Tag: perspective

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Fresh

2chicksandapen

I recently spent some time on an island. To sum up the experience in one word I would say, blissful. Some may not grasp my definition thus I will share it in this blog.

Fresh air.

Sunshine.

Calmness.

Less chaos.

Soothing sounds of the ocean.

Fresh smells of land.

The few words or phases above could be expanded upon but I’m choosing to keep the post simple. Just like life on an island is, simple.

Morning bike rides amidst the car traffic. Nobody beeping at you to get out of the way. No hurried sense of rushing to get somewhere. A definite difference from my everyday. Time seems to move at a slower pace yet it’s still the same 24 hours each day. A blissful calm to my normal day in day out.

Th photo above appears to be endless yet the island is small. Can a water border translate or infer more of an endless appeal? Less cell phones ringing and chirping. Many are enjoying the sights, the sounds and the environment without being glued to technology. I always had the access I needed but the need seemed less. Sand beneath your toes by the water. Walking opportunities galore. Wildlife in abundance yet at a distance. The clearest of blue skies. Mystical sunsets. Colorful sunrises. A blissful calm in itself.

From the waitresses at the taco shop to the boat captain to the restaurant owner to the tour guide on a bike to the eco tour educator, to the Uber driver, all seemed to love their job. A genuine passion for their environment. It almost seemed crazy to interact with so many occupations that loved their job, their community, their lifestyle. Each one was unique. Each one seemed content. More so than the many I would interact with in my normal day-to-day. 

I don’t really have any scientific data to translate the why of my observations. Rather I chalk it up to island time. The island lifestyle. The don’t worry be happy mentality. Not so much about who is better than another rather let’s keep doing x so we can live the paradise lifestyle we want. Less frills. More thrills. 

If I had no cares in the world, I’d pack up and head to an island. I would have less but gain so much more. A fresh outlook is always soul refreshing for my mind. It gives me a chance to reset my horizon. Shift what seems stuck. I always relearn to appreciate what I have in front of me while mapping out where and what I really need in front of me down the road.

Breathing fresh air for extended periods of time can be healing. Getting out and experiencing nature can be calming. Experiencing new people, places and foods can be classified as growth. Try it!

Exercising the body and stimulating the mind in a relaxed environment can have exponential benefits. Both short and long-term.

A 5 day unplug from my computer (not smart phone) was exactly what the doctor ordered for me.

I feel fresh.

Renewed.

Re-energized.

Ready for what’s next. While one may feel guilty for escaping reality, the truth is stepping away is essential. This is your reminder. Breathe the fresh air more. Don’t stay stuck in a cubicle of life. Dip your toes in the sand. It will rinse off easily. Take a leap into the deep water. You can tread water longer than you think in life or in the ocean.

The more you break away, the more productive you will be for longer. The end.

perspective, working women

A Womanly Week

2chicksandapen

It’s been a week for the record books in more ways than one. I wasn’t sure I’d write about the week but then decided it could be valuable to another thus I opted to share away. And keep in mind this is a snapshot in time of a woman in her 50’s. Not her 20’s.

There were fluctuations in body temperatures. It seemed I’d been hot in the middle of the night. Not able to sleep peacefully. Maybe even sweaty at times. Cold during the day. Bundling up as if it was much colder outside than it actually was. Did anyone else suffer these same symptoms in my home? Nope. Did I look crazy? A bit. Was I sick? No. Well there you have it, my irregular cycle appeared. That in itself explains so much yet so little. This is part of my stage of life that is summed up as absolute fuckery.

The angry phase hit more than once this week. The shortness of patience was ever so present. The general irritability was constant. The need for space from people was daily. All of it. Mid life crisis at its best. Emotional roller coaster. High and lows. So much blah. There was push back from some around me. There was silence from others. Neither I’m fond of, but neither is experiencing my loads. Therefore those who don’t walk in my shoes cannot judge me.

Then there are the outlets. I ran some this week. I don’t care so much for running yet running seemed to free my mind from all the excess baggage it had this week. This is mental baggage. Not even the physical baggage associated with bloated in the stomach area or just inflammation in general from the craziness of an irregular cycle. Writing such as this is therapy as well. Settling my thoughts to find some method of the chaos. Whether I publish or not, I write.

Then I read an article about working women. All that a woman is expected to do and bear the title of mom on top of it. Big sigh. Yet nobody refers to a dad as a working dad. Such an irony. Thinking about this on top of everything else at times put me over the edge. Women get the short end of the stick. Balancing work / life / parenting while maintaining a household. Doctor appointments, medicine pick ups, school conferences, and and and.  Many dads go off to work and just focus on a singular task for the day. Women have fireworks going off by the minute in contrast.

Running helped me this week. Going to the gym was a godsend. I might have performed the best I had in a while. Not sure the main reason for that but it was the outlet that was needed for me. Lift heavy shit. Run alone. Life is heavy in this season of life. Many can’t relate to one’s highs and lows thus lifting heavy shit helps me cope. Running on the other hand let’s me breathe the air. Recycle the airflow from within.

All of the above enabling me to deal with the stupidity of others. Giving me patience to watch others make mistakes. Showing grace when I literally want to dope slap somebody. And then there is the big one. Swallowing my pride when others crumble. I want to help many. It can be most difficult to watch one crumble or fold in front of you. It’s hard but sometimes it’s a needed step for others to grow despite it killing you a bit inside.

All while the above was circulating my week, there were also nightmares. Very distressing nightmares specific to immediate family members. Had one come to fruition I would be a basket case. Thankfully that wasn’t the case. However, it was a rude awakening of what could be. Why did I have these flashes and not the ones most directly impacted?

Whatever the reason, I had to feel all of that amidst my sleep which was already erratic. My days became longer. My wakes became harder. My time became less productive. My mind raced all the time. My week was summed up as unsettling.

The good news is I’m still here. I’m refocused to a certain extent. I’m ready for a scenery break to fully reset my mind and body. Don’t ever underestimate the change in surroundings. It’s often said you become what you surround yourself with. Success breeds success. In order to grow or shift out of a funk of any kind you need to pivot. Step away from the ordinary to experience variety.

Make sure you have a slush fund of sorts for your mid life crisis moments. Maybe it’s a new pair of shoes you splurge on. Maybe it’s a weekend away. Maybe it’s a trip of a lifetime. Maybe it’s just a cute pair of earrings you always wanted. Heck you may even want a sexy photo shoot.

Just do it. It’s self care. Therapy. The headaches, heartaches and shit will still be where you left it when you come back. I promise. The shit pile doesn’t go away. The break just helps you look at the shit a little differently. Life is all about perspective.

My perspective sucked most of this week. A little fresh air. Some pampering. Time away from annoying people. Socializing and exercising with people who share my fit lifestyle all helped in my reset. I slept a little sounder last night. I appreciate my life a little more today.

I am that girl working through this mid life crisis mess. Some days are easy. Some are not. Some weeks seem fun. Others seem ever so long. I’m not alone. Many struggle. Many women struggle. I’m writing today to say it’s okay. Whatever stage or phase you are in, you will push through it. It may be bumpy at time but that’s life.

Women are designed to endure.

Women are extremely strong.

Women make the world go round.

I’m convinced.

challenges

Just Disturbing

2chicksandapen

the threat. The hoax. The stir. The anxiety.  And everything in between. It was a late evening during a weekday and an email popped in from the school about a threat. One that was being worked by leadership. No worries just a heads up.
Then the text messages fly in. The social media posts hit. One of which is below. So many families opting out of school for safety. Some arriving late. What to do? Thankfully we had a preset dental appointment so we would miss the crazy of the morning.

9:30 we arrive at school with a tardy note in hand. It’s an unusual site. 6-7 cop cars and suvs representing various law enforcement. The sound above is actually a helicopter. What is going on? We pull into a spot to park in case we arrived during a lockdown.
We call a few families to see who is in school who is not. As we sit and adjust to the chaos we hear a boom! Maybe it was the echo of a dumpster slamming shut but it was all we needed to hear. After that boom, we immediately thought gunshot and left the parking without a moment to spare.
School could wait for the next day. My child was anxious. My child was unsure if school was safe. Heck I was like what just just happened. I wrote a note the next day to excuse her for being out of school. I was honest. I noted the above. It wasn’t excused. It wasn’t a valid reason. Are you kidding?
That day I’d say more than 70% of the school was out based on vehicles in the parking lot, parent confirmations and minimal traffic before and after school. Would you think the day should be excused? Would you have sent your child if you faced the scenario I did?
I have been scratching my head about this topic for weeks. I finally jotted down this post. There were many other crazy social media posts of concern. In the end I think what is this world coming to. I value each day and hope I never have to witness a mass shooting or catastrophe at a school. Although those are my wishes, I know deep down it’s possible especially in today’s climate.

challenges

Spinning My Wheels

2chicksandapen

In case you missed it, I am currently doing CrossFit style and strength training inside a regular gym instead of a box. It has its challenges, but one of the benefits is the option of other classes. Two of my gym buddies wanted to try spin classes early in the morning once or twice a week. I’ve been to the class twice. So far, it’s not my favorite. The coach seems fine. The people in the class are friendly and hardworking. My main issue is I compare it to my time biking outside. I love my road bike and going places. I love seeing the countryside go by. Going up and down actual hills. Seeing concrete progress as I rack up miles. I have the same feelings about a treadmill.

Still, I stick with it. I try to be patient, step back, and see what I can learn from this experience. I am not excited about standing up on my road bike. I tend to be a little bit lazy. I don’t like staying in big gears on the hills. Spin class makes me stay in the resistance, even upping it little by little.

The best part of spin is working out with friends. But honestly, for the most part, it is forgettable. I’m not remarkably sore the next day. Life goes on.

The only thing that has really stuck with me is a quote from the instructor: “if something isn’t working, change it.”

I’m guessing she meant on our bikes. Adjust the resistance. How I’m sitting.

Instead, it hit me over the head that this is just about life.

If something isn’t working, change it.

I can’t just walk out on the challenge. I can’t throw in the towel. I can’t change the way people act. I can’t change the past.

I can change my mindset. I can change my focus, my efforts, my energy. I can change my own actions.

What’s not working for me? For you? What can you change?

Don’t just sulk. Don’t just fret. Don’t just complain or gossip.

A simple message for today. How does it apply to your life?

If something isn’t working, change it.

dare to be different

Potty Spots

2chicksandapen

I was on a quick road trip recently and decided I would write about the potty stops before I took off for the day. Not sure why I chose the subject but I thought it would be interesting to chronicle so here goes.

First pit stop was in a restaurant called Milk and Honey in Chattanooga, Tennessee. I had no idea when I walked in the door it would be decorated in paint splatter but I was ever so excited that I went in so I could include it in my potty spot post. It was definitely an interesting design for a bathroom.

The next stop was a rustic potty palace. It had a roof. It had a toilet seat. It had sawdust sprinkles of sort to sprinkle on your excrements for a natural compost of sorts. It had toilet paper. It was however lacking hand sanitizer and a washing station. This rustic out house of sorts was elevated end you could definitely see the poop pile below. This was a first for me but again so glad I was writing this post when I visited this spot. It just added to the variety of the post.

Ah the Next potty spot is your average every day port-a-potty. A neat teal color with a lovely women figure on it. I’m assuming it was for women only but who really knows. This one was on my hike this day. I didn’t need to go when I was near but I did take the photo for the post since I stumbled upon it.

The final stop was at Buc-ee’s. A fancy gas station and Walmart combined to create a one of a kind roadside pit stop experience. Weird to explain but you can get gas, a coffee, a rib dinner, wine, clothing and so much more. Of course I needed to check out their facilities. A multi door stall setup built with privacy. For a gas station I would classify this as a mega potty. It was clean too.

I guess my story today will end with this toilet. A shitter of sorts. Hope you enjoyed my potty spot adventure today. I highly encourage you to take an adventure and think about one random thing to write about. Today it was my toilet adventures. Tomorrow will be who knows.