecosystem and that people are spending much more time on their mobile devices. “Messenger is ceding share,” he says. “WhatsApp grew a good chunk in a big market.”</span></div><div><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">I, for one, have begrudgingly resolved to get with the program and become better acquainted with a new app (or two) this year. We’ll see how I feel come July.</span></div><div><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">But I do have tremendous incentive: I am the mother of not one but two preteens, and they can already swipe circles around me.</span></div><div><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">Any way you view this collective data, one thing is obvious. People the world over have something major in common: When it comes to communication and entertainment, our smartphones reign supreme.</span></div><div><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">Where would we be without them?</span></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">© Copyright Courtney Conover, 2023</span><div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.thewaynedispatch.com/?s=Courtney+Conover"><img height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEheiPKqF-uR9ktb7uGkbtIx3BDgWSdPZbuWR6Za5Y8EgMgNhBLN9TYpgyExR5ODPLcqy7aS-dMmCNV6Es-3_llatcPeHuNRmZ_0zzg3AIRQwST2vgCw-HYYMfYpPMR--amqvu-iw5vf97pLrvzxflUk-AySnAiTHwRQ57uECOpIaEGn4tiBsUblLNaXNg=w400-h278" /></a><br />
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</div> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6594789353434997801.post-47003666531022918352023-02-10T12:58:00.000-05:002023-02-10T12:58:16.583-05:00Grocery savings tips? Yes, please.<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi76UeLlAlnjIIFgYRXw-hd9vq63x2Amf1nz-lPXH-SPVdDJJcYcUxmVE2WyqG-tAC5Ju-MpCKAiCKF_tByDHTgnD7lNQl93LZwnmT763LIgXicJdqm47MkmNMS1oK0qvzkuLOKTXUt2YYpP5SBIBaZSpPyjBYWiYWOEp_p3qVdx-NV_83iGdsv-wCg-w/s1280/pexels-maitree-rimthong-1602726.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi76UeLlAlnjIIFgYRXw-hd9vq63x2Amf1nz-lPXH-SPVdDJJcYcUxmVE2WyqG-tAC5Ju-MpCKAiCKF_tByDHTgnD7lNQl93LZwnmT763LIgXicJdqm47MkmNMS1oK0qvzkuLOKTXUt2YYpP5SBIBaZSpPyjBYWiYWOEp_p3qVdx-NV_83iGdsv-wCg-w/w640-h426/pexels-maitree-rimthong-1602726.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image: Pexels/Maitree Rimthong<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">Health insurance.</span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">Gas prices.</span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">A Netflix subscription.</span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">Show me something that’s not going up in cost, and I’ll sell you one of my tiny yet beautiful islands near Italy’s Amalfi Coast. (Spoiler: I own no such property.)</span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">The point I’m attempting to make here, my dear reader, is one that you’ll likely agree with: Nearly everything costs more these days. And, man, are we feeling the pinch. Just the other day, I happened upon a meme with the caption, Two more payments, and it’s all mine. The big-ticket gadget pictured below? A carton of eggs. (I wish I was joking about this one, too, but nope.)</span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">That’s what we’ve come to, folks. We are now at a point where mankind is comparing the cost of what used to be an inexpensive breakfast item with something that runs on four wheels.</span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">And, so, in keeping with this sad but accurate realization, here are some grocery store savings tips, courtesy of DIY website More Hackz, that might enable us to keep a few more coins in our pocket. Because, these days, every little bit counts:</span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><b>Wrap the crown of bananas</b></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">Bananas are either too ripe to enjoy or have become mushy-soft. Finding the perfect one can be like trying to find a needle in a haystack. If you have very ripe bananas that seem to brown faster, ethylene gas is the culprit. To avoid this, wrap some plastic or foil around the stem, which will slow down ethylene release. </span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><b>Regrow your scallions</b></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">Scallions (if they’re your thing) can be an exceptional addition to recipes and side dishes, but they often wilt before you’ve finished cooking all the dishes you’d planned. Here’s how to regrow them: Place about two inches of an onion along with its rooty bottom in a glass or mason jar filled halfway up with cool tap water and simply watch them grow back again. </span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><b>Store sour cream and cottage cheese containers upside down</b></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">Alright, this one might sound odd, but don’t knock it until you try it—especially if your household tosses out half-used tubs of sour cream. To keep sour cream or cottage cheese good for a longer amount of time, turn the tub upside-down. This creates a vacuum effect inside your containers of cottage cheese and sour cream, which slows down the bacteria’s growth and prevents the contents from spoiling as fast. (This is a hack that I’ve actually tried, and I really think there’s something to this. It works.)</span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><b>Place ice cream tubs in a plastic bag</b></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">Don’t you despise it when ice cream becomes rock-solid and hard as all get-out to scoop? And let’s not even talk about freezer burn. Here’s a remedy: putting an ice cream container in a plastic bag—and then into another sealable plastic bag or Tupperware container—will keep your sweet treat soft.</span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><b>No more browning guacamole!</b></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">This hack arrives just in time for Super Bowl Sunday—and could be a game changer for your next Cinco de Mayo celebration, too. Spray the top of the guacamole with nonstick cooking spray, and then cover the dip with plastic wrap before storing in the fridge. The cooking spray acts as a protective barrier and will keep your guac fresh and green for about 24 hours. You can use vegetable oil, olive oil, or coconut oil spray, which is my personal fave. Try this hack on halved avocados too.</span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">© Copyright Courtney Conover, 2023</span><div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.thewaynedispatch.com/?s=Courtney+Conover"><img height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEheiPKqF-uR9ktb7uGkbtIx3BDgWSdPZbuWR6Za5Y8EgMgNhBLN9TYpgyExR5ODPLcqy7aS-dMmCNV6Es-3_llatcPeHuNRmZ_0zzg3AIRQwST2vgCw-HYYMfYpPMR--amqvu-iw5vf97pLrvzxflUk-AySnAiTHwRQ57uECOpIaEGn4tiBsUblLNaXNg=w400-h278" /></a><br />
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</div> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6594789353434997801.post-55006613836639031142022-12-23T15:39:00.000-05:002022-12-23T15:39:07.520-05:00I Hate Antler Headbands <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA6oj2bb5m3B7ngMJBME3fGwk809aWkHPCLmoSOPS8MnjzBR-_a4dEgk327WvQxknnWnzGDoLipQl6SwC4ybbxDyBzj5da6-Lq0zOZhcZZUXgAt90SJgi5XeRNqX0q1DNr9p_YNPwttEqO0a4IkelCZB_ts56PmYn00twx-81GwQ02xALDdsXltjCDmQ/s734/34005_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="734" data-original-width="734" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA6oj2bb5m3B7ngMJBME3fGwk809aWkHPCLmoSOPS8MnjzBR-_a4dEgk327WvQxknnWnzGDoLipQl6SwC4ybbxDyBzj5da6-Lq0zOZhcZZUXgAt90SJgi5XeRNqX0q1DNr9p_YNPwttEqO0a4IkelCZB_ts56PmYn00twx-81GwQ02xALDdsXltjCDmQ/w400-h400/34005_1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;">I'm not usually this negative.</span></div><div><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;">But I'm about to go off for a minute.</span></div><div><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;"><br /></span></div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-aaa25c3a-7fff-92a9-8cb7-1393e4275c1b"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;">To catch you up on what happened, I recently attended my daughter’s school holiday concert. While driving to said concert, I prayed to the heavens that my daughter wouldn’t be standing behind a fellow student who had selfishly decided to adorn his or her head with a freakin’ antler headband.</span></span></p><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;">“I sure hope this concert is reindeer-antler free,” I said matter-of-factly as I pulled our car into a parking space.</span></span></p><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;">You see, this, I believe, was precisely the moment when the universe decided to laugh at me and show me who’s boss.</span></span></p><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cut to my daughter’s class weaving their way onto the concert risers: My daughter was behind </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the one child</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> wearing reindeer antlers.</span></span></p><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;">Of course she was.</span></span></p><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;">For 45 minutes, I sat zombie-like in a state of quiet frustration as a set of ugly-ass red, fuzzy reindeer antlers obstructed the view of my child’s face.</span></span></p><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;">And for what?</span></span></p><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;">Antler headbands don’t make a child sing better.</span></span></p><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;">Antler headbands don’t make a child look better.</span></span></p><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;">And I’m pretty sure antler headbands aren’t the antidote to stage fright. </span></span></p><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;">But I’ll tell you what reindeer antler headbands are damn good for: They ruin the concert for the parent—and the child who is unlucky enough to be placed in the headband’s wake.</span></span></p><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;">And when my daughter attempted to find me watching her, she couldn't.</span></span></p><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;">Because, again, reindeer antlers. </span></span></p><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;">I’m telling you: these things need to be wiped off the face of the earth.</span></span></p><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;">Yeah, I said it. Who gon' check me, boo?</span></span></p><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;">I’ll tell you who needs to be checked: These parents running around here throwing antler headbands on their kid’s head before holiday concerts. That’s who.</span></span></p><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;">I’m calling for an immediate moratorium on the wearing of antler headbands during holiday concerts. </span></span></p><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;">If we collectively act now, there’s still time to save the fate of forthcoming performances everywhere.</span></span></p><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Merriweather;">You’re welcome.</span></span></p><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div>© Copyright Courtney Conover, 2022
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<a href="http://www.thewaynedispatch.com/?s=Courtney+Conover"><img height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEheiPKqF-uR9ktb7uGkbtIx3BDgWSdPZbuWR6Za5Y8EgMgNhBLN9TYpgyExR5ODPLcqy7aS-dMmCNV6Es-3_llatcPeHuNRmZ_0zzg3AIRQwST2vgCw-HYYMfYpPMR--amqvu-iw5vf97pLrvzxflUk-AySnAiTHwRQ57uECOpIaEGn4tiBsUblLNaXNg=w400-h278" /></a><br />
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</div> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6594789353434997801.post-18159901510701920312022-12-14T13:54:00.003-05:002022-12-14T13:56:02.221-05:00Why Giving Is Better Than Gifting<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJidbIjh1TCF-AP714WZXsLodqqsJ5UqgOkNkaIivzVWUEjMBvw75d2EXwEYyZEy2kHxaLPHvv5lpP-bbzNsuub4Fik2J6lrzyDUSNzA1MbJSpZLsQvBRP__DhdBxhYlHtBo8-QSq4pePLoE9lHx_YISAoWuMWjyWQSWd-B4XwaHyayamN-g6NIJ3Shw/s2880/pexels-eva-bronzini-5941398.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="1920" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJidbIjh1TCF-AP714WZXsLodqqsJ5UqgOkNkaIivzVWUEjMBvw75d2EXwEYyZEy2kHxaLPHvv5lpP-bbzNsuub4Fik2J6lrzyDUSNzA1MbJSpZLsQvBRP__DhdBxhYlHtBo8-QSq4pePLoE9lHx_YISAoWuMWjyWQSWd-B4XwaHyayamN-g6NIJ3Shw/w266-h400/pexels-eva-bronzini-5941398.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image: Eva Bronzini/Pexels</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">Regardless of which end of the Holiday Glee-O-Meter you reside on—maybe you’re already listening to the Christmas radio station 24/7 and your vehicle is sporting clip-on antlers, or perhaps you identify with the Meh crowd and can’t wait for all the hubbub to be over, there’s likely one thing both camps have in common.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">C’mon, admit it: Isn’t there at least one person on your list who is extremely difficult to shop for? (Honestly, there might even be more than one.) These are the folks who are either finicky as can be, already have everything under the sun, or are a combination thereof.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">Add to the mix a tight budget and rapidly rising consumer costs (hello, inflation!) and it’s enough to make any of us scream “Bah humbug!”</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">I hear you.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">But what if, instead, we focused on another form of giving this year?</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">What if we gave up on searching for that elusive perfect thing and chose to give what we already have in our possession?</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">In other words: What if we focused on service and sparking genuine happiness in those around us? </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">I think I can already hear you: “Okay, Courtney, where exactly are you going with this hippy-dippy talk?”</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">The acts I’m about to explain are rather unspectacular, but they have the power to change the trajectory of our entire day—and, quite possibly, the impact could be even greater than that.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">Imagine pulling up to the Tim Hortons drive-thru only to find that the person in front of you already paid for your order. Envision approaching your car one morning before work (or school drop-off) and discovering that someone has already removed the snow and scraped the ice off your windshield. Picture having the worst day ever (we’ve all been there) and then receiving a sincere compliment that blows you away.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">Similarly, here are things we can do to pay it forward:</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">*Road construction is everywhere these days; what if we dropped off a case of water to the workers?</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">*When traveling, what if we agreed to change our seat so that other travelers could sit together?</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">*Or how about letting someone else have the closest parking spot?</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">*There’s a saying that bad news travels halfway around the world while good news is still putting on his shoes. But what if we flipped it? What if we wrote an expression of gratitude—to our child’s principal about our child’s teacher, to the restaurant manager about our server, or to our mail carrier directly?</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"> </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">I know, I know: Many of the gestures above benefit strangers. But we can also extend this same level of kindness to family and close friends:</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">*Attend an event, like a dance recital or sporting event, of a friend’s child.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">*Create a gift certificate that says you’ll do a particular chore or errand.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">*This one is the stuff of dreams for parents who are still in the trenches: Offer to babysit a child in your extended family so that the parent(s) can have an evening to themselves.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">*Take the money you would have spent on a relative’s gift and purchase a gas card for them instead. (I mean, c’mon: Free gas! Swoon.)</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">It’s true: kindness really is the gift that keeps on giving. By acting out a few of these gestures this season, we’ll be spreading positive energy that will likely make its way back to us.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">And I’m pretty sure that’ll be more popular than a sweater or another pair of earmuffs.</span></span></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>© Copyright Courtney Conover, 2022
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<a href="http://www.thewaynedispatch.com/?s=Courtney+Conover"><img height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEheiPKqF-uR9ktb7uGkbtIx3BDgWSdPZbuWR6Za5Y8EgMgNhBLN9TYpgyExR5ODPLcqy7aS-dMmCNV6Es-3_llatcPeHuNRmZ_0zzg3AIRQwST2vgCw-HYYMfYpPMR--amqvu-iw5vf97pLrvzxflUk-AySnAiTHwRQ57uECOpIaEGn4tiBsUblLNaXNg=w400-h278" /></a><br />
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</div> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6594789353434997801.post-41849082031458005832022-05-05T12:44:00.000-04:002022-05-05T12:44:15.790-04:00What Mothers Really Want This Mother’s Day<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY7z9E6d4O9Z-8SLKaobq4NN0ZuY1APlBcsI3lVWUjasivXBLuioQZ19lh4WFlNlRFPTcuVWzAla-SbdCbFYQQUmfaHvqVWlWkqXqO3roq69QAU-Q6l1EBMei5Au9eMui5_fzAQDBJM8JO_-jSwU53MglFwSBpr44oGj3e5kH0egbhSRWjcXz7EGrSSQ/s1920/pexels-karolina-grabowska-4219890.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY7z9E6d4O9Z-8SLKaobq4NN0ZuY1APlBcsI3lVWUjasivXBLuioQZ19lh4WFlNlRFPTcuVWzAla-SbdCbFYQQUmfaHvqVWlWkqXqO3roq69QAU-Q6l1EBMei5Au9eMui5_fzAQDBJM8JO_-jSwU53MglFwSBpr44oGj3e5kH0egbhSRWjcXz7EGrSSQ/w640-h426/pexels-karolina-grabowska-4219890.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: x-small;">Image: Karolina Grabowska/Pexels</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">The cards are
sweet.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">The
flowers are charming.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">And
who in their right mind would decline a Sunday brunch of pastries, pancakes, coffee,
and, perhaps, a mimosa (or two)?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Not
me. Sign me up.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">But,
as a mother, I have to admit that I want more—but not in the way you might
think.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I’m
talking about less pomp and circumstance and more substance. I mean, sure: pomp
and circumstance makes us giddy and garners a ton of likes on Facebook and
Instagram.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Substance,
on the other hand, isn’t shiny, can’t be worn, and is not perceptible by the
taste buds. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">But
substance brings a lot to the table.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Substance
is the stuff of inner peace. It provides us moms reassurance. It makes us feel
good.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Substance
enables us to sleep well at night.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Here’s
how Merriam Webster defines substance: “a fundamental or characteristic part or
quality; ultimate reality that underlies
all outward manifestations and change; practical importance: MEANING,
USEFULNESS.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">So,
let’s explore what substance might look like when applied to the daily lives of
mothers today.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Well,
for starters, it looks like putting an end to the rat race manufactured by
society that pits career moms against stay-at-home moms. (Um, hello: Isn’t it high
time we acknowledge that <i>all </i>mothers work?) How grand would it be if
everyone—employers, partners, and we as women in general—was on the same page
about a mother’s work being as diverse as the shells in the sea.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="font-size: large;">Substance
might also look like making motherhood—as an institution—a judgment-free zone
so that mothers in all forms are recognized and lauded.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Not
all mothers arrive at this destination by way of the same path. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Remember:
While some mothers carried their baby in their womb, others found their
children in the classroom, through adoption agenciesor by way of the most unlikely
scenarios.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">But
we are mothers all the same.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Substance
might also look like doing away with the qualifier <i>still</i> with regard to characterizing
a mother’s appearance and/or aptitude, as in: <i>She had those kids years ago,
and she </i>still <i>hasn’t lost all the baby weight</i> or<i> You mean to tell
me her kid is </i>still<i> taking a bottle?</i> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">In
the words of supermodel Paulina
Porizkova, people “only use the word <i>still</i> when they're referring to
something they believe a person has lost."<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Furthermore,
when the time comes for us moms to send our children off to school—and, later,
out into the world—we want the comfort of knowing that they’ll be accepted and
included by others, despite our children's differences or challenges.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Additionally,
substance looks like our husbands and partners being secure in the knowledge
that that we tried—and will never stop trying—even though we may have missed
the mark on something as important as a pertinent decision or as trivial as attempting
a new recipe we found on Pinterest.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">And
for the love of everything that is holy, substance means having our attempts at
self improvement measured by something other than calories, a scale, or a size
on a clothing tag. We want to wear the darn bikini—stretch marks, pooch, and
all—without the weight of condemnation or comparisons to an airbrushed
celebrity.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">And
another thing: I just turned 45, which means that I’ve officially arrived at
the age where I finally understand why people on game shows are so excited to
win a household appliance.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I’m
sure you recall Flood-a-Geddon—you know, that horrible flood last June that
ravaged many a basement in Wayne County, many of which were right here in our
great city?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Well,
I straight-up cried like a baby when that flood took out our family’s washer <i>and</i>
dryer. (Yes. The horror.)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Wouldn’t
it be great if substance also meant an eternal warranty on all the
appliances—technological devices included!—that we couldn’t bear to live
without?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">So,
there you have it: The ultimate substantive Mother's Day wishlist.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Oh,
the glory.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">And
while it's more likely that chocolate will be made a bona fide food group
before all of the above comes to fruition and then becomes the norm, a mother
can dream.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">In
the meantime, we’ll most certainly be grateful for that brunch, bracelet, and a
thoughtful card.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Ultimately,
we mothers just want to be loved. On Mother's Day, yes, but everyday.</span></p></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">© Copyright Courtney Conover, 2022</span><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.thewaynedispatch.com/?s=Courtney+Conover"><img height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEheiPKqF-uR9ktb7uGkbtIx3BDgWSdPZbuWR6Za5Y8EgMgNhBLN9TYpgyExR5ODPLcqy7aS-dMmCNV6Es-3_llatcPeHuNRmZ_0zzg3AIRQwST2vgCw-HYYMfYpPMR--amqvu-iw5vf97pLrvzxflUk-AySnAiTHwRQ57uECOpIaEGn4tiBsUblLNaXNg=w400-h278" /></a><br />
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</div> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6594789353434997801.post-90655852832946891782022-04-25T13:49:00.000-04:002022-04-25T13:49:33.120-04:00Here's what yoga is...and isn't<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiECJkZP5-5XqWF9BH86ig6PLstlXVHh0ojaWsgg3wNSKB2Pz4Drk4eNleeRFEAG5zoJMQ2qyRLVh_6e_zCqhwiDR0Yway1CENhJRWWoh8noDgK50gUrEO3kWzSHKXY1cbjzIU3zpDM6eQ3zq5g2fBGvuGfxWYc-82VGDZYWttI4MRPmZAsFHS1C3padg/s1920/pexels-yan-krukov-8436400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1920" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiECJkZP5-5XqWF9BH86ig6PLstlXVHh0ojaWsgg3wNSKB2Pz4Drk4eNleeRFEAG5zoJMQ2qyRLVh_6e_zCqhwiDR0Yway1CENhJRWWoh8noDgK50gUrEO3kWzSHKXY1cbjzIU3zpDM6eQ3zq5g2fBGvuGfxWYc-82VGDZYWttI4MRPmZAsFHS1C3padg/w640-h640/pexels-yan-krukov-8436400.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> <span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;">Yan Krukov/Pexels</span></td></tr></tbody></table><em class="markup--em markup--p-em" style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: x-large;"><br /></em><div><em class="markup--em markup--p-em" style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="font-size: large;">"Cool! Can you stand on your head?”</span></em></div><div><em class="markup--em markup--p-em" style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></em></div><div><em class="markup--em markup--p-em" style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="font-size: large;">"Well, I can’t do yoga because I’m not flexible.”</span></em><div><p class="graf graf--p" name="167a"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="font-size: large;">Those are the top two responses I hear when people discover I’m a certified yoga instructor.</span></span></p><p class="graf graf--p" name="5e5e"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">My requisite response to the first inquiry is: <em class="markup--em markup--p-em">“Yes, I can stand on my head, but that isn’t the essence of yoga.”</em> </span></p><p class="graf graf--p" name="5e5e"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">And my response to the second statement is as follows: <em class="markup--em markup--p-em">You know how to breathe, right? Then you can do yoga.”</em></span></p><p class="graf graf--p" name="72e4"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">But more on that in a minute.</span></p><p class="graf graf--p" name="5413"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">First, I want to debunk some myths about yoga.</span></p><p class="graf graf--p" name="e979"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Why?</span></p><p class="graf graf--p" name="f765"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Because amid all the frenzy about yoga — and talk about the benefits, there remains a bit of stigma hanging in the ether:</span></p><p class="graf graf--p" name="9bfe"><em class="markup--em markup--p-em"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Is yoga a cult?</span></em></p><p class="graf graf--p" name="c9b6"><em class="markup--em markup--p-em"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">What does yoga teach?</span></em></p><p class="graf graf--p" name="e2c3"><em class="markup--em markup--p-em"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">What does yoga really mean, anyway?</span></em></p><p class="graf graf--p" name="95a1"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Well, let’s start with what yoga isn’t.</span></p><p class="graf graf--p" name="95a1"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><h4 class="graf graf--h4" name="781c"><strong class="markup--strong markup--h4-strong"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Myth #1: Yoga is a religion.</span></strong></h4><p class="graf graf--p" name="3573"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">No, it isn’t.</span></p><p class="graf graf--p" name="b817"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Yoga has no gods to worship or services to attend, no institutional structure or leaders, no statement of religious beliefs, and there is no profession of faith.</span></p><p class="graf graf--p" name="077f"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Yoga, by definition, means to “yoke” or to unite the body and mind in harmony.</span></p><p class="graf graf--p" name="3e86"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Yoga, as a practice, seeks to correlate all aspects of living as it relates to those around us. This union is accomplished through physical postures, relaxation, and meditation.</span></p><p class="graf graf--p" name="828c"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">What yoga does have at its core, however, are the <strong class="markup--strong markup--p-strong">Yamas</strong> and the <strong class="markup--strong markup--p-strong">Niyamas</strong>. These are the moral and internal restraints that regulate our inner lives.</span></p><p class="graf graf--p" name="ca00"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">The <strong class="markup--strong markup--p-strong">Yamas</strong> are the moral virtues that, if attended to, purify human nature and contribute to the health and happiness of society. The five Yamas are: <em class="markup--em markup--p-em">nonviolence</em>, <em class="markup--em markup--p-em">truthfulness</em>, <em class="markup--em markup--p-em">nonstealing</em>, <em class="markup--em markup--p-em">moderation</em>, and <em class="markup--em markup--p-em">nonhoarding</em>, which means to take only what is necessary.</span></p><p class="graf graf--p" name="7183"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">The <strong class="markup--strong markup--p-strong">Niyamas</strong> are personal observances. They refer to an attitude that we adopt for ourselves to live soulfully and joyfully no matter our circumstances. The Niyamas are: <em class="markup--em markup--p-em">cleanliness</em>, <em class="markup--em markup--p-em">contentment</em>, <em class="markup--em markup--p-em">disciplined use of our energy</em> (keeping our bodies fit and healthy), <em class="markup--em markup--p-em">self-study</em>, and <em class="markup--em markup--p-em">surrender to a higher power</em>.</span></p><p class="graf graf--p" name="cd1b"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">That last bit about a higher power refers to whatever God you may already believe in.</span></p><p class="graf graf--p" name="fb42"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">And even if you aren’t religious, you can <em class="markup--em markup--p-em">still</em> practice yoga.</span></p><p class="graf graf--p" name="3535"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Now let’s move along to myth #2.</span></p><p class="graf graf--p" name="3535"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><h4 class="graf graf--h4" name="5165"><strong class="markup--strong markup--h4-strong"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Myth #2: Yoga is expensive.</span></strong></h4><p class="graf graf--p" name="f779"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Sure, there are classes and retreats that cost far more than my monthly mortgage payment. But participating in them is in no way necessary to practice yoga.</span></p><p class="graf graf--p" name="ffa5"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Not only do many studios offer free community classes, YouTube is chock full of an array of highly qualified instructors.</span></p><p class="graf graf--p" name="8d35"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">But I’ve found that my favorite way to practice is in the confines of my own home. And while props can come in handy (i.e. blocks, bolsters, straps, etc.) during your practice, they are not mandatory.</span></p><p class="graf graf--p" name="97b4"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Here’s what you need to practice yoga: A mat.</span></p><p class="graf graf--p" name="3561"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">That’s basically it. And even that is optional depending on your flooring.</span></p><p class="graf graf--p" name="3561"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><h4 class="graf graf--h4" name="9134"><strong class="markup--strong markup--h4-strong"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Myth #3: You must be flexible to do yoga.</span></strong></h4><p class="graf graf--p" name="5f16"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">That — pardon my French —is total bullshit.</span></p><p class="graf graf--p" name="7ee8"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Yoga is for small and big people; short and tall people; young and old people; women and men.</span></p><p class="graf graf--p" name="8d02"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">In other words, yoga is — quite literally — for <strong class="markup--strong markup--p-strong">everybody</strong>.</span></p><p class="graf graf--p" name="55df"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Yoga is about coming home.</span></p><p class="graf graf--p" name="58c6"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">In all the yoga literature I’ve read, US Airborne Ranger-turned-celebrated yoga instructor Rolf Gates characterizes this point best in his book entitled <em class="markup--em markup--p-em">Meditations from the Mat: Daily Reflections on the Path of Yoga</em>, which he co-authored with Katrina Kenison:</span></p></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><blockquote class="graf graf--blockquote" name="258c" style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>Yoga is a path to our true nature. This truth can be readily tested at the conclusion of any asana [the postures in a yoga exercise] practice. The problem is estrangement from self. Check in with yourself at the end of your yoga practice and see if you haven’t experienced a miracle of healing. See if you do not feel more at home in your body, more at home in your life, more at home in your spirit. This sense of coming home is real.</i></span></blockquote></div></blockquote></blockquote><div><p class="graf graf--p" name="60f6"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">And the best part?</span></p><p class="graf graf--p" name="916c"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">This splendor is available to <strong class="markup--strong markup--p-strong">everyone</strong>.</span></p><p class="graf graf--p" name="c082"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">And it’s not only beautiful to experience, but also equally beautiful to witness.</span></p><p class="graf graf--p" name="9a57"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Quick story: Long before I became an instructor, back when I was in college and still a yoga newbie, I used to pore over the pages of <em class="markup--em markup--p-em">Yoga Journal</em> magazine and admire all the accomplished, world-renowned yoga instructors — Kathryn Budig, Seane Corn, and Rodney Yee among them — who were striking intermediate and advanced poses with effortless ease.</span></p><p class="graf graf--p" name="ef3b"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I wholeheartedly admit to being swept up in the beauty, flash, and pizazz of it all.</span></p><p class="graf graf--p" name="bfcc"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">But now, twenty-three years later, I have since been introduced to what is truly beautiful…</span></p><p class="graf graf--p" name="b702"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">When one of my students, who is old enough to be my grandmother, is so dedicated to her practice that she attends class no matter what — even on the days when her arthritis has her wrists on fire. And when the time comes to do Warrior II pose, her breath is calm and even, and she’s standing taller than anyone else in the room.</span></p><p class="graf graf--p" name="d00f"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">That is beautiful.</span></p><p class="graf graf--p" name="0f1f"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">When another student finds peace and comfort in Mountain pose after sitting hunched over at a desk all day.</span></p><p class="graf graf--p" name="57a1"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">That is beautiful.</span></p><p class="graf graf--p" name="b333"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">And when the shy teenage girl, who usually retreats to the corner, decides that today is the day that she will conquer her fear and attempt Shoulder Stand pose, does it, and then cries afterward as the class erupts in applause.</span></p><p class="graf graf--p" name="264b"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">That — <em class="markup--em markup--p-em">that</em> — is beautiful.</span></p><p class="graf graf--p" name="1585"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">So, all together now; let’s recap: <strong class="markup--strong markup--p-strong">You DON’T have to be flexible to do yoga!</strong></span></p><p class="graf graf--p" name="4da6"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">If you can draw breath, you can do yoga.</span></p><p class="graf graf--p" name="7356"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">And you can do it beautifully.</span></p><p class="graf graf--p" name="8c31"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.</span></p></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="font-size: medium;">© Copyright Courtney Conover, 2022</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.thewaynedispatch.com/?s=Courtney+Conover"><img height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEheiPKqF-uR9ktb7uGkbtIx3BDgWSdPZbuWR6Za5Y8EgMgNhBLN9TYpgyExR5ODPLcqy7aS-dMmCNV6Es-3_llatcPeHuNRmZ_0zzg3AIRQwST2vgCw-HYYMfYpPMR--amqvu-iw5vf97pLrvzxflUk-AySnAiTHwRQ57uECOpIaEGn4tiBsUblLNaXNg=w400-h278" /></a><br />
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</div> </div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6594789353434997801.post-64463284566426527022022-04-18T11:15:00.000-04:002022-04-18T11:15:25.750-04:00Fixing ourselves before parenthood<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg6g4uQZPDwybZRUBOzm3WtDMg4VxfYqvfhOhtr_UaOJMSZFD55uM1Y4NRs9kZAV6upSUxWEe5hH2oPnPxcmmTGPoysPTqbxQ_z3KWsM-zHIQ4jl-A6jBd30t_bYz5d6-zEVrBZZWl1WRZbxURavfQI0_TYhYNOylPKVg4kGgCVG3NowuLBi-d8NAYKeQ=s1920" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg6g4uQZPDwybZRUBOzm3WtDMg4VxfYqvfhOhtr_UaOJMSZFD55uM1Y4NRs9kZAV6upSUxWEe5hH2oPnPxcmmTGPoysPTqbxQ_z3KWsM-zHIQ4jl-A6jBd30t_bYz5d6-zEVrBZZWl1WRZbxURavfQI0_TYhYNOylPKVg4kGgCVG3NowuLBi-d8NAYKeQ=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">The idea of fixing ourselves before parenthood sounds well and good.</span><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">But there's one problem: Many of us don't realize we need fixing <i>until</i> after we've become parents.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Come to think of it, this post should be called <i>Fixing ourselves </i>FOR<i> parenthood</i>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-size: large;">Anyhow, moving on.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Take a look at this excruciatingly candid exchange I discovered on Reddit's r/AskWomen community:</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjgIqFjwpNfzqcUXBXci9kK_WmYPxP3xG5Io4JZFiXiyAVAEe9s6kqyFHxRc7XFzUmt7GGxuqf3aOai_wq3ABGn1R4PDNmk-q0wNyoHHhVsCgoGpLlsb0ZVFwpxvkVnoq4NjvRTa5_l5UbgYgWMYWT7euL68YMmosrEgDsx_kPvyzT3sTzZEXAmwiFoZA=s2045" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2045" data-original-width="1500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjgIqFjwpNfzqcUXBXci9kK_WmYPxP3xG5Io4JZFiXiyAVAEe9s6kqyFHxRc7XFzUmt7GGxuqf3aOai_wq3ABGn1R4PDNmk-q0wNyoHHhVsCgoGpLlsb0ZVFwpxvkVnoq4NjvRTa5_l5UbgYgWMYWT7euL68YMmosrEgDsx_kPvyzT3sTzZEXAmwiFoZA=w470-h640" width="470" /></a></div><br /></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="font-size: large;">I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I don't have all the answers.</span></span></div><div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I'm not a doctor, licensed therapist, or counselor.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">But I do know I've got work to do.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">And I suspect you might, too.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">And there is zero shade in that suspicion. None. Zilch.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">We<span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">—</span>as the parents chosen to raise the next generation<span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">—</span>are all in this together.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;">The good news is, we don't have to be medical professionals; s</span><span style="font-family: Merriweather;">imply recognizing that there's work to be done in the first place is huge in and of itself.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">More in that in a minute.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">But, first, let's start with a real-life scenario that requires some audience participation:</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Close your eyes and think of a time when your kids did<span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">—</span>or didn't do<span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">—something and you went off.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">The time when you were subjected to their incessant whining from the back seat...the door-slamming after you refused to indulge one of their whims...or the sheer resistance you received from any garden variety order you gave them (i.e. clean your room, feed the dog, put the Legos back, etc.)</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Reconnect with the frustration and anger you felt in that moment. The tension. The adrenaline.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Physically and emotionally go to that place.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Just thinking about one of those moments makes me melt with remorse. </span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I knew back then that my response wasn't healthy.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">But I didn't know<span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">—</span>until recently<span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">—</span>where those responses may have been coming from.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Now, let's bring into the fold a list I discovered on <i>Bored Panda</i>, an art and pop culture magazine. The list is called <a href="https://www.boredpanda.com/bad-parents-toxic-parenting/?utm_source=pinteres&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=jamal">People Are Calling Out Toxic Parenting Tactics That Are Still Often Viewed As “Normal,”</a> and it was inspired by a thread on r/AskReddit:</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>People of redit, what is a normal parenting tactic that shouldn't be considered normal.</i> <i>[sic]</i></span></div></div></blockquote></blockquote><div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">From that thread, which received nearly 2,000 upvotes and drew equally as many comments, a list of 30 toxic traits was born.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">For the complete list click <a href="https://www.boredpanda.com/bad-parents-toxic-parenting/?utm_source=pinteres&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=jamal">here</a>, but for the purpose of this particular post, we're just going to focus on #30:</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>Having kids before you've gone to therapy to address your own childhood trauma, as this just causes undue trauma on the kids.</i></span></div></div></blockquote></blockquote><div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">And boy, does that one hit different now that I'm a parent.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Let's focus on our mental health for a minute.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Lavinia Brown explains to us why it's so integral:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjHqihK4kFe33-qUfYx1-eS6wfdmhDXhtNR3qZvnMMTxFqHDsdghqrrvmm2RGmEgwlY3PeccpCnTLTQO3kS2DnlmONv_0hd2xeU5JECMU20TxTarQYN615fEJ4GUQCrA9vmMZ44nOur1x1xavuNgTuoZd404e49dv6eK8Y5lyvrg6ajKnSBwWycbQoxog=s1080" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="918" data-original-width="1080" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjHqihK4kFe33-qUfYx1-eS6wfdmhDXhtNR3qZvnMMTxFqHDsdghqrrvmm2RGmEgwlY3PeccpCnTLTQO3kS2DnlmONv_0hd2xeU5JECMU20TxTarQYN615fEJ4GUQCrA9vmMZ44nOur1x1xavuNgTuoZd404e49dv6eK8Y5lyvrg6ajKnSBwWycbQoxog=w400-h340" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">So, maybe it's <i>not</i> just the stress of work/life balance.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Maybe it's <i>not</i> just the fact that you're a horrible sleeper and always wake up cranky.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Maybe your temper is not just attributed to your innate personality.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I mean, yes: stress, sleep deprivation, and having a short fuse are not necessarily hallmarks of good health, and they can<span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">—</span>and undoubtedly <i>will</i><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">—</span>create innumerable roadblocks within relationships. </span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Especially on a parenting journey.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">But what if when we lose our sh*t and yell at our kids, there's actually more to the story?</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">What I'm saying is, what if there's something underneath it all that's got nothing to do with our kids?</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Because whatever <i>it</i> is has been inside us for a long, long time.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Like, so long that we didn't even know it existed.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I can hear some of you now: </span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>Who, me? I wasn't abused, for crying out loud! I mean yeah, my parents were yellers and, now that I think of it, when I was 10 my dad did kind of lean on me for emotional support after my mom divorced him...but, hey, no childhood is perfect...right? I mean, I didn't get beat with a broom, sent to bed without dinner, nor have I ever taken a hot iron to the back a la Penny in </i>Good Times<i>, so...</i></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">(If you don't have a clue about the <i>Good Times</i> reference; google it. But not before you've grabbed a box of tissues.)</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">But back to the matter at hand:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgI_aJSad3HcyYUvjEC6R7HhmFrECZBVQhRMqoX1JaSyLcwJjAT1w4NVMF0YMjwqz9EaAEZChuR4tBIIzrIvqmlaGTN1FOxk8vM34-43DylTPcGt1tHLhcPWr5nOFQvZjXG4h9Em7N45YNBJ1rfxaydTnll1hFXC6s-aXUCVRI0VqanaUdqXDEpeQji3w=s1080" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="906" data-original-width="1080" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgI_aJSad3HcyYUvjEC6R7HhmFrECZBVQhRMqoX1JaSyLcwJjAT1w4NVMF0YMjwqz9EaAEZChuR4tBIIzrIvqmlaGTN1FOxk8vM34-43DylTPcGt1tHLhcPWr5nOFQvZjXG4h9Em7N45YNBJ1rfxaydTnll1hFXC6s-aXUCVRI0VqanaUdqXDEpeQji3w=w400-h335" width="400" /></a></div></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>"Just because you enjoyed holidays abroad, abundant food on the table or grew up in a nice house, doesn’t mean that you also enjoyed the emotional support that you needed as a child, in order to feel truly loved and understood. </i></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>And yet many mamas believe that because their physical needs were looked after, their childhoods were not lacking in any way. </i></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>This is not necessarily true. </i></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>Providing a roof over your head was relatively easy. Providing unconditional love not quite so. </i></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>And it is the emotional lack that you experienced that needs to be healed in order for you to thrive as an adult. </i></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>Because emotional sustenance is what creates the foundation for who you think you are and for how safe the world feels. </i></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>(Which are the messages you pass onto your kids.)</i></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>So when you think back to your childhood, think about whether you felt seen, heard and safe? </i></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>And whether your parents spent time with you. Appreciating you for you?</i></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>Any gap between what you needed (in your own special way) and what your parents were able to or made an effort to give you, constitutes emotional lack. </i></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>And this lack is where the healing potential lies."</i></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote></blockquote><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a;"><br /></span></div></div></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">—Lavinia Brown</span></span></div></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Here's something else I've said before on this blog: parents likely did the best they could with what they had.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">This is not about blaming earlier generations.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">This <i>is</i> about awareness.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">It can be true that your parents loved you.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">It could also be true that you had enough food to eat, nice clothes to wear, and Christmas looked like Toys R Us threw up under the most gigantic Frasier fir your dad could find at the tree farm.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">And it can also be true that your emotional needs weren't met, or that you put your parent's emotional needs above your own.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">And you never knew this because how could you know this when you were a child? What happens to us in childhood <i>is</i> our normal.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">But normal doesn't always mean healthy.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">And as Bessel van der Kolk so eloquently chose for the title of his book: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Body-Keeps-Score-Healing-Trauma-ebook/dp/B00G3L1C2K/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2DVJ5N6W3S732&keywords=the+body+keeps+the+score&qid=1645393064&s=books&sprefix=the+body+keeps+the+score%2Cstripbooks%2C362&sr=1-1">The body keeps the score</a>.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg43TRe9T2V48-zH40EOEfiCCklovF2fS2OWYZxRuHhoBbF_k-lZ_TGqjSxfXTzLERiSe5C08SBB3YctOxEWqKaHoq1NYZu2ywsvwy1p-vN_WXw2CJTflL8r4LWGOMFH13zn_osduMUgRYpG-ITmrGjlDl7KlJ46Q3b7cEt1isDYmz5pwGN2Y-CVuh88g=s1080" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="891" data-original-width="1080" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg43TRe9T2V48-zH40EOEfiCCklovF2fS2OWYZxRuHhoBbF_k-lZ_TGqjSxfXTzLERiSe5C08SBB3YctOxEWqKaHoq1NYZu2ywsvwy1p-vN_WXw2CJTflL8r4LWGOMFH13zn_osduMUgRYpG-ITmrGjlDl7KlJ46Q3b7cEt1isDYmz5pwGN2Y-CVuh88g=w400-h330" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;">Jamie McCoy, Trauma Coach Instagram: @myintegrativetherapist</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Meaning, although you're not that little child anymore, that uneasiness from something that happened during childhood may still be there. </span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">It never had an opportunity to escape.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">But it's come to the point where it can't sit silent and still any longer.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Certain things light an already existing fuse and bring that pain roaring back to life with a vengeance: When our kids piss us off, when someone cuts us off on the I-94 service ramp, when the house is a goddamned mess one millisecond after we finished cleaning.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">These all <i>feel</i> like reasons to blow.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">But what if they aren't the real catalysts?</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">But want to hear something even scarier than realizing that this is happening?</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Realizing that, if left unchecked, we could pass this on to our child.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">But guess what?</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">There's a good chance that, if we have some modicum of awareness about what is happening, we probably won't.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Apparently, the recognition alone is the golden ticket.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Here's more from Lavinia Brown:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3qGL8bJpfrOfF1gvyJmxlQo5u1UqLTTiN_9KC0sc-kD854ngCtuobYJecwX6UaEEh2ZSdT2ipNGRY7xrUnBg32mSzG9EpjzKf76pPyXIefAfaW2lH3HMQ9T_Qr0K0ZP5a8ELXwLu9bbQibB_fXiTFqo5v_4RXfCXQ74UQRRSnPzH6knNwOs3DgDI1-Q=s959" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="794" data-original-width="959" height="331" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3qGL8bJpfrOfF1gvyJmxlQo5u1UqLTTiN_9KC0sc-kD854ngCtuobYJecwX6UaEEh2ZSdT2ipNGRY7xrUnBg32mSzG9EpjzKf76pPyXIefAfaW2lH3HMQ9T_Qr0K0ZP5a8ELXwLu9bbQibB_fXiTFqo5v_4RXfCXQ74UQRRSnPzH6knNwOs3DgDI1-Q=w400-h331" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>"One of the most common worries clients come to me with is their fear of having emotionally damaged their children. </i></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>The main reason they want to heal is not in order to improve their relationships with their parents. But to improve their relationships with their kids. </i></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>They want to stop parenting like their parents in order to no longer keep perpetuating the patterns that created so much emotional harm in them. </i></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>The thing is, however much you feel you might have damaged your children, you will never have passed on the same trauma that was passed onto you. </i></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>Do you want to know why? </i></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>Because whatever you might have said or done to temporarily rupture the bond between yourself and your kids, you also put in the repair.</i></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a;"> </span></div></div></div></div></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><i style="font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-size: large;">That doesn't erase what you did. But it does make up for it. </span></i></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>And I would bet a large amount of money that your parents didn't do that. </i></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>You take responsibility for your actions.</i></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>You say sorry.</i></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>You tell your children that you could have done better and will try to do that next time.</i></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>You tell them that you love them. </i></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>These are things that most of our parents were not very good at. </i></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>Which makes all the difference when trying to reverse the effects of traumatised parenting. </i></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>So, whilst you think you may have ‘damaged’ your kids in the past (and will probably continue to do so), the ‘damage’ is not permanent. You have the tools, the skills and the drive to do and be better.</i></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>Which is what reverses the effects of traumatised parenting. </i></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>As you heal your past, you are healing your future.</i></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>Focus on that and everything will be ok."</i></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote></blockquote><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div></div></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">—Lavinia Brown</span></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-size: large;">And so, to repeat what I stated earlier:</span></span></div></div></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Simply recognizing that there's work to be done in the first place is huge in and of itself.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">And apologizing<span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">—and truly meaning it</span>. That's key, too.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">While what was done to us in childhood was not our fault, healing ourselves before it impacts our children is indeed our responsibility.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">In the words of inspirational writer Iyanla Vanzant:</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>"The past has already been written, but we have the power to write the future, based on who we are and what we do now."</i></span></div></div></blockquote><div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">It all comes down to this:</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj9ZOGX760x80KQ1LBgmwhuuEv9z0tSV0marNVvdQBA2TyUd7vffV0CXm0HlHjxyUn1OY1HAg--y2GRUr2m1CDwFtaYrvzIU2hEDP6yMuQJWoen3qz6v06kCmWu6wkwdowEezKPeYZZ7UfZ4LEi3uBlZD6fZoIloyLdsrd3L8gWDxwcPs32zFmezl50AQ=s1062" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1051" data-original-width="1062" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj9ZOGX760x80KQ1LBgmwhuuEv9z0tSV0marNVvdQBA2TyUd7vffV0CXm0HlHjxyUn1OY1HAg--y2GRUr2m1CDwFtaYrvzIU2hEDP6yMuQJWoen3qz6v06kCmWu6wkwdowEezKPeYZZ7UfZ4LEi3uBlZD6fZoIloyLdsrd3L8gWDxwcPs32zFmezl50AQ=w400-h396" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: medium;">Instagram: @RespectfulMom</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;">And while I wholeheartedly support the notion of paying homage to those who walked before us, that does not mean <i>everything</i> is worth passing on to the next generation. In that vein, </span><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;">here's one last nugget of wisdom I couldn't help but share</span><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;">:</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgRoVLirxLqOBFrEwAxfpRNsMIb9uZxqcqb56hF1hBB6FfKGCYWLrVJMJTzdrTvOqqS5ueW0wfylPUE9uSmO83nIAyRBXLehRaCoxZDsKAL78-xBslpmu6S6oTAUDG6kzBsMzgS_F2ElmndmVciVSwGVU26wCjQ6ESCOyqneOF1ZaPM8B4fst0lpYEgJg=s1080" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="1080" height="393" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgRoVLirxLqOBFrEwAxfpRNsMIb9uZxqcqb56hF1hBB6FfKGCYWLrVJMJTzdrTvOqqS5ueW0wfylPUE9uSmO83nIAyRBXLehRaCoxZDsKAL78-xBslpmu6S6oTAUDG6kzBsMzgS_F2ElmndmVciVSwGVU26wCjQ6ESCOyqneOF1ZaPM8B4fst0lpYEgJg=w400-h393" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Awareness.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Recognition.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Accountability.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">We have to do this.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">And we can.</span></div></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">© Copyright Courtney Conover, 2022</span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.thewaynedispatch.com/?s=Courtney+Conover"><img height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEheiPKqF-uR9ktb7uGkbtIx3BDgWSdPZbuWR6Za5Y8EgMgNhBLN9TYpgyExR5ODPLcqy7aS-dMmCNV6Es-3_llatcPeHuNRmZ_0zzg3AIRQwST2vgCw-HYYMfYpPMR--amqvu-iw5vf97pLrvzxflUk-AySnAiTHwRQ57uECOpIaEGn4tiBsUblLNaXNg=w400-h278" /></a><br />
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</div> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6594789353434997801.post-9652438068205436552022-04-11T18:07:00.000-04:002022-04-11T18:07:07.321-04:00The grandma’s advice that broke the internet<div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjtxcV9cDPmFNkRFVWSwMWOcu8ilwU5nQkSbk2-AIHWqfRyG8v9XyJ6j7LzN7n4XefIMEWTon6d39xL8BxaGFlU-EusEKJEQaUEC5L1LhkNFleGUr1Vu60OpMRfHn6iW4QhWzMAFASV4Ev2fgrO0OOAMFlTTbpQNYezyYOQhBvfCfdXrYw7rcqB3Z5vsA=s1024" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjtxcV9cDPmFNkRFVWSwMWOcu8ilwU5nQkSbk2-AIHWqfRyG8v9XyJ6j7LzN7n4XefIMEWTon6d39xL8BxaGFlU-EusEKJEQaUEC5L1LhkNFleGUr1Vu60OpMRfHn6iW4QhWzMAFASV4Ev2fgrO0OOAMFlTTbpQNYezyYOQhBvfCfdXrYw7rcqB3Z5vsA=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">When you swipe open your cell phone to kill time as<span style="background-color: white;"> you nuke last night's leftovers, </span><span style="background-color: white;">you never know what you might find. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">Our phones can often serve as the gateway to wisdom we didn't know we needed.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">That was me a couple of mornings ago, sitting at the kitchen table. As I </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">savored my coffee, I </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">mindlessly scrolled through my news feed as if on autopilot.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">And that's when I happened upon something from a blogger by the name of Elena Mikhalkova. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">Technically, it wasn't from Elena. No, she was the messenger. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">The sage advice actually came from Elena's grandmother:</span></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>My grandmother once gave me a tip:</i></span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>In difficult times, you move forward in small steps. Do what you have to do, but little by little. Don’t think about the future, or what may happen tomorrow.</i></span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>Wash the dishes.</i></span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>Remove the dust.</i></span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>Write a letter.</i></span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>Make a soup.</i></span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>You see? You are advancing step by step. Take a step and stop.</i></span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>Rest a little.</i></span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>Praise yourself.</i></span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>Take another step.</i></span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>Then another.</i></span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>You won’t notice, but your steps will grow more and more. And the time will come when you can think about the future without crying.</i></span></div></div></blockquote></blockquote><p><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I put down my coffee and pondered Elena's grandmother's words, which were first revealed to the world in early May of 2020<span style="background-color: white;">—when we were all in the throes of the first stage of COVID.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Back then, guidance that struck a balance between realistic and hopeful were both needed and rare.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">But, then, doesn't life in general always require words of encouragement and reassurance?</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">The loss of a parent.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">The loss of a job.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">Divorce happens</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">—or some other personal earthquake</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">—and it jump-starts a radically different way of existing.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Kids grow older, parents become empty-nesters and find it challenging to navigate the path going forward.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">We've all been there in some form or fashion. We've all experienced the proverbial gut-punch of the cruelties of life. And then we're tasked with the challenge of picking up the pieces and moving on.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">But how do we do that when we can't get out of bed? When essential tasks like showering and eating seem beyond our capability?</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">How are we supposed to do it?</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">One step at a time, Elena's grandmother says.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">You take a breath, do what you can, stop there, and rest. And you don't beat yourself up about it.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">That's how.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Personally, I can wash the dishes, remove the dust, and write the letter. </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">But the soup-making is my sticking point: I'm an abhorrent cook.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">My spaghetti is tolerable, though, and my kids say they love my cookies, so there's that.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">According to Elena's grandmother, I should not hang my head in shame for my inability to do more. Or do it better.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">The crux of this message is that you don't have to attempt to carry the world on your shoulders. Nor do you have to feign an I'm-fine-you're-fine-everything's-fine smile.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;">Observe the pain. Recognize the sorrow. Then do something</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;">—<i>anything</i></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;">—</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;">right now.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">It's advice that is both authentic and doable.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">And this is why Elena's grandmother's words are being shared all over the internet.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">No matter the year, no matter the time: If today is a day that ends in -y, someone</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">—somewhere</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">—</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">could likely use a pick-me-up like this.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">Do something. Rest. Praise yourself. </span></span></p><p><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">And repeat.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">© Copyright Courtney Conover, 2022</span></span></span></p><div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.thewaynedispatch.com/?s=Courtney+Conover"><img height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEheiPKqF-uR9ktb7uGkbtIx3BDgWSdPZbuWR6Za5Y8EgMgNhBLN9TYpgyExR5ODPLcqy7aS-dMmCNV6Es-3_llatcPeHuNRmZ_0zzg3AIRQwST2vgCw-HYYMfYpPMR--amqvu-iw5vf97pLrvzxflUk-AySnAiTHwRQ57uECOpIaEGn4tiBsUblLNaXNg=w400-h278" /></a><br />
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</div> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6594789353434997801.post-80727136854342412322022-04-04T11:52:00.000-04:002022-04-04T11:52:30.241-04:005 Lessons I learned during the pandemic<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgGoYrKo-Wkluhx9mVkY4KQCXZ_UKhJq_XR0e7HCieqN-kQ4cN0QRBuRwZaIXdPKLj_BSCfoebe2FS0EVUVj-Xk9H8AIguKWYhaTnH9RATnaUNSbxysz9o5kkOm8pyN9uM0STpwHtNlz4M3Nk2f6OLIemmT5xczBxmpTs09uqo39gQSFf47ON-GAGcHGQ=s960" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="592" data-original-width="960" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgGoYrKo-Wkluhx9mVkY4KQCXZ_UKhJq_XR0e7HCieqN-kQ4cN0QRBuRwZaIXdPKLj_BSCfoebe2FS0EVUVj-Xk9H8AIguKWYhaTnH9RATnaUNSbxysz9o5kkOm8pyN9uM0STpwHtNlz4M3Nk2f6OLIemmT5xczBxmpTs09uqo39gQSFf47ON-GAGcHGQ=w640-h394" width="640" /></a></div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span>It's really been something, this </span>pandemic.</span><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">No matter the differences regarding how each of us has been affected individually, I don't think it's a stretch to say that none of us will ever truly be the same.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I know I won't.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I am really big on gratitude and recognizing the inherent lessons in all experiences<span style="background-color: white;">—both good and bad.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">But let's face it: I think the general consensus is that<span style="background-color: white;">—with all the suffering (mental and physical), shutdowns, supply-chain shortages, etc.</span><span style="background-color: white;">—COVID bites the big one.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">However.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I've learned A LOT about my relationships with others during these two years, and, most importantly, I've learned a hell of a lot about myself.<br /></span><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I just turned 45, and one would think I would have mastered these teachings long before the pandemic, but, nope.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;">Here's what I'll keep doing</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;">—even after the pandemic is long gone...</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><br /></span></span></div><div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><b>1. My health is of the upmost importance.</b> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEimgQ17lw7956KKyHjlXr_PadrO9C5cLRm7czWD4UAJDAN0Rw6ODqH66vHT3WiPx5CZlr450Wav5S6LIXVFDMHE4cd48Kz7BmwFFTlid_rr6KdEr-O3uj9WwPmX3ov1WAiAAjA3d0okw00KEzO2fUOGA7flSfHdZu1yVsYwuEbQBzzNintvLmCWWvI0yg=s930" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="930" height="389" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEimgQ17lw7956KKyHjlXr_PadrO9C5cLRm7czWD4UAJDAN0Rw6ODqH66vHT3WiPx5CZlr450Wav5S6LIXVFDMHE4cd48Kz7BmwFFTlid_rr6KdEr-O3uj9WwPmX3ov1WAiAAjA3d0okw00KEzO2fUOGA7flSfHdZu1yVsYwuEbQBzzNintvLmCWWvI0yg=w400-h389" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">This isn't anything we didn't already know, right? </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">We <i>know</i> we should eat better; we <i>know</i> we should sleep more; we <i>know</i> we shouldn't sweat the small stuff. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">We turn on the news, hear of a beloved celebrity's unexpected passing and vow to view that as a wake-up call. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">But, then, normalcy resumes and...what was that about eating better, again? </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Well, for me, everything "hit different," as the kids say, when COVID arrived on the scene. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;">While I had always placed a high priority on establishing healthy habits, I realized</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;">—while my kids were constantly underfoot during quarantine</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;">—that They. Were. Always. Watching. If I want them to know how important setting healthy habits are, I have to walk the walk. </span></span></div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><b>2. I don't have to hold space of other's emotions.</b></span><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEho2b5zDCSySraF8h1c1cBPNCJZhFmfBSvHxtOesu_jVruX-HcXkPnlSQcb4Z3InMg7oQPP9bK6AfmF2fStXYjbAHmCa-jzP_Mj0O3mXI1l8S3ekVmP-QOXf9ypXxNmYtavj_E2VGYruCn2XqvvOwMWGk9kaRnKm4HeeRoCPeUdeSjvTcjlDlHFNtC7Fw=s1079" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="806" data-original-width="1079" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEho2b5zDCSySraF8h1c1cBPNCJZhFmfBSvHxtOesu_jVruX-HcXkPnlSQcb4Z3InMg7oQPP9bK6AfmF2fStXYjbAHmCa-jzP_Mj0O3mXI1l8S3ekVmP-QOXf9ypXxNmYtavj_E2VGYruCn2XqvvOwMWGk9kaRnKm4HeeRoCPeUdeSjvTcjlDlHFNtC7Fw=w400-h299" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;">I don't know of a person on this earth who hasn't been affected negatively by COVID. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;">Financial hardship and loneliness are just two burdens many have had to bear. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;">And many of us wish that we could just swoop in and alleviate the suffering of those around us. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;">But we can't always do that. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;">Because <i>we're</i> suffering, too. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;">Should we be compassionate? Yes. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;">Should we always remember to practice kindness</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;">—even when it isn't easy? YES! </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;">But we can't pour from an empty cup. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;">Similarly, we can't hold it against others when <i>they</i> have too much on <i>their</i> plate to support <i>us</i>.</span></span></div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><b>3. Being free doesn't necessarily mean available.</b> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiFKROyKlXGJ6-CZ0BRUIHhbICnf3VShtqfsL5oXp6rT4dDRe0XC-ESFG8ZCbyFkaqshyjdF8Q6iBrL2TGB6uhVNfJMIjAKS2txCIGJaffR7wtp6hCj-O_OuLndOMUNwLzKIIIZXbVLSnJxxuNEmYpr1Wn1TfvXyj6kvnkAAQ6AwWBWgq1D7WiU11stsg=s1076" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1026" data-original-width="1076" height="381" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiFKROyKlXGJ6-CZ0BRUIHhbICnf3VShtqfsL5oXp6rT4dDRe0XC-ESFG8ZCbyFkaqshyjdF8Q6iBrL2TGB6uhVNfJMIjAKS2txCIGJaffR7wtp6hCj-O_OuLndOMUNwLzKIIIZXbVLSnJxxuNEmYpr1Wn1TfvXyj6kvnkAAQ6AwWBWgq1D7WiU11stsg=w400-h381" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="background-color: white;">If I learned anything in these past 48 months it's that there is pleasure in doing absolutely nothing. </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="background-color: white;">I think when everything got shutdown and life slowed to a crawl, this perception existed that because everyone was home, they were also free. </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6d473a;">Wrong. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6d473a;">Additionally, t</span><span style="color: #6d473a;">here was a gross assumption that even asynchronous communication</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">—i.e. texts and e-mails</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">—</span><span style="color: #6d473a;">should be answered at the drop of the hat. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6d473a;">Some didn't blink an eye at texting before the sun even came up or late into the night. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6d473a;">Others even thought coming over announced was okay because "of course you're ready for company! You're sitting at home, right!?" </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6d473a;">Again: WRONG. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6d473a;">My time</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">—as well as yours</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">—is ours and ours alone. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">The t</span><span style="color: #6d473a;">ime we choose to give to others is a gift. Not an entitlement.</span></span></div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><b>4. Life is better with boundaries.</b> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhOY72f74kbQ1CprslUuUgpcSH8xaTWbRSJkQEhdz1QnqJ1YJSxvNU7qR1_uLn57K2_cBDsY4PTBgZbD8uguRkbSGCPHVAv97sRpcqBlRyhypajCiIZhO-QoUG4A3X0IhLfhaLTyMyzGzV4sEhjbBH8obe4MDw83xlBzGg2M_XmkDn_a1icBj2gweJu5w=s1119" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1119" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhOY72f74kbQ1CprslUuUgpcSH8xaTWbRSJkQEhdz1QnqJ1YJSxvNU7qR1_uLn57K2_cBDsY4PTBgZbD8uguRkbSGCPHVAv97sRpcqBlRyhypajCiIZhO-QoUG4A3X0IhLfhaLTyMyzGzV4sEhjbBH8obe4MDw83xlBzGg2M_XmkDn_a1icBj2gweJu5w=w386-h400" width="386" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">If we had one buzzword in this house, it was this: <i>Boundaries, boundaries, boundaries</i>. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Until the pandemic, I never realized how much I lacked them...and how much I needed them. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">In kindergarten, we learn to keep our hands and feet to ourselves, which are essential physical boundaries, no doubt. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">But boundaries can also be emotional or mental, financial or material, spiritual or religious, and sexual. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">And, make no mistake about it: Many will balk and squawk when we declare our boundaries and tell them no. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">And we <i>will</i> receive pushback in return, which makes the process of setting boundaries uncomfortable at times. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">But boundaries are still essential, nonetheless. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I've already begun instilling this mindset into my children. I tell them all the time that boundaries are a two-way street: We want others to respect our no, so we have to accept theirs as well...even when we'd rather not. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Choosing NOT to establish boundaries often leads to us to feeling angry and resentful</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="font-size: large;">—because that's what tends to happen when we do things out of obligation instead of desire</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;">—</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;">which, in the long run, can be far more detrimental than if we had just set the darn boundary in the first place. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="font-size: large;">In the words of one of my favorite authors, Nedra Glover Tawwab, "The root of self-care is setting boundaries. People don't know what you want. It's your job to make it clear. Clarity saves relationships."</span></span></div></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #6d473a;">5. </span><span style="color: #6d473a;">Always follow your gut. </span></b><span style="color: #6d473a;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjow9BDRR_clf_hY2n5d6hTY6rghDgWAQjJodGX_sBtscXRymqoa7P8ubMtUb8jprTFKtmy7ox9mY9dh1zbqdLA6Z6ADcye1I4AIuSEGZoFkwWlMEoa0rZztJAM1P_vsDCbeJPkxLjOy5KCNoMxB7IxMOFz7l0RDBFPxVPUnYfkv9TNJppP7dxiqw6mog=s1080" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="988" data-original-width="1080" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjow9BDRR_clf_hY2n5d6hTY6rghDgWAQjJodGX_sBtscXRymqoa7P8ubMtUb8jprTFKtmy7ox9mY9dh1zbqdLA6Z6ADcye1I4AIuSEGZoFkwWlMEoa0rZztJAM1P_vsDCbeJPkxLjOy5KCNoMxB7IxMOFz7l0RDBFPxVPUnYfkv9TNJppP7dxiqw6mog=w400-h366" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Oh, how I love this gem by Peaceful Barb (above). </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">And truer words have never been spoken.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">In all my 45 years, I have yet to regret yielding to that inner voice or that pull from deep inside my gut.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">They have steered me right each and every time.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">And I've had to depend on them often during this pandemic.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Whether it was keeping my children enrolled in virtual learning while other parents chose to send their children back to school in person, or making the tough choice to abstain from hosting relatives at our home during the holidays, making these decisions wasn't a walk in the park.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Adding insult to injury was the fact that there weren't any roadmaps or cheat sheets.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">No one had the 100% right answers.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Our family had to do what was right for <i>us</i>.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Our gut was our compass.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">And as we learned firsthand, what we felt was right was not always popular.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">© Copyright Courtney Conover,
2022</span></p></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.thewaynedispatch.com/?s=Courtney+Conover"><img height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEheiPKqF-uR9ktb7uGkbtIx3BDgWSdPZbuWR6Za5Y8EgMgNhBLN9TYpgyExR5ODPLcqy7aS-dMmCNV6Es-3_llatcPeHuNRmZ_0zzg3AIRQwST2vgCw-HYYMfYpPMR--amqvu-iw5vf97pLrvzxflUk-AySnAiTHwRQ57uECOpIaEGn4tiBsUblLNaXNg=w400-h278" /></a><br />
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</div> </div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6594789353434997801.post-20149728772188070042022-04-01T10:00:00.001-04:002022-04-01T10:00:00.167-04:00AFFIRMATION: April 2022<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhgB4AljXghfFOvTAfTmEpGosuo-vX9ECzEUrT2vgI68ZOYpSg-M89FdQdvSBbB5AlKqK8UxMBqKvFFljvmSpeNduv_Fq6KLyyL5bLrp_Seai9lcpf62zapVzyhU_KqtfAbzOxsbfAF1C1umD0s4hbM1paTtRVjThnf5b5OGWsIE1TR7NO7PNvNLV2T6A=s1920" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhgB4AljXghfFOvTAfTmEpGosuo-vX9ECzEUrT2vgI68ZOYpSg-M89FdQdvSBbB5AlKqK8UxMBqKvFFljvmSpeNduv_Fq6KLyyL5bLrp_Seai9lcpf62zapVzyhU_KqtfAbzOxsbfAF1C1umD0s4hbM1paTtRVjThnf5b5OGWsIE1TR7NO7PNvNLV2T6A=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: x-small;">CREDIT: Bich Tran/Pexels</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: xx-large;">I am capable.</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: xx-large;"><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="font-size: large;">In December of 1999, I packed up nearly everything I owned and moved to Columbia, South Carolina, to chase my dream of becoming a television news reporter.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="font-size: large;">All my life, I had envisioned realizing my dream of becoming an on-air television reporter...and it was happening.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="font-size: large;">I literally pinched myself after I parked my white Jeep Cherokee in the parking lot on my first day on the job.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="font-size: large;">About three months in, the newness had worn off, but I never allowed myself to feel truly at ease.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="font-size: large;">I produced the noon news and reported live in the field for both the 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts. I had mastered the equipment, learned how to read proficiently from the teleprompter, and figured out who to ask for help in order to complete the tasks I couldn't on my own.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="font-size: large;">Frankly, I was amazed at how well I had adapted.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="font-size: large;">But my celebratory spirit was overshadowed by the fact that I remained woefully unsure of myself.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><span>And it didn't help that I felt </span></span><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;">lonely and anxious at home</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;">—long after I had left the station for the day.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I had beat out candidates from all over the country to earn a spot on the WLTX-News 19 team.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">But there, I was doubting myself as if <i>that</i> was my job.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I failed to acknowledge that I was there because I had what it took.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I failed to realize that I was where I had long wanted to be.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I had failed to remind myself that I was <b>capable</b>.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="font-size: large;">I didn't realize it back then, but going to South Carolina and working at that TV station was one of the best things I ever did for myself. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Can you identify a point in your life when you underestimated your own capability?</span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;">I love that quote by </span><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;">Eleanor Roosevelt in which she said, "A woman is like a tea bag; you never know how strong it is until it's in hot water.”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">But that's true for each and every one of us: Man, woman, and child.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">The key, as I see it, is to tap into our strength and recognize our capability while we're still in the difficult moment...and not just long after it has passed.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>"I accept my power. I know that I am quite capable of handling each day as it unfolds."</i></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"> <span style="background-color: white;">—</span>Louise L. Hay</span></div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><br /></span></div>The affirmation for April 2022 is:</span><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><b style="text-align: center;"> I am capable.</b><br /></span><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">© Copyright Courtney Conover, 2022
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<a href="http://www.thewaynedispatch.com/?s=Courtney+Conover"><img height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEheiPKqF-uR9ktb7uGkbtIx3BDgWSdPZbuWR6Za5Y8EgMgNhBLN9TYpgyExR5ODPLcqy7aS-dMmCNV6Es-3_llatcPeHuNRmZ_0zzg3AIRQwST2vgCw-HYYMfYpPMR--amqvu-iw5vf97pLrvzxflUk-AySnAiTHwRQ57uECOpIaEGn4tiBsUblLNaXNg=w400-h278" /></a><br />
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</div> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6594789353434997801.post-3943445040865348732022-03-28T10:28:00.000-04:002022-03-28T10:28:29.381-04:007 Unselfish Ways to Put Yourself First<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEirdrfWxCsoJ5a0putEBibVYRUxb7uERtSNGjg6_6PU4klP5B6b2640c7Fu6GEnr0M9_mAFbIw6ViRu1Jn5LpK1ZK3ZCKZsfDT70YyEFDUnAH4drYVz7wWrUsfkfFcR3uyG0GT819gwFN2GwX_jWT3I6B0rkGeyAK60nwo_nc_xaFQh0hvzkuwU54BHKw=s574" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="380" data-original-width="574" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEirdrfWxCsoJ5a0putEBibVYRUxb7uERtSNGjg6_6PU4klP5B6b2640c7Fu6GEnr0M9_mAFbIw6ViRu1Jn5LpK1ZK3ZCKZsfDT70YyEFDUnAH4drYVz7wWrUsfkfFcR3uyG0GT819gwFN2GwX_jWT3I6B0rkGeyAK60nwo_nc_xaFQh0hvzkuwU54BHKw=w640-h424" width="640" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>"Get skinny!"</i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i> </i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>"Level
up!"</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><i><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">"Make more money!"</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Messages abound about why and how we don't measure up. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">But
here's a novel concept: Wouldn't we be better served by ignoring those voices—and practicing self-care instead?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Okay,
true: Self-care has been something of a buzzword recently. But it's important,
nonetheless, because it means taking care of yourself.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Not
in a selfish "To heck with everyone; I'm only out for me"-kind-of-way;
but rather in a "I realize that my own peacefulness and well-being is necessary
so that I can be my best self"-kind-of-way.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">And
here are seven ways to do just that:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">1. Eat a well-balanced diet<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">When
we’re exhausted—and starving, it’s easy to resort to whatever is handy: snack
foods loaded with sugar, and, worse yet, washing it down with soda or something
else that’s equally sugary. Basically, the more tired or stressed we are, the
more we tend to make unwise dietary decisions. And, of course, the problem is
that we need high quality food to perform well—no matter what we’re doing.
Paying attention to what we’re eating and consciously making better snack and
meal choices sets our sails in the right direction. We’re not striving for
perfection, here. Just progress.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">2. Making a budget and planning for financial
wellness<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">While
it’s not always easy—or fun, for that matter, making a budget and following it
are two extremely beneficial financial habits. Not only does creating a budget
help keep our individual—or family’s—finances in order, but it also allows us
put cash away for rainy days and emergencies. And here's a bonus: Budgeting
also helps us save for special occasions such as Christmas or birthdays—occasions
that arrive at the same time every year, yet many of us remain unprepared for.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">3. Voicing discontent<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Voicing
discontent is just a fancy way of saying <i>Speak up!</i> One place where
people often remain quiet but shouldn't, particularly when something's
unsatisfactory, is in a restaurant. You deserve a pleasurable dining
experience. Period. “A lot of customers don’t like to complain,” said Doug
Brown, author of <i>The Restaurant Manager's Handbook: How to Set Up, Operate,
and Manage a Financially Successful Food Service Operation</i>, which is in its
fourth printing and is currently available on Amazon. And Brown thinks that’s a
shame. “A lot of people will just not come back [to a restaurant] and never say
why.” Well-run restaurants welcome constructive complaints. And the best way to
help them—and yourself, when you’re sitting there with the rockfish, but you
ordered the salmon—is to speak up right away. Be kind and mind your manners, of
course. The food industry has been hit especially hard of late, and the last
thing a food server needs is unnecessary rudeness. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">4. Muting friends' accounts on social media
that trigger the comparison game<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Now,
actively choosing not to see a friend’s social media posts is something many of
us are loathe to do, but it can bring surprising relief. And that’s because there
is a likelihood that we won’t even miss said posts in their absence. We all
have certain triggers that can cause our confidence to take a nosedive—and social
media can be rife with them because people are constantly showcasing the best
aspects of their lives. A beautiful (and costly!) wedding or a shiny new
promotion are just two examples of post-worthy occasions. But would these same
folks also post about their divorce or unemployment? It’s debatable. But if
your friend <i>did</i>, it would provide a dose of reality...and reality is often
what's lost on social media. Muting is the easiest and most efficient way to
cut through social media noise without severing social ties or ruffling any
feathers.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">5. Set boundaries<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">“Boundaries
will set you free,” says Nedra Glover Tawwab, a licensed counselor and sought-after
relationship expert whose book, <i>Set Boundaries, Find Peace</i>, was an
instant <i>New York Times</i> bestseller. During her fourteen years of
practice, Tawwab has learned that people don’t come to therapy realizing they
have boundary issues. Rather, she says, their boundary issues are disguised as
issues with self-care, conflicts with other people, trouble with time management,
or concerns about how social media impacts their emotional state. However, says
Tawwab, “Once they finish their tales of resentment, unhappiness, feeling
overwhelmed, and codependency, I say to them gently, ‘You have an issue with
boundaries.’” We all know we should have boundaries. After all, we need them to
achieve work/life balance, cope with toxic people, and enjoy rewarding
relationships. Creating healthy boundaries leads to feeling safe, loved, calm,
and respected because they dictate how we allow people to show up for us—and
how we show up for others. But here’s the kicker: People don’t know what we
want. It’s our job to make it clear. And expressing that clarity saves
relationships. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">6. Get real about the source of your guilt<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Here’s
the story of Kate, a 25-year-old graphic designer who lives three states over
from her parents. During her parents’ last visit, Kate reached an epiphany: She
had been trained to feel guilty. It all started when Kate decided she wasn’t
going to grab coffee with her parents on the fifth morning of her parents’
stay. Says Kate, “Even though I’d spent every second of the past four days with
them, I knew they would be upset if I didn’t go with them to this one outing.
Even when I don’t do anything wrong, I’m worried my parents will be upset if I
don’t do something exactly how they wanted it. But I don’t even know how <i>not</i>
to feel that way.” Kate is not alone. The first step in this conundrum is
defining guilt, and the second step is to determine which type of guilt is at
play. The function of healthy guilt is to inform us of when we act in a way
that’s not in accordance with our values. (Say, for example, you jokingly
insult a friend, and it comes off as unusually sharp. You realize this—after
the fact—and your guilt leads you to apologize and check your behavior.) But there’s
another type of guilt, an unhealthy kind that is used as a tool of control—even
when it has nothing to do with our values. That’s the one Kate is dealing with.
In Kate’s case, many would likely agree that there’s nothing morally wrong with
an adult who chooses to opt out of a coffee run with her parents—despite loving
her parents and being genuinely happy to see them. Jenny Layton, a life coach
and creator of <i>The Happy Gal</i> blog, believes that carrying around
unnecessary guilt is the complete antithesis of self-care—and that putting down
said guilt is but one pit-stop on the journey to our well-being. “You won’t
resent things down the road. You’ll find happiness in the now, and peace in the
years to come.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">7. Do what gives you joy<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Maybe
you work 10-hour days. Maybe you have work life <i>and</i> parenthood on your
plate. Maybe you’re the primary caregiver of your aging parent or relative. And
maybe you’re retired and don’t have any of the aforementioned obligations.
Regardless of who you are or what you do, you deserve happiness. Taking a
breather, as they say, avoids burnout and enables you to show up as the best
version of yourself. Whether it’s taking 20 minutes out of your day to enjoy a
walk, read a book, or turn off your phone and do absolutely nothing at all, do
it. And do it regularly. Because, as the saying goes: You can’t pour from an
empty cup.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-size: 18.6667px;">© Copyright Courtney Conover, 2022</span></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;">This article originally appeared in </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;">The Wayne Dispatch.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.thewaynedispatch.com/?s=Courtney+Conover"><img height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEheiPKqF-uR9ktb7uGkbtIx3BDgWSdPZbuWR6Za5Y8EgMgNhBLN9TYpgyExR5ODPLcqy7aS-dMmCNV6Es-3_llatcPeHuNRmZ_0zzg3AIRQwST2vgCw-HYYMfYpPMR--amqvu-iw5vf97pLrvzxflUk-AySnAiTHwRQ57uECOpIaEGn4tiBsUblLNaXNg=w400-h278" /></a><br />
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</div> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6594789353434997801.post-840411044317495702022-03-21T15:02:00.000-04:002022-03-21T15:02:14.080-04:00Green Juice: #4<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_UqAAPujOeE0X1nd0_2QeIhY62jxojFIxsdhRRM5oHNUBJYI1Y2BldRKajHLOuwi6HQFhBmH0sBXQ_QCiD0Zd17_m0mfxpT32fR0LECEZcvWJ6UUCG2dY_8uUQkqx2XeZIaLLnu7_r3ftzBi_ACBNX9NbM84RBAfep9nLRpYnti5eaiQpQRQ3ZSExlg=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_UqAAPujOeE0X1nd0_2QeIhY62jxojFIxsdhRRM5oHNUBJYI1Y2BldRKajHLOuwi6HQFhBmH0sBXQ_QCiD0Zd17_m0mfxpT32fR0LECEZcvWJ6UUCG2dY_8uUQkqx2XeZIaLLnu7_r3ftzBi_ACBNX9NbM84RBAfep9nLRpYnti5eaiQpQRQ3ZSExlg=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Okay.</span><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">So, what we have here, folks, is what I consider a basic juice.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">With a slight twist.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">The heavy presence of citrus<span style="background-color: white;">—from both lemon and orange</span><span style="background-color: white;">—coupled with cilantro really takes the flavor up a notch.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Here's the rundown, from left to right:</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><b>Collard greens, lemon, cilantro, orange, cucumber</b>...and the speck at the bottom center of the plate is one bulb of <b>garlic</b>.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">And, man, did the garlic bring the noise, as only garlic can.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Now, let's take a look at the nutritional benefits of each ingredient:</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><b>Collard greens </b>are one of my go-tos for juicing. Collard greens contain a high fiber content, and this can cause stomach discomfort, gas, and bloating for some people. (Personally, I haven't experienced this and neither have my kids.) Collard greens are on the bitter side, but they play well when mixed with other fruits and vegetables. </span></div><div style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><b>Lemon </b>These tiny yellow wonders are known for their high vitamin C content and can reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer.</span></div><div style="color: #6d473a;"><b><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><b>Cilantro </b>is most often cited as being effective for toxic metal cleansing. The natural chemical compounds in cilantro bind to toxic metals in the body to help remove them from the body.</span></div><div style="color: #6d473a;"><b><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><b style="background-color: white;">Orange</b><span style="background-color: white;"> juice is high in many nutrients, including vitamin C, folate, and potassium. But, let me just be honest: They're just here for the sweetness they bring to the table. Remember: This batch of juice is for the kiddos.</span></span></div><div style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><b>Cucumber</b> helps rid the mouth of odor-fighting bacteria, contains numerous antioxidants, and fights inflammation.</span></div><div style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><b>Garlic</b>, according to the website <i>Conserve Energy Future</i>, </span><span style="color: #6d473a;">possesses over 400 chemicals that interact with the body to keep it firing on all cylinders. It boosts levels of insulin that naturally occur in the liver to help keep sugar levels regulated.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I simply threw everything into my juicer exactly as it appears on the plate in the photo above.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">And here's what the finished product looks like:</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiW7BylC5Ms9NQvE7I365cFUhc-VK3iF5ZUkR0fUlesbL0Ljh-EzmwnM2Mt1r7HXa-158qUdcetmOllHV6FtkaLmZN3zMaNUhT9p5C0W4rL1SWMV2dFmSxD4yWsNYsn0d45GAivwKHROV9_4xiEbs126EvxayE4SxL0j3j5jicbNkNIsWhGbSAOgTcqyA=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiW7BylC5Ms9NQvE7I365cFUhc-VK3iF5ZUkR0fUlesbL0Ljh-EzmwnM2Mt1r7HXa-158qUdcetmOllHV6FtkaLmZN3zMaNUhT9p5C0W4rL1SWMV2dFmSxD4yWsNYsn0d45GAivwKHROV9_4xiEbs126EvxayE4SxL0j3j5jicbNkNIsWhGbSAOgTcqyA=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">And remember how I stated in previous posts that I store the leftover pulp (usually in Ziplock bags in the freezer) for future recipes?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Well, this time, I didn't wait: I threw it in the skillet immediately and made a delightful egg scramble:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhsr_dHyysTVXQK6yygx8w2FpFB5XEGgH3QNIsdm6GpRbHiVNKr35Hc6SFXO5xyMj_eMD_ZAAbDoqFrwHw5nN-TkdhWQq25-zKe4pIJswBJ3ys_zcB5Rsqbr_ptnvVFcQxdosPuwH6V9NTPPR6D4qko3AqZvutStVgPvMtfcKqQXHqlzx-q6135jzA0iw=s2842" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2499" data-original-width="2842" height="351" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhsr_dHyysTVXQK6yygx8w2FpFB5XEGgH3QNIsdm6GpRbHiVNKr35Hc6SFXO5xyMj_eMD_ZAAbDoqFrwHw5nN-TkdhWQq25-zKe4pIJswBJ3ys_zcB5Rsqbr_ptnvVFcQxdosPuwH6V9NTPPR6D4qko3AqZvutStVgPvMtfcKqQXHqlzx-q6135jzA0iw=w400-h351" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I tossed in some fresh Roma tomatoes, too.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">It was good eatin'.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I estimate that this meal alone may have accounted for half my daily fiber intake. (Juice pulp is notoriously high in fiber, which promotes regularity and gut health.)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">(FYI, our home's vintage Thermador range is electric, but sometimes we prefer cooking with gas, hence the fact that I whipped this up on our portable gas burner.)</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Are you into juicing?</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">If so, I wanna hear what you make. Drop your recipes in the comments.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Until we juice again...</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Cheers!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">© Copyright Courtney Conover, 2022</span></span></div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 16.5px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>If you are new to my juicing posts, please visit </i><a href="http://www.courtneyconover.com/2022/01/juicing-how-i-started.html" style="color: #4e6e9f; text-decoration-line: none;">Juicing: How I started</a><i>, which details the exact juicer and glass bottles I use as well as some background on how I got started</i></b>.</span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.thewaynedispatch.com/?s=Courtney+Conover"><img height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEheiPKqF-uR9ktb7uGkbtIx3BDgWSdPZbuWR6Za5Y8EgMgNhBLN9TYpgyExR5ODPLcqy7aS-dMmCNV6Es-3_llatcPeHuNRmZ_0zzg3AIRQwST2vgCw-HYYMfYpPMR--amqvu-iw5vf97pLrvzxflUk-AySnAiTHwRQ57uECOpIaEGn4tiBsUblLNaXNg=w400-h278" /></a><br />
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</div> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6594789353434997801.post-61324645137851802302022-03-15T20:46:00.001-04:002022-03-20T16:06:51.727-04:00What are you really getting out of Facebook?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEisekxOUgpH-xbrA7Eh--PUqsQhv9a_E_eHE9a2VvqgwOQqqYLRZutJIRtbm3doS3rOW6CjOI5QUdD6RXoXcaiIDwrKPij2crRHZ0lCnF5u1hqRQXVG3iuGZ00K5KhFMSnSM_BrZz8F6mFGNG4ktVd-waRb_bDc0HZY-J-pRUBcs-87aQx1LgJY80Z8-Q=s1920" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEisekxOUgpH-xbrA7Eh--PUqsQhv9a_E_eHE9a2VvqgwOQqqYLRZutJIRtbm3doS3rOW6CjOI5QUdD6RXoXcaiIDwrKPij2crRHZ0lCnF5u1hqRQXVG3iuGZ00K5KhFMSnSM_BrZz8F6mFGNG4ktVd-waRb_bDc0HZY-J-pRUBcs-87aQx1LgJY80Z8-Q=w640-h320" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6d473a;">And the subsequent</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">—and perhaps more important question</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">—is: What is Facebook <i>taking</i> from you?</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">But we'll get to that later.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">But first things first: </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">What are you really getting out of Facebook?</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">If asked this question, I surmise that most people would reply, first and foremost, that Facebook enables them to keep in touch with loved ones and friends. And, sure, that's a valid (and quite convenient) answer. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">After all, this social media behemoth allows for an almost-instant connection to the people we see everyday or rarely, if at all. It's not unusual, for example, for someone to tag their spouse in the comment section of an amusing post so as to draw his or her attention to it. Or maybe a song comes on and reminds you of your seventh grade clique, and so you use Facebook to find them and see what they're up to.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I'm not talking about that.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">In retrospect, I should be asking a different question:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">What are you getting out of <i>posting</i> on Facebook?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Meaning, what motivates you to post what you post?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6d473a;">I'm of the belief that garnering attention</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">—despite many people's inability to admit it</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">—is what motivates us all to post</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-size: large;">Some people might beg to differ.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-size: large;">They'll say, "No! I'm not posting for attention: I'm posting to wish so-and-so a happy birthday." Or, "I'm posting in remembrance of Uncle Ed's passing."</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-size: large;">And that person might legitimately believe they're right.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="background-color: white;">But I argue that that person is posting <i>to get attention for </i>wishing </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">so-and-so a happy birthday, that they are posting <i>to get attention for </i></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">remembering Uncle Ed's passing.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Remember: A birthday wish or remembrance don't have to be made public.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Both existed before Facebook.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">What I'm trying to say is, when people post on Facebook</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">—and post things that often involve others, in particular, their post is just as much (if not more) about themselves as it is about the other person.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Me, personally, as an individual who has been self-employed since 2009, it was my intention to attain clients that eventually lured me onto Facebook in 2014.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I'm a bit of an anomaly because I've never used Facebook in the conventional sense.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I mean, yes, when one of my friends published a post announcing the adoption of her family's new dog, then, yeah, sure, I "liked" the post.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">However, I characterize my Facebook usage as unconventional because I never posted on my personal Facebook page. The only reason I even had a personal page at all was because one needs a personal Facebook account in order to make a business (i.e. public) Facebook page. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">I launched my professional Facebook page so that prospective clients</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">—those who might seek to hire me for my professional writing or yoga instruction services</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">—could get to know me on a more personal level</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">. So that they could see how my roles as a wife and mother have shaped and influenced me as a writer and yoga teacher.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I'm not going to lie.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Everything I posted was carefully considered prior to posting: <i>Does the wording of this caption strike the right tone? , If I posted this photo, would I come to regret it later?</i>, etc.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">As a wife and mother, sure, I posted about my family. But I had strict ground rules in place.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I never posted anything that included the front of my home; I never posted anything that referenced where my children attend school; I never posted photos of my children that they might come to be horrified by later.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I always thought about safety and how things might be perceived down the road.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Furthermore, because the sole purpose of my page was to focus on me, personally, I made an effort <i>not</i> to post things that one would easily see posted elsewhere. That meant I decided against posting memes, celebrity news, funny YouTube videos, etc.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I also didn't give a hoot about likes. All I cared about was visibility. I simply wanted to grant a prospective client access to me, hence the reason I opted for a public, business page.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Again, I realize, that my Facebook usage differed greatly from how most people use Facebook. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">But I fully admit that my strategy involved turning attention into a professional boost.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">So my real question is two-fold: </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Why do others seek attention on Facebook?</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">And why are they willing to post what they do in order to get that attention?</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I am not judging. And I don't have the answers.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I wholeheartedly admit to being genuinely perplexed (and sometimes dumbfounded) by what people are willing to post...just to get attention.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="background-color: white;">And I am especially intrigued as to why people use three things in particular</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">—</span><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="background-color: white;">children, death, and sympathy</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">—</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">as consistent Facebook fodder.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Let's take the topic of kids first.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">It is not uncommon for adults to publish posts in celebration of a child's birthday. Parents do it all the time, which, for better or worse, is a parent's right.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">These kids are <i>theirs</i>.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">What I find odd, however, is when other adults use a kid's birthday as an opportunity to post.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Even when the kid's parents aren't active on Facebook.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Even when the kids themselves are too young to even access Facebook, and therefore will never have any knowledge of the post.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">What is the impetus behind posting "Happy birthday, Johnny. Enjoy your special day! I love you so much!"...when Johnny never even sees it?</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">The only thing I keep falling back on is that the person who posts about Johnny is using the occasion of Johnny's birthday to draw attention to him or herself.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">And I am simply wondering why that is.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">The person posting may very well love Johnny.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">And it can also be true that Johnny is being used as a pawn to gain fleeting attention on Facebook.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Similarly, some people think nothing of posting photos of children without the consent of the children's parents, which I also find bizarre.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Or how about when parents themselves post cringe-worthy photos of their own children that said children will predictably have a cow about when they reach adolescence, if not before. (Ironically, the people posting the baby pictures of others are often hesitant about posting pictures of themselves, at any stage of life).</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I mean, let's face it: The internet is forever.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white;">When people post messages</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;">—<i>directly penned </i></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><i>to the deceased</i></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;">—on Facebook, please, pray tell how that <i>isn't</i> a desperate plea for attention?</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">The dead, God rest their souls, won't ever see it.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I can (kind of) understand someone pouring his or her heart out about missing a loved one. I still see it as attention-grabbing, don't get me wrong. But at least the person is sharing his or her own personal feelings and not writing a message that the intended recipient will never see...but everyone else will.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">In the same vain, Reddit has coined a term that describes when people post condolences for others who are grieving: it's called a grief vulture, and I find it eerily appropriate.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">For example, Mary has a friend named Sue, and Sue's brother passes away. Mary then jumps on Facebook and posts about how sad it all is and how her heart aches for Sue.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Like I stated above about Johnny: It can be true that Mary truly is sad for Sue.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">But it can also be true that Mary is using the passing of Sue's brother as click-bate. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">And, again, I am simply asking why this call for attention is necessary.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">What purpose does it serve? What itch does it scratch?</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">I might be going out on a limb here, but I venture to say that many people who engage in this behavior aren't even conscious of it, that t</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">hey just do it without thinking.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;">Like, for example, when people post prayer requests</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;">—<i>Please say a prayer for me</i> or <i>Please pray for my friend Shawn, he could use it!</i></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;">—but will conveniently leave out why the prayer is needed.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Listen, I believe in the power of prayer.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">But I also believe that there's a thing called "performance prayer," which is when prayer is elicited simply for the means of seeking attention.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">Posting a summons for prayer</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">—in the absence of a reason</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">—can be viewed as a passive-aggressive way of inviting people to ask "Why?," which then opens the door for the poster to seek even <i>more</i> attention by providing an explanation.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">Just take a good, conscious look through your Facebook feed, and I'm sure you're likely to agree that people post things that are cavalier and incredulous</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">—at best</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">—and just plain irresponsible</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">—at worst.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-size: large;">Which brings us to the question at the top of this post: </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-size: large;">What is Facebook capable of taking from you?</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-size: large;">Is it dignity?</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-size: large;">I saw an article the other day which detailed a hack for preventing Facebook memories from reviving our most awkward posts.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-size: large;">That article exists for a good reason.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-size: large;">What else might Facebook take from you?</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-size: large;">A better job?</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="background-color: white;">Speaking of articles, the internet</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">—and newspapers</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">—are</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"> rife with tales of people who</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">—against better judgment, or in the absence of any judgment at all</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">—decided to post something degrading, inflammatory, or downright stupid all in the name of getting attention.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">It is true that we have free speech in this country.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">But we are not free from consequences.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">We do have the freedom to post nearly anything...but the supervisor at our dream job also has the right not to hire us.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">And, adding insult to injury is the notion that something can come back to haunt us long after it's been posted.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>The internet is forever</i>.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">How does one's insatiable quest for attention override one's concern for the long game?</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Put another way: Why would someone chase likes at the expense of embarrassing children, damaging relationships, or ruining their chances of making a good first impression later on?</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">So, again, I ask: Is the attention really worth it?</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">© Copyright Courtney Conover,
2022<o:p></o:p></span></p></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.thewaynedispatch.com/?s=Courtney+Conover"><img height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEheiPKqF-uR9ktb7uGkbtIx3BDgWSdPZbuWR6Za5Y8EgMgNhBLN9TYpgyExR5ODPLcqy7aS-dMmCNV6Es-3_llatcPeHuNRmZ_0zzg3AIRQwST2vgCw-HYYMfYpPMR--amqvu-iw5vf97pLrvzxflUk-AySnAiTHwRQ57uECOpIaEGn4tiBsUblLNaXNg=w400-h278" /></a><br />
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</div> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6594789353434997801.post-1604155387208034212022-03-09T14:18:00.001-05:002022-03-20T16:10:38.497-04:00That time I locked myself inside my house<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg1Nt85QX_MRmx-f63UVsNP8XgkGvsWeCAnHetyf_HkLB896Kobbpnqq7FSn6PXE3tl6wKbBR0q99UBu4XbfOEbmtSFLkAbErK1jwZD45exEJOpn9aFGEFBqhUFNGklt126zVt7b98q_oxVtOIcZJcGnmX6t9sMa3LNwu0ugrL-O2YAheoSrKkJ-z28Jg=s1080" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1053" data-original-width="1080" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg1Nt85QX_MRmx-f63UVsNP8XgkGvsWeCAnHetyf_HkLB896Kobbpnqq7FSn6PXE3tl6wKbBR0q99UBu4XbfOEbmtSFLkAbErK1jwZD45exEJOpn9aFGEFBqhUFNGklt126zVt7b98q_oxVtOIcZJcGnmX6t9sMa3LNwu0ugrL-O2YAheoSrKkJ-z28Jg=w400-h390" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I simply love a bargain; and I'm not even picky.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">But I <i>really</i> love it when it's something extravagant.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">There I was, sitting in bed in the dead of night with a glass of shiraz in my left hand while scrolling through eBay with my right.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I wasn't looking for anything in particular when...I saw it.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">A 100% pure cashmere Marc by Marc Jacobs cardigan sweater in the neutral go-with-anything tones of cream and sandy beige.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span>It had four pockets, each adorned with</span><span style="background-color: white;">—from what I could tell from the photos</span><span style="background-color: white;">—heavy metal bronze buttons.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-size: large;">It was a beauty.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-size: large;">But it was the price that made me weak in the knees: </span></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Starting bid was just $9.99.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">At first, I wasn't sure if my myopic vision<span style="background-color: white;">—or the shiraz</span><span style="background-color: white;">—was making me see things. So, I blinked a few times.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Nope.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">It was indeed $9.99.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">The listing stated that this sweater was a store return from a high-end New York department store. Pristine condition. Buyer satisfaction guaranteed or a return would be welcomed within 60 days.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">This sweater retailed at $645.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">My heart skipped a few beats.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I tried to envision what $645 worth of high-quality Italian cashmere would feel like.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I didn't know, but at 10:45 p.m. on a Tuesday night after half a glass of shiraz, I envisioned it felt like something I needed to have.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;">So I bid on it; I entered $10.50</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;"><i>I probably won't win</i>, I thought. </span></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;">As far as I could tell, there were no other watchers (AKA prospective buyers) keeping an eye on this auction. But deals like this had a way of pulling competition out of the woodwork.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="background-color: white;">There was less than five hours left in this auction</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">—i</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">t was slated to end in the middle of the night. I wasn't about to forgo my much-needed shut-eye to enter into a bidding war that would likely end in a shoot-out.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I shut down my tablet and went to sleep.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>Que sera, sera</i>.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Between getting the kids up, fed, and out the door for school drop-off the next morning, I nearly forgot about the auction.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span><span style="background-color: white;">I opened my email inbox</span><span style="background-color: white;">—fully prepared to find an </span></span><span style="background-color: white;">automated <i>Sorry, y</i></span><i>ou lost this one</i><span style="background-color: white;"> conciliatory message.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">But, no.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I won.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;">And I was the sole bidder.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;"><i>Well, I'll be</i>.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;">I owed a mere $9.99, plus $5 shipping.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;">In all, I paid $15.89 for a nearly $700 sweater.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;">That's 97.6% off.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;">In a state of utter disbelief, I rendered payment via PayPal, right there in the school parking lot.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span><span style="background-color: white;">Now, all I had to do was wait a few days for the sweater to arrive. </span></span><span style="background-color: white;">I monitored USPS tracking like a hawk; signed up for text alerts and everything.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">A mere three days later, I received the coveted notification I had been waiting for, the <i>ping!</i> came through my cell phone as I was making my rounds cleaning the bathrooms. </span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><i><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">The sweater was out for delivery. Right now.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">The update induced the kind of superficial giddiness that almost always induces guilt by default, also. </span><span style="background-color: white;">But guilt due to shallowness feels a wee bit better than the brand of guilt that's rooted in </span><i>Oh, sh*t, I'm a fool for spending several hundred bucks on a sweater.</i></span></div><div><i><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Hell, my sweater was cheap. After all, you couldn't feed a family of four at McDonald's for the price I had paid. </span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I glanced at the text and then at the time. I didn't have to wait long. One could set a train by our mail carrier's route.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">The thought crossed my mind to just wait by the window for his arrival.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">But I was starving.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">So I decided to scramble some eggs and put a hash brown patty in the toaster.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">And the moment I turn my back to close the freezer door, my peripheral vision catches a glimpse of the mailman ambling away from our house! </span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">By the time I realize the sweater is on the porch, I race toward the foyer at breakneck speed and open the front door at exactly the same time the mailman speeds off up the street.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">The butterflies in my stomach are straight-up gunning for a spot on the next Olympic team by this point.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I open the door, fully prepared to collect a box or soft mailbag off the porch...</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">But, nothing.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">All the mailman had left was a pamphlet from our lawn service reminding us that it would be time to resume service in a few weeks.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I checked the mailbox and porch again.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Both were clean as a whistle.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>Damn</i>.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">And that's when the prospect of something far, far worse made the butterflies in my stomach do a nosedive:</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>What if the mailman got mixed up and inadvertently delivered my sweater to the wrong house? And worse yet, what if he didn't know where the sweater was?</i></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I had to hunt the mailman down.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Like, now. Before he departed the neighborhood.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>Think, Courtney. Think! Where is he now?</i></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I knew his route like the back of my hand, and I figured he would be coming back around the block to deliver the other side of the neighborhood's mail in <i>three...two...</i></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I looked up, and there he was, coming back up the street after having had turned around at the dead end.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">See? Did I know him or what?</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">He stopped at the house catty-cornered from ours like he always does, which signaled the second leg of his route.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I went to the hallway by the back door to fetch my Uggs and then returned to the front door. I could see the mailman walking up to the catty-cornered house to deliver their mail.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">No problem; I'll catch him before he gets back in his truck and ask him where the sweater is.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I go to twist the lock on our screen door, but it just keeps on revolving. Over and over again.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>Maybe the door is actually already unlocked</i>, so I try opening it.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Nope.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I twist the lock the other way.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Still, nothing.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>F*#&!</i></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I've lived in this house for nearly 15 goddamned years, and, somehow<span style="background-color: white;">—today of all days</span><span style="background-color: white;">—</span>I can't work the lock.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">It's like I'm starring in some sort of sick, twisted Rapunzel reboot. (If Rapunzel were a middle-aged woman with shoulder-length curly hair in search of a cashmere sweater instead of a prince.)</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I'm desperate as all get-out at this point, and if I don't act fast, I'm definitely not going to get to the bottom of this.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I make one last attempt to turn the lock in both directions.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Nope, nope, nope.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">And the mailman's off again! Zoomed away toward the other part of the neighborhood.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>F*#&</i><i> this!</i></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I give up on the front door entirely and head to the side door which leads to the garage, open it, press the garage door button, and, in an impressive display of agility, literally sprint under the rising door.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">It's 17 degrees, I'm coatless, but I don't care. </span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I'm running recklessly on what I hope and pray isn't black ice under my boots.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I'm fast-approaching the mail truck, and I can see that the mailman's gotten out again.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">He turns to face me, slightly startled, I'm sure, by the woman in Lululemon barreling at him like her life depends on it.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Yes, I'm embarrassed.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">But, truly, I have zero effs to give at this point.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">My dignity, or what was left of it, was probably still at the front door, struggling to figure out the lock. </span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I try to conceal just how out of breath I really am. "Um, hi, I just got a text that I have an item out for delivery?" I said to the mailman.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>Ugh</i>. </span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I despise when, in an attempt to be polite, I downplay my assuredness. It wasn't a question of whether I had a received notification.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I had.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I cringed, inwardly.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">"Oh, yeah" he replied nonchalantly, smiling. </span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">He walked around to the other side of the truck, opened the door, and pulled a soft plastic bag off his passenger seat and handed it to me.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">"Sorry, about that. I missed ya the first time around."</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I placed the bag under my arm. I replied, "Oh, no problem." </span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>It's nothing. Nothing at all. I've just been pining for this sweater for the last several days, basically stalked your truck all afternoon, and couldn't manage to open the front door</i>. <i>But, hey, it's fine</i>.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I return home through the garage door, settle in, and open the package.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">The sweater is buttery soft, luxurious beyond measure.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">While it looked pristine in the photos, it was even better in person.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Less than sixteen bucks. </span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">For <i>this</i>?</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Sorry, definitely not sorry.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Finally, one more thing: Later that evening, we received a delivery from Amazon.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">And, wouldn't you know, I was able to open the front door to retrieve it just fine.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">© Copyright Courtney Conover,
2022<o:p></o:p></span></p></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div>
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<a href="http://www.thewaynedispatch.com/?s=Courtney+Conover"><img height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEheiPKqF-uR9ktb7uGkbtIx3BDgWSdPZbuWR6Za5Y8EgMgNhBLN9TYpgyExR5ODPLcqy7aS-dMmCNV6Es-3_llatcPeHuNRmZ_0zzg3AIRQwST2vgCw-HYYMfYpPMR--amqvu-iw5vf97pLrvzxflUk-AySnAiTHwRQ57uECOpIaEGn4tiBsUblLNaXNg=w400-h278" /></a><br />
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</div> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6594789353434997801.post-39582211205010574652022-03-04T11:44:00.002-05:002022-03-06T16:43:51.095-05:00Green Juice: The #3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh6sc4Gdtpe4yxL4DTj4oQgKloNFGe1FmSzWAO1zBZa6W4yzQRsLGQG3XbgnQZWi8Jy7fSp8-nnMDfFw9kJV1HCXYzQYtZoW337GX8rnnW5VDfX5jmAriQb8Vw0KBgv7ogOJpK3tSPtumy31ISNeDOvVSF9WFt-TOnhplBiPPwJCN4dtoCF8ICf8wPO5A=s3445" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2357" data-original-width="3445" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh6sc4Gdtpe4yxL4DTj4oQgKloNFGe1FmSzWAO1zBZa6W4yzQRsLGQG3XbgnQZWi8Jy7fSp8-nnMDfFw9kJV1HCXYzQYtZoW337GX8rnnW5VDfX5jmAriQb8Vw0KBgv7ogOJpK3tSPtumy31ISNeDOvVSF9WFt-TOnhplBiPPwJCN4dtoCF8ICf8wPO5A=w640-h438" width="640" /></a></div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">So, I did something different.</span><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">And it kind of backfired.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Not on me...but for my kids.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Here's what happened:</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">As opposed to making two distinct juices<span style="background-color: white;">—one with one set of veggies and a whole other bottle of juice made with an entirely different selection of produce, I decided to make two bottles of the same juice.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">One bottle would be for me.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">The second bottle would be split between my son and daughter. (They drink less than I do.)</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Each bottle lasts us three days.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6d473a;">Anyhow, After I took the photo above, I thought: <i>Oh, snap!</i></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">—I bet you haven't heard <i>that</i> slang term since the 90s!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">—<i>I need to sweeten this recipe up for the kids.</i></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Enter these:</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDal3tETDgco1qCKB0ZQGgsCLCFQIXJr68tXxADaGfMTKcChE5fFyOm3Hoj-2WpGngYK1oRaVqME9xntXMn5WFLXlmRuC7cs4_9oYQzixJxnymXpJlnfm9freBMgTkj9ViWsVp87kyp72GU71cUQBqf5Yih_bTmTL3pOvgJmsqa4G8HzKjgVvNO1S5pg=s4000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDal3tETDgco1qCKB0ZQGgsCLCFQIXJr68tXxADaGfMTKcChE5fFyOm3Hoj-2WpGngYK1oRaVqME9xntXMn5WFLXlmRuC7cs4_9oYQzixJxnymXpJlnfm9freBMgTkj9ViWsVp87kyp72GU71cUQBqf5Yih_bTmTL3pOvgJmsqa4G8HzKjgVvNO1S5pg=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">But here's how I screwed it up:</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Apparently one of my kids isn't a fan of celery.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Well, at least now I know. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Now, onto the rest of this juice's contents:</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">What we have here, per the photo above (from left to right) The first (smaller) plate: <b>collard greens</b> and <b>cilantro</b>; second plate (from top to bottom): <b>cucumber, lemon, celery, </b>and more<b> </b><b>collard greens.</b></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><b>Collard greens </b><span style="background-color: transparent;">are one of my go-tos for juicing. Collard greens </span><span style="background-color: transparent;">contain a high fiber content, and this can cause stomach discomfort, </span><span style="background-color: transparent;">gas, and bloating for some people. (Personally, I haven't experienced this and neither have my kids.) Collard greens are on the bitter side, but they play well when mixed with other fruits and vegetables. </span></span></div><div><b><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><b>Cilantro </b><span style="background-color: transparent;">is most often cited as being effective for toxic metal cleansing. The natural chemical compounds in cilantro bind to toxic metals in the body to help remove them from the body.</span></span></div><div><b><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">C<b>ucumber</b> helps rid the mouth of odor-fighting bacteria, contains numerous antioxidants, and fights inflammation.</span></div><div><b><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><b>Lemon </b>These tiny yellow wonders are known for their high vitamin C content and can reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><b>Celery</b> is good for your brain, regulates fluid balance, relieves migraines, and lowers arthritis pain.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><b>Green</b> <b>apple </b>promotes weight loss, improves cognitive functioning, and boosts the digestive system.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><b>Cutie tangerine</b><span> </span><span>is an excellent source of vitamins C and A, as well as dietary fiber. These tangerines are also a good source of potassium, calcium, and phosphorus and are full of antioxidants like beta-carotene and the flavonoids hesperetin and naringenin.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">And here's the finished product:</span></div><div style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #6d473a; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhGCCRb4utgF1pZ4DhyeYhY0GJa0BWR22L0tAOASuhFQ8nnUXX3WXxftFCxoNjJ5nDdaXBWLjW2uzSXnkjy8JobS87k-J_s_oYU9JVhKHy0vym2RKWTml9QPNX6bsUd1-UeiikEi3n2lsGL5maZgCEmd_N0aH6gZcVfeXCzfh3LOGAICfchgaiNEG-l5Q=s4000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhGCCRb4utgF1pZ4DhyeYhY0GJa0BWR22L0tAOASuhFQ8nnUXX3WXxftFCxoNjJ5nDdaXBWLjW2uzSXnkjy8JobS87k-J_s_oYU9JVhKHy0vym2RKWTml9QPNX6bsUd1-UeiikEi3n2lsGL5maZgCEmd_N0aH6gZcVfeXCzfh3LOGAICfchgaiNEG-l5Q=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #6d473a; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-size: large;">And here's what I did with the pulp; I incorrectly labeled collard greens as kale. There's no kale in this juice:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #6d473a; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #6d473a; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhZWKF4ue0LBxuRJIgPxIBPurJH1YcYmM5tnM8GxmKovWS_GuX9PGTnvLWAxYJjNPbeQLIfLNQw6G4yl_5WIpUnQBD3FJp6PWUyp_9IxhtiDE7UYoJKv_WiFrz6Nq75tu9UdxWhiiudsYUl_yGD-pehdNL8u94skoszOrEhXou7hXbWZSZ1OPP7pW8ADA=s4000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhZWKF4ue0LBxuRJIgPxIBPurJH1YcYmM5tnM8GxmKovWS_GuX9PGTnvLWAxYJjNPbeQLIfLNQw6G4yl_5WIpUnQBD3FJp6PWUyp_9IxhtiDE7UYoJKv_WiFrz6Nq75tu9UdxWhiiudsYUl_yGD-pehdNL8u94skoszOrEhXou7hXbWZSZ1OPP7pW8ADA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #6d473a; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">This bag went promptly into the freezer for use at a later date (think puree for soups, etc.)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #6d473a; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #6d473a; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Until we juice again...</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Cheers!</span></div></div></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>If you are new to my juicing posts, please visit </i><a href="http://www.courtneyconover.com/2022/01/juicing-how-i-started.html" style="color: #4e6e9f; text-decoration-line: none;">Juicing: How I started</a><i>, which details the exact juicer and glass bottles I use as well as some background on how I got started</i></b>.</span></div></div></div></div></span></div></div></div></div><div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.thewaynedispatch.com/?s=Courtney+Conover"><img height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEheiPKqF-uR9ktb7uGkbtIx3BDgWSdPZbuWR6Za5Y8EgMgNhBLN9TYpgyExR5ODPLcqy7aS-dMmCNV6Es-3_llatcPeHuNRmZ_0zzg3AIRQwST2vgCw-HYYMfYpPMR--amqvu-iw5vf97pLrvzxflUk-AySnAiTHwRQ57uECOpIaEGn4tiBsUblLNaXNg=w400-h278" /></a><br />
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</div> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6594789353434997801.post-90945677990636131502022-03-01T10:00:00.001-05:002022-03-01T10:00:00.163-05:00AFFIRMATION: March 2022<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj9N4Qe2xXWo51iRkrIqJ0DIdKr64WH0EBu2Fr2QkuMJGmBAvcgPPyIqqcosj0YsMOW_v1_IIke7SYh738UwdV7zEPsB2ZylZn-OaVZ-15KpvBRB4s0Gm_WCvAY5zZkhbFqP84QGkaZsMU9bn5onjg2PawzyI0TpbdKFaqg1ghCISTFnCvbLNXf3qbE8A=s612" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="408" data-original-width="612" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj9N4Qe2xXWo51iRkrIqJ0DIdKr64WH0EBu2Fr2QkuMJGmBAvcgPPyIqqcosj0YsMOW_v1_IIke7SYh738UwdV7zEPsB2ZylZn-OaVZ-15KpvBRB4s0Gm_WCvAY5zZkhbFqP84QGkaZsMU9bn5onjg2PawzyI0TpbdKFaqg1ghCISTFnCvbLNXf3qbE8A=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: x-large;"><b>I am smart.</b></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">The year before I became pregnant with my firstborn, I was a substitute teacher at our neighborhood middle school.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Back then, I simply considered it a flexible means of employment that financed the tuition for my yoga teaching certification.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Looking back, though, I now consider it more like a gift from The Universe.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I generally subbed for seventh graders. And while I genuinely enjoyed the vast majority of them, my favorites were the ones that didn't like school all that much.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-size: large;">The ones who weren't too apt to go the extra mile.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">The ones who had kind of been written off.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">The ones who you could tell had been told by someone<span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">—somewhere</span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">—that they didn't have what it takes.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Now, to be clear, the fact that these kids' zest for intellectual achievement had been zapped before they even obtained their driver's permit was a crying shame.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">But the reason I thoroughly enjoyed my tenure with them was because I relished how their faces lit up when I complimented them on any small feat or accomplishment.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">It was almost instantaneous.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">For example, if Jimmy sat down quietly at the start of class, I would notice and say aloud to the entire class, "Hey, guys, I'm glad to see you again! Thanks for sitting down so quietly, like Jimmy did..."</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">At first, Jimmy looked perplexed. He clearly wasn't used to hearing good things said about him.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span>Overtime, I </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">found that my first words of encouragement would likely produce a domino effect.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Because I called out Jimmy's quiet entry (in a good way), he was more inclined to participate willingly when I called on him to read a paragraph. </span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Then, I would say something nice about his reading, and I'd see his confidence inflate a bit more. And so on.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">The point here is that, as children, we are incredibly fragile creatures whose belief in ourselves can often hinge on what we are told.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">And what we are told</span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">—for better or worse</span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">—has a way of sticking.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Especially when it comes to our intellectual capability.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Let's face it: Many of us spent far too long believing that we aren't smart.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">That because we suck at math or because we always read too slowly in school that we somehow don't have that "it" takes.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Well, no more, folks.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">It's time we re-write the script.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">Starting today, tell yourself</span><span style="background-color: white;">—as often as you can</span><span style="background-color: white;">—that</span><span style="background-color: white;"> you are smart.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">It's going to feel weird at first.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">We are going against years of programming to the contrary. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Even if you were never told you weren't smart, per se, it is still possible that shadows of doubt exist within your subconscious.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">And just imagine how much better we could feel if those shadows were chased away by the light of optimism.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">Look at it this way: </span><i>Not</i><span style="background-color: white;"> telling ourselves we're smart: How's </span><i>that</i><span style="background-color: white;"> working out?</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">We've simply got nothing to lose.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">The affirmation for March 2022 is:</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"><b>I am smart.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEik6q5R_xX9dJvC3jXIiTAOed-p8KB8kpROhYW48maCsACp2q-vtPBNEgTZ4T5oi_BBWu2dSE1EHzTDzMsSh7XGx2N5e_y6Wu0BcwPISuZQxCMROCD3B-_n2YsJdml7zOctpkMzEmzZpPPIHXnsy41LnS_e_03_eDPyJH-oPiOvQA-NQz6fT7iOGGLXwg=s1080" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="957" data-original-width="1080" height="568" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEik6q5R_xX9dJvC3jXIiTAOed-p8KB8kpROhYW48maCsACp2q-vtPBNEgTZ4T5oi_BBWu2dSE1EHzTDzMsSh7XGx2N5e_y6Wu0BcwPISuZQxCMROCD3B-_n2YsJdml7zOctpkMzEmzZpPPIHXnsy41LnS_e_03_eDPyJH-oPiOvQA-NQz6fT7iOGGLXwg=w640-h568" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.thewaynedispatch.com/?s=Courtney+Conover"><img height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEheiPKqF-uR9ktb7uGkbtIx3BDgWSdPZbuWR6Za5Y8EgMgNhBLN9TYpgyExR5ODPLcqy7aS-dMmCNV6Es-3_llatcPeHuNRmZ_0zzg3AIRQwST2vgCw-HYYMfYpPMR--amqvu-iw5vf97pLrvzxflUk-AySnAiTHwRQ57uECOpIaEGn4tiBsUblLNaXNg=w400-h278" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">
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</div> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6594789353434997801.post-74034301615744171552022-02-23T12:48:00.003-05:002022-03-20T16:17:16.576-04:00Kids are NOT responsible for our emotions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiGdMokeya85JSail_KGinIvSEsnFjrYJBOE82T8UfHeYddBqTxIpgc0GswzWJPK9RW-Dni1Yt_IDPBK_0HaJClnG-WkWMKvw196qKAULOlbc6EZVJ19b0NQ_LU8qpTbmoPoNTXzzN1BiMOzORk9OQK4PTWnfTl1uG96Ls_BDn9jR7vBreIe9hNcAT17Q=s800" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiGdMokeya85JSail_KGinIvSEsnFjrYJBOE82T8UfHeYddBqTxIpgc0GswzWJPK9RW-Dni1Yt_IDPBK_0HaJClnG-WkWMKvw196qKAULOlbc6EZVJ19b0NQ_LU8qpTbmoPoNTXzzN1BiMOzORk9OQK4PTWnfTl1uG96Ls_BDn9jR7vBreIe9hNcAT17Q=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Actually, it's not just kids.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6d473a;">No one</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; text-align: justify;">—regardl</span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #6d473a;">ess</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; text-align: justify;"> of who they are</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; text-align: justify;">—is responsible for our emotions.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">It's an inside job.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">The onus is on us.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">We should not charge our kids with the task of taking care of our emotions (i.e. making us happy, feeding us attention, expecting them to always agree with us, etc.), nor should we attempt to shame or guilt them into <i>thinking</i> this is their job.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Doing so is not only irresponsible, it is also harmful: We are not only setting ourselves up for unhappiness and failure, we are damaging our kids.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">This will likely backfire and create enormous friction in our relationships with them later on.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I'm about to show you what this looks like.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">And it ain't pretty.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Online communities have long been a safe haven for teens, young adults, and especially older adults who seek guidance and support on this matter.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">The following is a post from the discussion website <i>Reddit. </i>I have withheld the poster's screen name to protect her identity:</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgdjaA3z826o_O1AJQGamph2wCcHuFWb1LEWOudLnUpChaPIJ1RyUV7gHXWTyLHjQ4z_ca4b2NAxLor7SQlRhRwF1FImZ9yV-rwZa9Ic1eiZocyWf4JK96HKVNYZtCIsn_J1PXIt0_aGESVv1fYlCS8kEP1oEq_iAt15J_xvfP-QrfgMfdtLLtbE62urA=s1394" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1394" data-original-width="954" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgdjaA3z826o_O1AJQGamph2wCcHuFWb1LEWOudLnUpChaPIJ1RyUV7gHXWTyLHjQ4z_ca4b2NAxLor7SQlRhRwF1FImZ9yV-rwZa9Ic1eiZocyWf4JK96HKVNYZtCIsn_J1PXIt0_aGESVv1fYlCS8kEP1oEq_iAt15J_xvfP-QrfgMfdtLLtbE62urA=w438-h640" width="438" /></a></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here's another:</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiuGLSeQPhajgQDUe2wpCImI5pvmPevan4o8FAGyNC2VFZjwyitkj3RKlA0bKpO59GC1AMZhBVD8noWLqcu5yguoEukYN_GLQECjAsoo8LcQZWHZSVxXSx-rLwWySORz8-4AgCOfzIVnNDID6KuirdcUVWkjOr3mMoBolPoW13byOq9K8Mg5INKnlvl5g=s1520" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1520" data-original-width="1500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiuGLSeQPhajgQDUe2wpCImI5pvmPevan4o8FAGyNC2VFZjwyitkj3RKlA0bKpO59GC1AMZhBVD8noWLqcu5yguoEukYN_GLQECjAsoo8LcQZWHZSVxXSx-rLwWySORz8-4AgCOfzIVnNDID6KuirdcUVWkjOr3mMoBolPoW13byOq9K8Mg5INKnlvl5g=w395-h400" width="395" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">My friend Jamie has experienced a similar fate with her father.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">The degree to which he is in a good mood around Jamie is contingent upon the degree to which she agrees with him or gives him what he wants.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="background-color: white;">"He doesn't like when I establish boundaries with him," Jamie explains. "Even if I communicate it nicely, it doesn't matter. I think he longs for the way our relationship used to be</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">—</span><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="background-color: white;">back when I was younger. But I'm 46 now. We are <i>both</i> adults. I can hear the deflation in his voice the second I take a pass on his advice. I've felt guilty about this for a long, long time...even though I've done nothing wrong. But he has zero remorse for how he treats me whenever I say no."</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="background-color: white;">Translation: Jamie realizes that she had been trained to care-take her father's emotions</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">—</span><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="background-color: white;">and the fact that she's no longer willing to do so has put a tremendous strain on their relationship.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">These kinds of occurrences are not all that uncommon.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="background-color: white;">And author Jane Isay</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">—a mother of two adult sons herself</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">—</span><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="background-color: white;">explores them in her book </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><i>Walking on Eggshells: Navigating the Delicate Relationship Between Adult Children and Parents</i></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">—in particular in the fourth chapter of the book entitled "Whose Life Is It, Anyway?":</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><i><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">"Being an adult means that you don't have to listen to your parents anymore. Grown children are exquisitely sensitive to this. Innocent comments from us can make them resentful and defensive. What we expect to be shrugged off with a "Yeah, Mom" is often taken as an assault. Who wants to be told what to do? We don't, and neither do our grown children.</span></i></span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><i><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></span></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><i>The short version of my advice about advice is:</i></span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></span></div></div></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"> </span></span></div></div></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><i><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Don't give it;</span></i></span></div></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><i><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></span></div></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><i><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">They don't like it it,</span></i></span></div></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><i><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></span></div></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><i><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">They don't want it,</span></i></span></div></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><i><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></span></div></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><i><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">They resent it."</span></i></span></div></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><p><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">While I pretty much agree with Isay regarding unsolicited advice, there are most certainly times when an adult child finds his or her parent's advice helpful.</span></p><p><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">And will ask for it.</span></p><p><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">That's not the issue.</span></p><p><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">The issue as I see it is a parent's<span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">—or grandparent's</span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">—response when we <i>don't</i> want it.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">It becomes a problem when </span><span style="background-color: white;">any departure from how an elder did things is seen by them as disrespectful or a rejection of them as people.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; text-align: justify;">It becomes a problem</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; text-align: justify;">—as Jamie and the <i>Reddit</i> poster above explain</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; text-align: justify;">—when </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; text-align: justify;">an elder's happiness hinges on the erosion of an adult child's boundaries. </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">The parent or grandparent is basically placing their mood on their adult child or grandchild's lap and saying, <i>Here, make this thing work for me. Make me feel good</i>.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">And that's simply too much to ask for.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Regardless of a child or grandchild's age.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Here are more <i>Reddit</i> confessions: </span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; text-align: justify;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgUFfxCUHzHKJGXUcVHmCDivgb5qSYeuho5p2GXwrUMFdR3KEYj45tSF36DCzI__VNXZhEKewcEm7HLLxlMVTBag6c_V7oO1vNO8dJ-yUpH4L0iP8m2a1GVRyHqrprUdSH0aczUTKJP6OKG6d-ZawFwYv0SHdcyQGhVdRmk17Q-A7TiGyg4yf0hm_s9PA=s909" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="409" data-original-width="909" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgUFfxCUHzHKJGXUcVHmCDivgb5qSYeuho5p2GXwrUMFdR3KEYj45tSF36DCzI__VNXZhEKewcEm7HLLxlMVTBag6c_V7oO1vNO8dJ-yUpH4L0iP8m2a1GVRyHqrprUdSH0aczUTKJP6OKG6d-ZawFwYv0SHdcyQGhVdRmk17Q-A7TiGyg4yf0hm_s9PA=w640-h288" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Here's another:</span><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4N8rhCXcnC3vTFppktXZRwOQcNByAD7f3t0FpkP_vv9GCJJwmjD7g02VhZ2q1aLCj3QTil5FEpzcy9dR8cyE8Cgam9XUofIcgmwjJtXUhCYxJznCb_fLe_yWPr348HMnNmJ528bNEVQmO1AulySdnO99-_Yf6zeRE6etJ4Lcje62ECdfhmRwDxLVryg=s977" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="436" data-original-width="977" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4N8rhCXcnC3vTFppktXZRwOQcNByAD7f3t0FpkP_vv9GCJJwmjD7g02VhZ2q1aLCj3QTil5FEpzcy9dR8cyE8Cgam9XUofIcgmwjJtXUhCYxJznCb_fLe_yWPr348HMnNmJ528bNEVQmO1AulySdnO99-_Yf6zeRE6etJ4Lcje62ECdfhmRwDxLVryg=w640-h286" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-size: large;">Though varied, these instances of emotional dumping all share the common thread of making someone else responsible for one's emotions.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-size: large;">But let's circle the wagons back to the beginning of this post, and, more specifically, the first <i>Reddit</i> confession.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-size: large;">What's going on there is especially tragic because it involves three generations who are affected by this behavior: Parents who emotion-dump on their kids become grandparents who emotion dump on their grandkids.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-size: large;">Although the first Reddit poster doesn't mention any details of the relationship between her mother and grandmother, she does disclose that her mother is an only child. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-size: large;">It's possible that the poster's mother grew tired of her mother's ways and refused to engage, which paved the way for the grandmother to make her granddaughter the new stand-in.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">In an article entitled, "Nana vs. nana: Competition can be fierce among grandparents," which was originally published in <i>The Boston Globe </i>and then later republished in <i><a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2009/05/19/nana-vs-nana-competition-can-be-fierce-among-grandparents/amp/">The Denver Post</a>, </i>licensed marriage, child, and family therapist Susan Stiffelman elaborates on this dynamic:</div></span><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></span></span></div></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>“To some degree grandparents are rewriting the story of raising their own kids. There’s this second chance – now I can really raise a kid who will love me. They are saying, ‘You can heal me from the painful relationship I had with your parents.' I also think there’s a loneliness when you are a grandparent.</i></div></span></div></span></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i><br /></i></div></span></div></span></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>“So you’re projecting on this kid a lot of hope to define your life as meaningful. Now you’ve got this kid whose job it is to make you feel important and loved, which is not a healthy thing to do.”</i></div></span></div></span></blockquote></blockquote><p><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">This.</span></p><p><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">A thousand times, this. </span></p><p><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">This has made me profoundly aware of how I express my emotions<span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">—especially anger and sadness</span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">—around my son and daughter.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I wouldn't say that I stifle my emotions.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; text-align: justify;">But I do make a point not to divulge certain things in their presence because the mere act of doing so could be a burden on them</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; text-align: justify;">—and ultimately make them feel responsible for fixing it.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I want my kids to accept that they are children. </span></p><p><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Not emotional support animals. Not therapists. Not stand-in spouses. </span></p><p><span style="color: #6d473a; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;">They are not responsible for an adult's emotions</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Merriweather;">—especially mine.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Of equal importance to me is the ability for my children to understand their uncomfortable emotions and grow to handle them on their own.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">That capability is more precious than gold.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg5QkY_RqC9OMgdQDfNA-dJ0hTg02VFf_k3H64HvxQ0sS3db35qD_XsQHSnRTN4uccOCc9PkqMlNFIjDu0cGTgJwu_ChvyzVhUApuyw8jdIu-LBl9_E0kVrQLihErQcrA7US-F18NH_AZGy1OJX8a8YJZrxO6RblWwQj8AZmudH9tTkV_kLVZhaJYhOFQ=s1080" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="1080" height="616" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg5QkY_RqC9OMgdQDfNA-dJ0hTg02VFf_k3H64HvxQ0sS3db35qD_XsQHSnRTN4uccOCc9PkqMlNFIjDu0cGTgJwu_ChvyzVhUApuyw8jdIu-LBl9_E0kVrQLihErQcrA7US-F18NH_AZGy1OJX8a8YJZrxO6RblWwQj8AZmudH9tTkV_kLVZhaJYhOFQ=w640-h616" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hailey Magee, Codependency Recovery Coach Instagram: @haileypaigemagee</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><i>ScaryMommy.com</i> contributing writer Shannon Ashley once wrote: </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><br /></span></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i><span style="color: #6d473a;">"I have very strong opinions about people who expect too much from their children, and the idea that having a baby would make you happy or somehow exist just to enrich your life irked me to no end. </span><span style="color: #6d473a;">Somehow, I guess I always knew that parenting had to be more about the kid and less about the parent. And much more about ending toxic family cycles."</span></i></span></div></blockquote></blockquote><div><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Amen.</span></span></div><div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6d473a;">If you wish to read more on this topic, I highly recommend <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dance-Anger-Changing-Patterns-Relationships-ebook/dp/B00F2I2H56/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2VHPTMBHHQ5HA&keywords=the+dance+of+anger+by+harriet+lerner&qid=1645562435&sprefix=the+dance+of+anger%2Caps%2C413&sr=8-2">The Dance of Anger</a></i> by Harriet Lerner, Ph.D. as well as </span><span style="color: #6d473a;"><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Walking-Eggshells-Navigating-Delicate-Relationship-ebook/dp/B00125L88U/ref=sr_1_2?crid=E8PKTCMIZZ8V&keywords=walking+on+eggshells+book&qid=1645562476&sprefix=walking+on+eggshells%2Caps%2C225&sr=8-2">Walking on Eggshells</a></i> by Jane Isay.</span></span></div></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">This is big, important work for us parents.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">And so very necessary.</span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">© Copyright Courtney Conover, 2022</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.thewaynedispatch.com/?s=Courtney+Conover"><img height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEheiPKqF-uR9ktb7uGkbtIx3BDgWSdPZbuWR6Za5Y8EgMgNhBLN9TYpgyExR5ODPLcqy7aS-dMmCNV6Es-3_llatcPeHuNRmZ_0zzg3AIRQwST2vgCw-HYYMfYpPMR--amqvu-iw5vf97pLrvzxflUk-AySnAiTHwRQ57uECOpIaEGn4tiBsUblLNaXNg=w400-h278" /></a><br />
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</div> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6594789353434997801.post-4741318958713997122022-02-20T14:35:00.004-05:002022-03-20T16:19:25.488-04:00My four daily morning habits<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgfrcKIirmTX87oKmn72qcC5xXYPJwxIoJQg99zyAANOLTO22nGQNSAwX_DO3dQefmUPCtBq-5-MErdrA1mXzm6GZCTNBxleF7qZd8fUrUJRh6HvCFhvfMaropbYecIL8Y4aBxKG3rCCfNqk1BCQksj2fqqSJRuptxttFaVulHSQLAq5bkuve0ZNL0nSw=s900" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="900" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgfrcKIirmTX87oKmn72qcC5xXYPJwxIoJQg99zyAANOLTO22nGQNSAwX_DO3dQefmUPCtBq-5-MErdrA1mXzm6GZCTNBxleF7qZd8fUrUJRh6HvCFhvfMaropbYecIL8Y4aBxKG3rCCfNqk1BCQksj2fqqSJRuptxttFaVulHSQLAq5bkuve0ZNL0nSw=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;">To the quintessential morning person, it's <i>Yay! It's morning!</i></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">But to those of us who routinely hit the snooze button, it's <i>Ugh. It's morning</i>.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I'm somewhere in the middle. My response often hinges on whether I went to bed at a decent hour the night before.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">But I can tell you this much: I welcome the dawn of each new day with gratitude</span><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">—despite my mood</span><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="font-size: large;">—because it inherently means a clean slate.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="font-size: large;">Granted: There will be many things about this day that are far beyond my control, yes. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="font-size: large;">However, I'm still left with a heck of a lot of things that <i>are</i> within my control: my thoughts, perspective, and attitude, for example.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="font-size: large;">And that's where the following four habits come in. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">These seemingly unremarkable rituals establish a sense of stability and calm that can make all the difference in my outlook.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">1. Make the bed</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhxQeCQzA5MBuWILPCIIjuU7gqnN9E4ZEw18dW7vfcfbwsweqwVzN6-E6LfUDndnzTHpwVMVQePCvDbVINMGDntL5q2NYmrpwgkhoytKhutvPWSMNs0oOaPtQamNiDqAZIm2urpN7ayR8KwNTC1DWRlkmgSN-NNMG-TYhcCK4XeA8VIHyV-WI4GXX49kg=s640" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="431" data-original-width="640" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhxQeCQzA5MBuWILPCIIjuU7gqnN9E4ZEw18dW7vfcfbwsweqwVzN6-E6LfUDndnzTHpwVMVQePCvDbVINMGDntL5q2NYmrpwgkhoytKhutvPWSMNs0oOaPtQamNiDqAZIm2urpN7ayR8KwNTC1DWRlkmgSN-NNMG-TYhcCK4XeA8VIHyV-WI4GXX49kg=w400-h270" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">It all starts here, folks. The simple act of straightening the sheets and folding them just so is non-negotiable for me. And the benefit is two-fold: Doing this one tiny thing is akin to knocking over the first domino of many; it gets my momentum going, and it also sets the stage for a pleasant return later that evening: There's just something about climbing into a made-up bed before retiring for the night.</span></span></div><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><b>2. Read motivational words</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipzmu0TjLyT9OLl9My1isf1dYMCl_GjgVqPOkc25FzlB5bowOff-lwyxYieRbvBeE8IAXv4YWkKnfsNnwIxINd65k3ecR00zRM66xgVyG6yuydls0T4gZ7i3vV4yPs2c1nC5ziJByV5CZSsJZyYfFssaVrNMqT3J47Gw5PBqNoisjBcawuTsf6ffWS2g=s592" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="592" data-original-width="587" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipzmu0TjLyT9OLl9My1isf1dYMCl_GjgVqPOkc25FzlB5bowOff-lwyxYieRbvBeE8IAXv4YWkKnfsNnwIxINd65k3ecR00zRM66xgVyG6yuydls0T4gZ7i3vV4yPs2c1nC5ziJByV5CZSsJZyYfFssaVrNMqT3J47Gw5PBqNoisjBcawuTsf6ffWS2g=w396-h400" width="396" /></a></div></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span>The second thing I look forward to doing every morning is reading calming words of encouragement. I've started calling this ritual "reading my dailies." And my kids know this much when they see me crack open this book: Do. Not. Disturb. The books I choose are designed for this very purpose: There are 365 passages</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">—one to be read for every day of the year. I usually read two of these books each year, meaning, I read one passage from both books every day. One book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-Mat-Daily-Reflections-Path-ebook/dp/B0047747AQ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1TZTXCWFGMWES&keywords=meditations+from+the+mat&qid=1644608183&sprefix=meditations+from+the+mat%2Caps%2C708&sr=8-1"><i>Meditations from the Mat</i></a> (above), never changes. I just keep reading this one year after year. It is just that good. And that profound. It connects modern life and everyday circumstances and challenges with yogic philosophy. I'm on my third consecutive year of reading this every morning, and, I swear, I latch on to something new every single time. My second daily changes every year. Last year, it was <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Believing-Myself-Esteem-Daily-Meditations/dp/0671766163/ref=sr_1_3?crid=IH0XQJ7VUTEI&keywords=believing+in+myself+self+esteem+daily+meditations&qid=1644608075&sprefix=Believing+in+myself%2Caps%2C1754&sr=8-3"><i>Believing in Myself: Self Esteem Daily Meditations</i></a> (which I highly recommend), and this year my second daily is <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Acts-Faith-Anniversary-Iyanla-Vanzant/dp/1982106840/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1SMVIY3JN0O5V&keywords=acts+of+faith+book&qid=1644608154&sprefix=Acts+of+Faith%2Caps%2C1616&sr=8-2"><i>Acts of Faith</i></a>, which I</span></span><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">—no lie</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">—purchased way back in 1995.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><b>3. Drink green juice</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgd3eiuO1uwj-pm9GFqvWgj1GYM_wU5L84Eh-YGwhza4CVdrFqjul6dhGE5XlNYM9sR7AeztTIddI-eP_cKzL9KAUg1NkrKn4nWnWICRlYahqy5shDutj3iH6Lzw7H_FWVaYMWoUCEEdGPkVMCIZNtIRvQKty8V4KM-KRVvJ7jSHlsHKFFBofvawHcwSw=s426" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="350" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgd3eiuO1uwj-pm9GFqvWgj1GYM_wU5L84Eh-YGwhza4CVdrFqjul6dhGE5XlNYM9sR7AeztTIddI-eP_cKzL9KAUg1NkrKn4nWnWICRlYahqy5shDutj3iH6Lzw7H_FWVaYMWoUCEEdGPkVMCIZNtIRvQKty8V4KM-KRVvJ7jSHlsHKFFBofvawHcwSw=w263-h320" width="263" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; text-align: justify;">This one here. Oh, man. I've come to look forward to drinking green juice even more than my coffee. And I'd be remiss if I didn't admit to much of this being mental. I mean, yes, green juice is super healthy </span><i style="font-family: Merriweather; text-align: justify;">blah, blah, blah</i><span style="font-family: Merriweather; text-align: justify;">. But there's more to it: I make it myself twice a week...in my kitchen...after I've driven to the store and personally selected the produce by hand. I'm a fairly health conscious person, and even for me, weekly juicing requires a level of dedication I haven't usually committed to. But I like it. A lot.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">4. Move</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi9A5tTc5nLcCQ8dfRd9Tgg8MzwecTunMuvXpujFVaIEMus4QMFbAlEjKd_KTM20kZe-XGH_-VLkkKMTLXHVwipr2hISl0YIzx3cdwGBjyEoWKTVgvWNjAaBAMOh619GBNuQLwvRjqLC54ZC1WUQz4MceEU18LcQSo9V2KmaMVrg_ZHNfsyQnGVV_sJMA=s3456" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1262" data-original-width="3456" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi9A5tTc5nLcCQ8dfRd9Tgg8MzwecTunMuvXpujFVaIEMus4QMFbAlEjKd_KTM20kZe-XGH_-VLkkKMTLXHVwipr2hISl0YIzx3cdwGBjyEoWKTVgvWNjAaBAMOh619GBNuQLwvRjqLC54ZC1WUQz4MceEU18LcQSo9V2KmaMVrg_ZHNfsyQnGVV_sJMA=w640-h234" width="640" /></a></div></div><br /></div><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span>I contemplated naming this act exercise but decided against it because I don't view what I do as exercise, as in <i>Ugh, I have to exercise</i>. No, I don't view this as a chore. It's movement. It's a physical tonic for my body</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">—much like bathing. Similarly, I consider sweating to be like my skin's version of breathing. Challenging my body in this way is now something I would definitely miss if I <i>didn't</i> do it. But here's the kicker</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">—and it's essential to keeping my interest: I'm not working out for long periods of time. If I did, I would say <i>screw this</i>. Instead, I prefer to do some sort of HIIT routine. HIIT stands for high-intensity interval training and is a training method comprised of </span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;">alternating short periods of intense or explosive activity with brief recovery periods. My total routine takes 10 minutes and consists of 20 reps of 30 seconds of movement immediately followed by 20 seconds of rest. So, for example, I'll do jumping jacks or lift weights for 30 seconds and then rest for 20 seconds: That's one rep. I'll repeat 19 more times. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">I always shake it up; I never do the exact same sequence two days in a row. But the one constant is that I always incorporate a weight-resistant activity. Why? Because we lose muscle mass as we age, and m</span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;">ore muscle mass means more calories burned, which, to me, is the key to weight management. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><i>The items pictured above are my primary tools of the trade (from left): Pilates Power Gym, a pair of 3 lb. weights, and an interval timer, which enables me to program my activity and rest times as well as my number of reps</i>.</span></span></div></span></div></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="font-size: large;">© Copyright Courtney Conover, 2022</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 18.6667px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.thewaynedispatch.com/?s=Courtney+Conover"><img height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEheiPKqF-uR9ktb7uGkbtIx3BDgWSdPZbuWR6Za5Y8EgMgNhBLN9TYpgyExR5ODPLcqy7aS-dMmCNV6Es-3_llatcPeHuNRmZ_0zzg3AIRQwST2vgCw-HYYMfYpPMR--amqvu-iw5vf97pLrvzxflUk-AySnAiTHwRQ57uECOpIaEGn4tiBsUblLNaXNg=w400-h278" /></a><br />
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</div> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6594789353434997801.post-78479293605204884472022-02-14T14:10:00.003-05:002022-02-21T17:49:57.669-05:00Green Juice: The #2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj4dx3onrRqWepGR_-tnd24PRNF5TBZGkMV1bby9fLEuL8T1UlcBxpzVqVR8MB-XNgm8Rck3FFzd2mm9XBtnGUmln84_sIU40zAacA6AV2Qm9jCC1FaOMdboDV8DqRGHt6Monk7911-H52nqVRhvBPF6yCr3yayNzI1uGISEgePnne37V6ou6hz91MKcQ=s3378" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2145" data-original-width="3378" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj4dx3onrRqWepGR_-tnd24PRNF5TBZGkMV1bby9fLEuL8T1UlcBxpzVqVR8MB-XNgm8Rck3FFzd2mm9XBtnGUmln84_sIU40zAacA6AV2Qm9jCC1FaOMdboDV8DqRGHt6Monk7911-H52nqVRhvBPF6yCr3yayNzI1uGISEgePnne37V6ou6hz91MKcQ=w640-h406" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Alright.</span><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">So, this one is a tad bit different than the juice I've become accustomed to making.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Why?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Because this one is for my kids.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">And while I pretty much haven't met a green juice I didn't enjoy, my 10 and 8-year olds are a completely different story.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">In an effort to get them on board with drinking green juice every morning before school, I have to meet them where they are.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">And, currently, they are hanging out at the corner of <i>Don't-force-too-many-veggies-on-me Lane</i> and <i>Do-I-really-have-to-drink-this Avenue</i>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Therefore, I compromise.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">This juice is a little sweeter than the ones I drink. But, hey, I've got to start somewhere.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">What we have here, per the photo above</span><span style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">—</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">from left to right</span><span style="background-color: white;">—</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">is <b>cilantro</b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">, <b>collard greens</b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">, </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">green apple</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">, <b>orange</b>, and </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">cucumber</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;">.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><b>Cilantro </b>possesses, according to justjuice.org,</span><span style="color: #6d473a;"><b> </b>anti-anxiety effects similar to diazepam, an anti-anxiety prescription drug, but without the host of unwanted side effects. And, oh, the d</span><span style="background-color: transparent;">etoxification benefits! </span><span style="background-color: transparent;">Cilantro is most
often cited as being effective for toxic metal cleansing. The natural chemical
compounds in cilantro bind to toxic metals in the body to help remove them from
the body.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><b>Collard greens </b></span><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #6d473a;">are one of the best vegetables to juice since they combine water, fiber, and up to one gram of protein per every ounce of juice. However, collard greens </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #6d473a;">contain a high fiber content, and this can cause stomach discomfort, </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #6d473a;">gas, and bloating for some people. Personally, I haven't experienced this and neither have my kids. Perhaps this is because we're incorporating other fruits and vegetables into our juice as opposed to drinking only collard greens. Who knows. I find myself coming back to collard greens for juicing again and again because it packs a powerful punch nutrition-wise and although collard greens are on the bitter side, they play well when mixed with other fruits and vegetables. Translation: When you add collard greens into the mix, you up your chances of producing a really good juice.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><b><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><b>Green</b> <b>apple </b>promotes weight loss, improves cognitive functioning, and boosts the digestive system.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><b>Orange</b> juice is high in many nutrients, including vitamin C, folate, and potassium. But, let me just be honest: They're just here for the sweetness they bring to the table. Remember: This batch of juice is for the kiddos.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">C<b>ucumber</b> helps rid the mouth of odor-fighting bacteria, contains numerous antioxidants, and fights inflammation.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><b><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a;"><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">How you see everything pictured above is exactly how I feed it into the juicer. I just throw it all in there in no particular order.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">And it comes out looking like this:</span></div></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 16.5px; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgH0-3oOk7bCLu37JXejIZFkX_JMWCqWEy2N5gmtdGDN0vqBVCZzQyaRo5nWhgPuki1DjcS1btnmqtJHmzYFSy9bftbw26JFLlGM3HoV1FL3NCvCOn3HTlC44tTSP0bpGUAm4QhTRXdkxC8fRVx2NXZChItFv3Se8ZVELWRnjPD_TZ64YEfI4xM1Xbn1g=s4000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgH0-3oOk7bCLu37JXejIZFkX_JMWCqWEy2N5gmtdGDN0vqBVCZzQyaRo5nWhgPuki1DjcS1btnmqtJHmzYFSy9bftbw26JFLlGM3HoV1FL3NCvCOn3HTlC44tTSP0bpGUAm4QhTRXdkxC8fRVx2NXZChItFv3Se8ZVELWRnjPD_TZ64YEfI4xM1Xbn1g=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="font-size: large;">Just look at that pretty green.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6d473a;">I make two batches of green juice</span>—one for me and one for the kids—twice a week.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a; font-weight: 700;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6d473a;">I drink about 6-8 ounces first thing every morning on an empty stomach. The kids drink a bit less than I do</span>—they each consume about a shot glass-size before eating their breakfast.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">After I bottle my juice, I take all the leftover pulp, throw it in a gallon Ziploc bag and make note of what's inside. Like this:</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #6d473a; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhprbj_9X5zjVFo7fPsUBp6C8DzHDzDvW2ByUBOKoHX_7Co-Ca338aag4U9xafoEzNkP0GbneGk__KaIisRJANtw_mGMEyt0bhCtGSqD7P_v327q3SwRqosQy6VEO6PB6DYwIdFvvrTeMnSy81yLVAiune8wFsaZtSiJrgJl8VDwqU1sOl9v_-asePDSw=s4000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhprbj_9X5zjVFo7fPsUBp6C8DzHDzDvW2ByUBOKoHX_7Co-Ca338aag4U9xafoEzNkP0GbneGk__KaIisRJANtw_mGMEyt0bhCtGSqD7P_v327q3SwRqosQy6VEO6PB6DYwIdFvvrTeMnSy81yLVAiune8wFsaZtSiJrgJl8VDwqU1sOl9v_-asePDSw=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #6d473a; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">But I don't stop there.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #6d473a; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #6d473a; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">In previous juicing posts, I teased that there are multiple uses for the pulp.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #6d473a; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #6d473a; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">And, well, well, well. What do we have here:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #6d473a; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhq9SHheiqj_BWkgjmLWte_RrUzGJuLj9Otkz253aHyqEuVkPgmfG9bVYsdTSE8WbTSRlYVhs2EDQGEUZ58Ijl_MSOAusBftHxpHEcrG7nZ3JCCckIrTkt9vYv7XCOOhr1rcfi2dwQGcbjJYamKpF4o8R_6G9AtC9jqDyBeaWXDYpNYE5lq_nbt5rZdmw=s4000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhq9SHheiqj_BWkgjmLWte_RrUzGJuLj9Otkz253aHyqEuVkPgmfG9bVYsdTSE8WbTSRlYVhs2EDQGEUZ58Ijl_MSOAusBftHxpHEcrG7nZ3JCCckIrTkt9vYv7XCOOhr1rcfi2dwQGcbjJYamKpF4o8R_6G9AtC9jqDyBeaWXDYpNYE5lq_nbt5rZdmw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">A nice veggie-pulp and egg scramble (and a vegetarian sausage patty), that's what.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I took the pulp off the top of the cup (above), as I didn't want orange in my eggs, but, hey, if you'd eat it, I'm not here to judge. I won't knock it until I've tried it. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">I simply heated some EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil) in a skillet, mashed up the pulp as the oil heated up, then added my eggs and scrambled until the consistency was to my liking.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">The rest of the pulp went into the Ziploc and then into the freezer to use at a later date (for soup, stir-fry, etc.).</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Until we juice again...</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6d473a;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Cheers!</span></span></div></div></div></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 16.5px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>If you are new to my juicing posts, please visit </i><a href="http://www.courtneyconover.com/2022/01/juicing-how-i-started.html" style="color: #4e6e9f; text-decoration-line: none;">Juicing: How I started</a><i>, which details the exact juicer and glass bottles I use as well as some background on how I got started</i></b>.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #6d473a; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 16.5px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.thewaynedispatch.com/?s=Courtney+Conover"><img height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEheiPKqF-uR9ktb7uGkbtIx3BDgWSdPZbuWR6Za5Y8EgMgNhBLN9TYpgyExR5ODPLcqy7aS-dMmCNV6Es-3_llatcPeHuNRmZ_0zzg3AIRQwST2vgCw-HYYMfYpPMR--amqvu-iw5vf97pLrvzxflUk-AySnAiTHwRQ57uECOpIaEGn4tiBsUblLNaXNg=w400-h278" /></a><br />
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</div> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6594789353434997801.post-59120748953783944642022-02-11T13:44:00.000-05:002022-02-11T13:44:24.296-05:00My NFL husband didn't play in a Super Bowl. But he did do this:<div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhVhriHFjRKi77c5i5KdMJg7oZ_mDpN6GrgtsUZ3jkKNxrB_NcJhC7DP5DibLSpCB_KUpEvjdAu86GKUJTl_lWkQOoVGxh-bhy2uoVbv8dlQYd_FIwTS8GM5H6I9dM0YcWXEyLYt2tnN0Mlw4qgkXwblTdPnx_FAmgacFH09R1DO03XAT-N30OzfZU56Q=s1003" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="498" data-original-width="1003" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhVhriHFjRKi77c5i5KdMJg7oZ_mDpN6GrgtsUZ3jkKNxrB_NcJhC7DP5DibLSpCB_KUpEvjdAu86GKUJTl_lWkQOoVGxh-bhy2uoVbv8dlQYd_FIwTS8GM5H6I9dM0YcWXEyLYt2tnN0Mlw4qgkXwblTdPnx_FAmgacFH09R1DO03XAT-N30OzfZU56Q=w640-h318" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Imagine watching the Super Bowl not in your own family room or local bar, but on a military base in Bosnia.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">That was Scott's experience for Super Bowl XXXIV in 2000.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Some background on how he got there--and why:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">It technically all started when, in 1941, the United Service Organizations (USO) was launched with the mission to bring a touch of home to America's military personnel and their families during peace and war. (A not-for-profit, the USO receives no direct government funding and is supported by contributions from individuals and corporate donors, United Way and the Combined Federal Campaign.)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">A mere three months after the USO was founded, Bob Hope led a group of celebrities to perform for airmen stationed at March Field (now March Air Force Base) in California.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Then, in 1966, the NFL was brought into the fold. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Looking for a way to demonstrate the NFL's support for America's fighting forces in Vietnam, then-Commissioner Pete Rozelle conceived the idea of sending NFL players to Vietnam on "goodwill tours" to visit U.S. troops. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">The NFL became the first sports organization to send a group of players to Vietnam and other parts of the Far East.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Since then, active and retired NFL players and coaches have made numerous USO tours visiting troops in such locations as Somalia, Bosnia, Italy, South Korea, Japan, Germany, and Kuwait.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Now back to Scott.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">The year was 2000, and Scott, who had retired from his career as a Detroit Lions offensive lineman three years prior, was invited to participate in Operation Super Bowl Bosnia -- in Bosnia -- and the objective of this tour, as with any celebrity tour -- was for the NFL players involved to meet and talk with as many troops as possible.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Here's a summary of Scott's experience -- in his own words...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">"En route to Bosnia, we traveled on a military cargo plane while wearing military travel attire, and when we arrived, I got a chance to experience military life on base. I slept in army barracks, ate in the mess hall, and showered in their facilities. It was a true army experience...</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Before the Super Bowl party, I toured the base and conversed with an array of troops who also represented other countries, in addition to the United States...</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Watching the Super Bowl with the men and women of our armed forces was particularly fun because they were from all over our country -- fans who represented virtually all 32 NFL teams, including Lions fans! But they all had one thing in common: A genuine love of the game. We're talking about true die-hard fans, here...</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><i>They appreciated everything we as players put into the game in order for them to enjoy it. But, actually, </i>they<i> are really the true heroes and warriors. I felt proud to be there with them because our presence kind of gave them a piece of home -- even though they were so far away. And some of them even articulated this to me, that watching our games was such a comfort for them...</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">It was an honor to watch one of the world's greatest sporting events in the company of the men and women who serve and protect this country and afford us the opportunity to play this game that we love."</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Scott also participated in a similar USO tour in Bahrain during the next Super Bowl in 2001.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Here are some photo highlights of his tours:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3gHiZ6E1eKE/VMwwfLmo55I/AAAAAAAACM4/4OUF6maz7iQ/s1600/Scan0002_R.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3gHiZ6E1eKE/VMwwfLmo55I/AAAAAAAACM4/4OUF6maz7iQ/s1600/Scan0002_R.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br style="text-align: left;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8vLdDCFqR4w/VMwwf6L0qxI/AAAAAAAACNI/dLuPh6NvHd4/s1600/Scan0005_R.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="418" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8vLdDCFqR4w/VMwwf6L0qxI/AAAAAAAACNI/dLuPh6NvHd4/s1600/Scan0005_R.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--ynlCFE_tX8/VMwwfXlEcLI/AAAAAAAACM8/jBMevB6xa1k/s1600/Scan0003_R.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/--ynlCFE_tX8/VMwwfXlEcLI/AAAAAAAACM8/jBMevB6xa1k/s1600/Scan0003_R.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5N9Z-EMVNw0/VMwwfb_PllI/AAAAAAAACNA/lNsuGN_oUcM/s1600/Scan0004_R.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="418" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5N9Z-EMVNw0/VMwwfb_PllI/AAAAAAAACNA/lNsuGN_oUcM/s1600/Scan0004_R.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">Thank you to all the men and women of our armed forces for all that you do!</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: large;">For a complete history of NFL players and coaches on USO tours, please click <a href="http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d82389235/article/uso">here.</a></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.thewaynedispatch.com/?s=Courtney+Conover"><img height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEheiPKqF-uR9ktb7uGkbtIx3BDgWSdPZbuWR6Za5Y8EgMgNhBLN9TYpgyExR5ODPLcqy7aS-dMmCNV6Es-3_llatcPeHuNRmZ_0zzg3AIRQwST2vgCw-HYYMfYpPMR--amqvu-iw5vf97pLrvzxflUk-AySnAiTHwRQ57uECOpIaEGn4tiBsUblLNaXNg=w400-h278" /></a><br />
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</div> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0