Now, I don’t want to overwhelm you right from the start, but you need a bit of an overview to
understand what “Living Life by the Seat of Your Pants” is all about &
where it started…
Below is where this
all began…4 years ago….Actually, it started before that - almost 45 years ago.
As you will see
(because it’s what you are currently reading)….I’ve decided to write a Blog…not
a book. For Now.
********************************************************************************************************************
A “Day” in the Life of
a Forty-Something Single
Full of humor. It’s raw, open & real.
June 22, 2008
I’ve said for years
I’m going to write a book…I’ve now officially started.
Today. Here. Now.
I've read lots of
books over the past few years…it’s one of the greatest gifts I’ve given myself
& I’ve had the power all along, although I never used it. Use it.
In the past decade,
we’ve seen a borage of Chick Lit books….and I’ve read a bunch. I want to thank
Helen Fielding, Meg Cabot, Candace Bushnell, Madeline Wickham, Jackie Collins,
Charlaine Harris, Jennifer Weiner, Janet Evanovich, Patricia Cornwell, Stephanie Meyer, and a
host of others for writing women with true, powerful qualities like
intelligence, humor, sexiness, confidence, silliness, passion, sympathy, boldness, strength & compassion. But, in the
in end of most of these books…the heroine finds "Her Prince"…it’s not so much in
real life.
In real life (at
least in my real life), you move to Sunny So-Cal hoping to find yourself &
grow…which I did, unfortunately it was to a size 20.
Of course it couldn’t
have anything to do with being laid off several times in our "growing economy” –
mergers, acquisitions, “reorganizations”, downsizing…I think I’ve seen it all –
been through it all. It does a number on ones' self esteem. Neither does gaining
50 pounds, steadily going grey & realizing what a Nasty Bitch gravity is.
But I digress (I do
that often, especially in real conversations – as EVERYONE who knows
me would say)…Anyway, here’s my basic message to all those gals out there who just think
that you can sit back & wait for your life to happen. It won't. You’ve got
to be proactive & search for what YOU want & what will fulfill YOU.
Your life may not turn out to be what you expect it to be. It’s not a bad thing…just be
prepared. I wasn’t.
Tomorrow I’ll be 41 +
2 months; at my present job for 2 years, 1 month & a few days– only 2 more
years & I’ll pass my job longevity record; I’m the heaviest I’ve ever been;
up to my eyeballs in debt and my gumball machine is running out of gumballs
(Great analogy from a chick lit book, apologies for not rememebering).
I thought that I’d be
married, with children by the time I was in my early thirties – at the latest.
That was the only plan I had…although it wasn’t so much a plan as just a given in my mind.
You may think after
all this that I’m ready to find the nearest skyscraper (they keep building up
San Diego, so I have plenty to choose from)…but no, I have a few things going
for me….hope & optimism.
So, here’s my story.
At the time of its birth, it’s 10:54 p.m. on a Sunday night…I can’t guarantee
that when I do finish I won’t have found my purpose in life, my soul mate or
lost some weight, but as of right now – my stats: 41+, single -not dating and
not a single prospect, 218 lbs, got my period, bad back, in debt, smoker,
drinker (not heavily…well, not often, heavily when I actually do drink), living
in a cute Cottage that is disorganized, cluttered and has been for the 2 ½ years I’ve
lived here, and dreading going to work tomorrow.
Ok. So I started
reading, “The Artist’s Way” – over 2 years ago. I pulled it out, dusted it off
& reread the first few chapters…that was about 3 weeks ago. I’m at the
section where I need to make a decision to actually start the program – for the
next 12 weeks….the problem is, The Morning Pages.
I think I started The Morning
Pages when I first got the book and I did them…for about 3 days. Therein lies
the problem – I’m NOT a morning person. So…before I go to bed tonight, I think
I need to make a decision (since this is the first time I’ve actually thought
about the program in the past 3 weeks) – do I get up early tomorrow & write
my 3 pages and see if it gets me going on a creative streak so I can actually
start writing this book that I’ve started…or sleep in like I usually do.
It’s now 11:08 p.m.
on the evening of June 22, 2008. I’m afraid that if I start the morning pages
tomorrow then I’ll come up with some creative flow that just has me writing
& writing about things I was to say in this “book”, but I think one of the
things about the morning pages is that you don’t read them…ever. You just write
to get the ideas flowing…the thought process flowing…I think I may miss
something if I do them.
But, I may gain
something – like the impetus to not stop what I’ve started here & to keep
on going no matter which direction it takes me in…
I think it’s time for
bed…let’s see what tomorrow brings.
*******************************************************
4/14/2010– 4/15/2010
Since last time I
wrote…. my stats: 42 years, 8 months & 356 days, single - not dating and
not a single prospect, 220 lbs, STILL got a bad back, STILL in debt, smoker,
drinker (not heavily…well, not often, heavy when I actually do drink – as is
the case tonight), living in a cute Cottage that is (STILL) disorganized &
has way too much “stuff”, and has been for the 4 ¼ years I’ve lived here, and
NOT dreading going to work tomorrow because I’m unemployed (yet, again – just
over a year now)….can’t believe it’s been this long since I’ve read this...or
have read it to anyone – 2 people today.
Question for the day:
“Am I the only one who is experiencing this – right here, right now?”
And I have said this
twice today and that has been quoted to me recently & it still holds the
same truths….
Whatever changes,
remains the same.
********************************************************
April 22, 2010, 6:40
p.m. PST
Forty-two years, 364 days and 8 hours
(if I’m right & I was the one who was born at 11:40 a.m.)
Reflection time is a good time to
write. After all, this “book” is all about reflection and changes and moving on
and standing still sometimes.
*************************************************************************************
March 8, 2012 at 6:14 p.m.
SO…you see where I
have been & what I’ve been doing. Not much has changed, but today is as
good a day as any to start…
I have tons of Notes from my book ideas & my Blog ideas about different categories & chapters & actual names of posts that I'll be writing about. I hope you join me & I encourage you to contribute & comment.
The only promise I can make is that this Blog will definitely be a few things: shorter, genuine, upbeat, positive, open, honest and passionate.
And hopefully be others: insightful, humorous, encouraging, bold, intelligent, and inspirational.
Enjoy & thanks for joining me on the maiden voyage of Living Life by the Seat of Your Pants!
