What Am I?

I can't tell you how many times I have been asked this question: What are you? On any given day I could be any number of races, nationalities, groups depending on the person judging. If you asked my son this question 2 years ago he would simply say I was brown. If life could only stay that simple. For some reason people want to force me into a category. I must be exotic, ethnic, other. So, what am I? I am a complex, simple, beautiful, sensitive, funny, scared, intuitive, impatient, driven, shy, determined, sometimes cranky, honest, laid back, smart, human being. But the answer most are looking for is that I am an all American midwestern mixed girl. White Mother. Black Father. Born and raised in Michigan. It took me a long time to be ok with that. I spent my lifetime trying to figure out where I fit in- but those stories I will save for another day. Check back. Today I will enjoy the one day that I will go out and be happy to hear the question: What are you? I haven't decided what I will be today, but those attending the Halloween party at Django tonight will find out. Lesson Learned- just be you, you don't have to "fit" into anything.

Lesson #26- People will disappoint you

If I have learned anything during my 20s it is that people will disappoint you. Friends, Co-workers, even those you love the most will disappoint you at some time in your life. But when you are faced with disappointment after disappointment sometimes it's better to just let that person go. I used to think that deep down inside everyone was a good person. We all go through rough patches but everyone deserves a chance. I have learned that everyone is not a good person and some people are only meant to be in your life for a season. They came into your life for a reason, good or bad.  You know you should walk away, but you are still holding on to the hope that that good person will shine through. Then one day you realize they will never change. Learning to let go when it's time - lesson learned.

Vote for Change

Today I conquered the voting line. It was not as bad as I expected. In total it was about 2 hours of my life. I have spent 2 hours in line at Cedar Point to ride the newest ride. I have spent 2 hours (on multiple occasions) sitting in the airport waiting on a plane stuck in the traffic jam in the sky over Hartsfield. I have spent 2 hours standing around at a wack party. So today I was pleased to spend 2 hours waiting in line, in the cold, to vote for change.  We all take our blessings for granted. We take for granted the simple fact we woke up this morning and were blessed with another day. We take for granted that there was a time we couldn't even stand outside of many of the buildings we are voting in. We take for granted the many people who gave their lives so we could have this basic right.  We take for granted that we live in a country where our voice can make a difference if enough of us are speaking- even though most of the time it feels like we don't count. This is the time to show we do. Who would have thought that in 2008 we would be this close to having a Black President.

Round 2

They say 30 is the new 20. Well my 30 is almost over and I think I spent most of the year wondering where my 20s went. What happened to everything I was supposed to accomplish during that decade of my life? Am I the only one who missed it? I guess me and all of my friends who are "doing 30" this year.  What happens that makes you forget about all of the dreams you had in your teens during your 20s? Or is it that we are so excited to be "grown" we forget what we are supposed to be doing? Maybe 30 is the new 20 because the purpose of our 20s is to get a lot of our mistakes out of the way. So really when you turn 30 you are starting your 20s over equipped with the wisdom you now wish you had at 20? Well one of the things I forgot about in my 20s was writing. It was my passion since I learned to write my name. So here is to getting back to the basics- the things I was born to do. My 20s round 2. I invite you to share in my reflections of lessons learned in round 1 and experiences yet to come in round 2.