Buckle Up! Here It Comes!

Dear friends and family, I'm pissed and I'm about to rant.  So buckle up, you might need it. Or, just quit reading right now and go watch American Idol!

 As many of you know, I'm a huge sports fan especially college sports.  I always wanted to be an athlete, but unfortunately, I was not blessed with any abilities.  I had a PE teacher tell me one time that it was too bad I had two left feet because I had the heart of a competitor! So instead being on the court, I sit on the sidelines and watch the action.  And to be honest, I'm also berating the referees and umpires when I'm not yelling encouraging words to my nieces, nephews and the Buckeyes.   

Because of my love of competition, I find myself glued to Olympic games every two years.  I just love all of the inspirational stories, the fierce competition, and the American victories.  I check the medal count every day on my Olympic Games app on my phone.  Yes, seriously, there is an app for your phone!  I cry every time they play the national anthem.  I fist pump, scream encouragements, and hold my breath in anticipation.  I check the sports guide to plan my night of TV viewing.  I purposely avoid sports pages and sports radio for two weeks!  I like to live in the moment of competition.

What I think I admire most is the dedication these athletes have for their sport.  I mean think about it. Most of them go to their 8-hour a day jobs and then go train for another 8 hours. (Let me inject here my dislike for professional athletes in the Olympics.  It's supposed to be about amateurs and their personal struggles to be the best.  I'm just saying!  The paid athlete ruins it for me!) They adhere to strict diets.  They push their bodies and minds to go further, play harder and be better.  They spend 4 years of intense training and single minded determination with only one goal in mind:  to win the Olympic gold medal.  For most of them, the actually competition lasts less than 10 minutes.  They spend their lives and tons of money preparing for that moment.  This is the reason why I cry when I see someone raise that gold medal and kiss it with gusto.

Okay Denise, so what are you so pissed about?  Well, prepare yourself, here it comes.  I am so damn angry about the events happening in Sochi, Russia.  As the opening ceremony approaches, so do the bombings, threats and violence.  Because of the actions of a bunch of manacle, evil people, the Olympics are being shrouded in safety concerns. Who the hell do these people think they are?  How dare they take away the meaning of the Olympics.  Yes, it is about competition.  But it is also about unity, peace and camaraderie.  They bring the world together for 15 days to enjoy the spectacle known as athletics.  Who doesn't enjoy the closing ceremonies when the athletes come in the stadium not as a national team, but as men and women who share a common bond.  The Olympics is also a time for families to witness the culmination of years of blood, sweat and tears.  They raise money to follow their athletes around the world to watch those precious moments when they see the final realization of the dreams. 

Because of a bunch misguided assholes, those families may now be watching from the comfort of their homes.  I heard today on sports radio that the athletes are now asking their love ones to stay away from Sochi.  The athletes feel the issues of security will take away from their focus.  I heard one competitor say he couldn't concentrate on his training knowing that his family might be in danger.  How heart breaking is that?  To live this one moment in time and can't physically share it with the people who have supported you through your journey.  And what about the citizens of Sochi?  How many of them are counting on the money from the Olympics to help them realize their dreams?  May be they want to send a child to college, or fund their own Olympic dreams.  I just don't understand how people can convince themselves that evil doing is okay.  I feel so sorry for their stone cold hearts and their misguided souls.  I also feel sorry for the people who's lives are ruined simply because they know these evil people.  I really hurts my heart to think of it all.

So join me in praying for the safety of everyone who is associated with the Sochi Olympics.  May God protect the good from the evil.  I think it's safe to say we will all be on pins and needles from the opening ceremony through the extinguishing of the flame on closing night. And unfortunately it won't be because of the competition.   May the spirit of good overcome the evil and that the Olympic spirit shines bright for 15 days in February.

Make Every Day Count

Denise

I'M BAAAAACCCCCCKKKKK!

Dear Readers

After a 9 month hiatus, I'm glad to say that I'm back in the blogging world again.  I have missed all of you and hope you missed me as well.  So, where I have been you ask?  After all, I've been right in Newark/Heath area this whole time.  Let's make it clear, I did not have a child!!!!!  (Nine months, it get it?)  Well,  friends and family, I took an unplanned journey into to self-reflection, priority evaluation, and all around inward soul searching. Let's call the 2013 Reality Olympics.   I hit the magically age of 51 and decided I needed to figure out how the second half of my life was going to play out.  It happens when you get old.  At some point in your life, reality bitch slaps you in the face and shouts, "Girlfriend, it's time to face the facts, digest the successes, learn from the failures, and map out the future."  Normally, I would have taken you all long with me on the journey, but sometimes we all need some solitude in order to accept, heal and grow. So I made an unconscious decision to finally shut my mouth and work things out internally.   I've done that and now I'm ready to open up my life of twists and turns, quirkiness and goofiness, and pains and happiness once again.  I have a whole 9 months of experiences and stories that I am dying to share with you.  The ideas  are running amok in my head, just begging to be told.

So where do we go from here?  Since it's the new year, I guess I will start with a reflection of 2013 and the  5 most important things I've learned.

1.  Listen to your soul.  It knows you better than anyone else.  We all have that inner place that knows the truth about who we are, where we've been,  what we need and where we are going.   For some reason, we tend to fight it and/or ignore it.  I think we ignore it because it can be so painful to acknowledge and accept that truth.   The thing is it is always right and if we just listened to it in the first place, we could save ourselves so much time, grief and pain. However, we can't face it until we are ready.

2.  God will always give us what we need, when we need it.  See #1.

3.  At your lowest, you find out who your true friends are.  I have always said there are levels of friendship.  There are acquaintances.  There are fun friends.  There are time period friends.  There are reoccurring friends. And then, there are the no holds barred friends.  When you find your life in upheaval and transition, you find out who are those no holds barred friends.  They are there for you no matter what.  They see you at your weakest and pick you up and dust you off.  They tell you the truth whether you want to  hear it or not.  They help you rebuild who you are.  They help make you a better person.  To all of my no holds barred friends, and you know who you are, I want to say from the depths of my heart, thanks so much for everything you have done for me last year.  You've supported me through thick and thin and I appreciate it.  I hope 2014 brings more laughter, happiness and adventures than sorrow, sadness and grief.

4.  Laughter is the best medicine.  I love to laugh.  I love to laugh at intelligent humor (The Big Bang Theory).  I love to laugh at a well told story.  I love to laugh at my friends's expense!  Most importantly, I love to laugh at myself.  Even in the depths of despair, if you can laugh at yourself, you will be okay.  I do apologize to everyone who has to be subjected to my laughter.  When I'm not doing my "fake laugh" as my friends calls it,  and doing my "real laugh", I'm loud and usually start snorting! But I'll never apologize for finding humor in all situations.  It has to be better than being the uptight, fun police!

5.  You never know how strong you are until strong is the only choice you have.  Cliche, I know, but it's the truth.  I always thought I was this independent, take no shit, tough woman who could handle anything.  Nothing and no one would ever bring me to a place of doubt.  I was wrong.  When you find yourself in a place of unfamiliarity, you find out exactly how much substance you have.  I still have my moments of doubt and fear, but I also know that a deep breath and determination will bring me out of it.

So as I snuggle in my bed protecting myself from the Polar Vortex outside, I dream of the new adventures that await me in 2014.  I know there are going to be periods of happiness, sadness, goofiness and craziness. I welcome them all.  I'll take with me the lessons learned in 2013, and use them to help me face what comes my way in the new year.  And lucky you, I will take you with me.  Hold on because you never know what is going to happen next.

Make Every Day Count,
Denise