I believe life's crossroads are opportunities. And sometimes, in order to have the things we truly want, we have to let go. We have to let go of old ideas about who we thought we were and how life was supposed to be. Letting go isn't easy. Believe me, I know. But each time I've allowed myself to loosen my grip, amazing things have happened. I don't claim to have all the answers, but I'm definitely not afraid to ask the questions. This blog is dedicated to telling my stories, and yours, too. I hope you'll wander around and stay a while. Subscribe, leave comments... make yourself at home.
I can’t think of a better way to round out the week than with this video by my friend and local musician, Frank Royster.
Once upon a time, Frank and I worked together at a Charleston television station, and we quickly bonded over Beatles music and round-the-clock hurricane coverage. We rang in the new millennium together– a small group of friends gathered at my apartment and listened to Frank play guitar.
I also have a few funny memories of Frank, like the time he almost wrecked the news truck when he saw a buzzard dining on road kill. And the time he thought I didn’t have toes. I apparently put all my nervous energy into my feet. That day, I was doing a live shot, and I was curling my toes up into my sandals. When the live shot was over, Frank stepped from behind the camera and a wave of relief washed over him, at the point he realized I did, in fact, have toes. “The whole time I was thinking, Angie, you poor girl!” Frank said. He was about to cry, so happy to be wrong.
Frank has a huge heart and an undeniable passion for music. ”Ever since I was a small child, I wanted to be a musician. Now I have released two CD’s and have surrounded myself with people who enable me to live that dream 4-5 nights a week. I have been blessed!”
In the video for Mr. Wonderful, you’ll definitely hear a bit of The Beatles and Elvis Costello– two of his greatest musical influences. But Mr. Wonderful has a unique hook that will stay with you all day and just make you smile. And the video may induce a sudden onset of happiness. Consider yourself warned.
So much of this young woman’s story reminds me of my own, and I wanted to share it with you. I’ve heard people say it’s easier to leap when you are young, when you have time to pick up the pieces and adjust. But I hope I’m never afraid to follow my heart’s calling. I hope it’s never too late. What about you?
Please welcome guest blogger, Renee Williams:
I wanted to be a television journalist since I was twelve and was lured by the bright lights and reporters and anchors on my local stations. To make my dream come true, I went to the University of Georgia and got into journalism school. When I graduated, I took my first job in Charleston, South Carolina where I was a reporter, producer, fill-in anchor and host.
I was living the dream.
I’m not quite sure there was an exact moment where I started rethinking the path I had been on for the past decade. I guess it was a lot of little different things that added up and made me realize that my dream wasn’t much of a dream. I loved the exhilaration of being a reporter, the challenge of turning a story on deadline, the live shots, the long hours. I relished in the aspects of my job that most people would hate. Then, gradually I began to realize I no longer wanted to do those things. What used to be important, no longer was important. What used to get me excited now appalled me. My career and life were changing. Read more »
There’s a story that’s been in my family for years. My grandfather “Papa” (pronounced with a short a, as in cat) used to paint cars for a living. He built a paint shop right behind my grandparent’s house. The next door neighbor wasn’t thrilled. But as far as I know, it was pretty well-ventilated and no one else complained. He worked hard to make a living, and there was a lot of talk about “money not growing on trees.” Read more »
Since having two kids, I’ve said it a lot. When I was a waitress in college, I could walk across a crowded bar with several plates stacked on my arm and a round of beers laced between my fingers.
But struggling to hold 26 pound baby (Blake’s a big boy) and trying to keep a 4-year-old from running into traffic… now that’s work. In the midst of this, I try to look stylish sporting a Kate Spade diaper bag, overflowing with bananas, sippy cups, diapers, my wallet and sparkly Victoria Secret lip gloss.
Recently, Dillon asked, “Mom, why do you only have two hands?”
Son, that’s a fantastic question. Imagine how Kate and Octomom must feel.
This past weekend, I watched a mom with eight legs corral dozens and dozens of babies. It was kind of creepy, but it put this whole motherhood thing into perspective.
Click here to read the rest of the story over at Hybrid Mom.
After my last post, I received comments from a couple of people I hadn’t heard from in a while, and it made my day. So I thought I’d take this opportunity to tell you how much I love comments.
If you like to read my blog on the “down-low” (like my friend, Page) that’s totally okay. You can come and go and maintain your privacy. Oops. Sorry, Page.
But if you read a blog post, and you have an opinion, perspective or a similar story, I want to hear about it– if you want to share. Sometimes, I jump in and participate in the comment stream. Either way, I read and appreciate all of your comments.
(Except the ones that say “you suck.” But that only happened once, and it wasn’t on this site.)
So if you ever want to comment on my blog, here’s the deal.
you don’t have to include your last name
you do have to include your email address, but it won’t be published or shared (it’s just a tool to help catch spam)
if you don’t see a place to comment, you can access the comment page by clicking on the title of the post.
I look forward to hearing from you. And to all of you on the “DL”, I love you, too!
The summer cold took up residence in my house for about two weeks. My four-year-old, Dillon, got it first– complete with fevers, aches and the whole bit. Then, in the spirit of sharing, he passed it on to his baby brother, Blake, and to me. On the worst day, my mom offered to let Dillon spend a couple of days at her house so I could take care of myself and Blake.
On the morning mom was scheduled to bring Dillon home, Blake and I were feeling much better. I pulled the ExerSaucer to the front porch and filled the tray with Cheerios. I grabbed my coffee and sat down in the rocking chair. Pure bliss. Coffee and the front porch. A happy baby. Simple pleasures that remind me no matter how hard I work, no matter how diligently I strive for success, I already have the things that truly matter to me. I didn’t arrive at this place by accident, or by luck. It has been a long journey. But for the most part, the happiness I’ve found comes from opening my eyes and seeing what’s already there. Read more »
Every once in a while, I like to break up the deep thoughts and poke a little fun at myself. Some of my good friends will tell you, it’s pretty easy to do. And I believe, when used in moderation, a little self deprecation can be good for the soul. Remember my top three embarrassing moments?
Recently, I gave the readers of Hybrid Mom a peek inside my closet. It’s a sad state of affairs, my friends. In the series, Help! Fashion Police! Who Stole My Clothes? I share:
You may or may not have noticed things have been a little wonky around here lately… like random posts popping up in your feed readers and inbox. I’ve been fiddling with various blog themes and tag lines for a couple of months… and I think I’m finally done.
I think. For now, anyway.
I place a lot of value on being authentic, and sometimes, it’s necessary to take an inventory of what’s happening on the outside. Does the surface reflect what’s going on within? Read more »
If you live in the Charleston, SC area, be sure to pick up the July issue of Lowcountry Parent magazine. I’m writing a monthly column there, starting this month.
This month is the birthday issue, and I found the theme very fitting, since baby Blake turned one last week. One of the most rewarding things about being a parent is simply observing my children, watching their natural born gifts and personalities take shape.
And that’s also what’s so sad about it. Dancing that gentle dance of holding on and letting go…
You can read the online version of my premiere column for Lowcountry Parent here.
I’m constantly on a quest for the proverbial state of balance. But these days, balance is getting a lot of hype. It’s become a buzz word, a marketing tool and another thing to accomplish on our never-ending to-do lists.
Pay the bills. Check. Take care of business. Check. Achieve balance. Check.
Feeling pressure to achieve balance is a bit counterproductive, don’t you think? Read more »
I believe life's crossroads are opportunities. And sometimes, in order to have the things we truly want, we have to let go. We have to let go of old ideas about who we thought we were and how life was supposed to be. Letting go isn't easy. Believe me, I know. But each time I've allowed myself to loosen my grip, amazing things have happened. I don't claim to have all the answers, but I'm definitely not afraid to ask the questions. This blog is dedicated to telling my stories, and yours, too. I hope you'll wander around and stay a while. Subscribe, leave comments... make yourself at home.
