"Ladies and gentlemen of the class of '97: Wear sunscreen.
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now.
Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.
Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 pm on some idle Tuesday.
Do one thing every day that scares you.
Sing.
Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.
Floss.
Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself.
Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.
Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.
Stretch.
Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't.
Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone.
Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else's.
Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.
Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.
Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.
Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.
Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.
Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.
Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. Travel.
Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and children respected their elders.
Respect your elders.
Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.
Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look 85.
Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.
But trust me on the sunscreen." - Baz Luhrman
*
Do you remember this song? It came out in 1997, the year I graduated highschool. It was actually a commencement speech at MIT by Kurt Vonnegut. I remember hearing it for the first time at 17 and thinking how true *some* of the statements were. I heard it again today - 10 years later - and I realize how true *all* the statements are. The perspective age gives you is amazing.
My favorite is the line: "Do one thing every day that scares you" - Eleanor Roosevelt
I've been told that I'm "adverse to risk-taking" by more than one person in my life. I don't think this is necessary true. Or a bad thing for that matter. I think I'm more "cautiously realistic." And although my personal goal for this year is to try new things, I don't know about *every* day as Eleanor Roosevelt suggested. That might be a little ambitious. But I do plan on facing some personal fears and trying to work through them.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Fun, interesting, exciting, and odd websites...
http://postsecret.blogspot.com/
(Great books, too!)
http://www.signgeneratormaker.com/
Random, but fun to make and send to your friends...
http://www.stephanieklein.com/first.html
Greek Tragedy
http://www.homestarrunner.com/
Always a favorite in this house
http://www.letterperspectives.com/
Inspiration for my current DIY
http://www.flickr.com/
Photography sharing site
http://www.etsy.com/
Shopping and DIY-inspiration
http://www.paperbackswap.com/
Obviously a paperback website to swap books
http://quotation-marks.blogspot.com/
The Blog of Unneccessary Quotation Marks (to which I am an offender!)
http://itsababynotbrainsurgery.blogspot.com/
Tales from Labor and Delivery
And the mother of all cliche sites...
http://utopia.knoware.nl/users/sybev/cliche/
http://www.westegg.com/cliche/
http://www.clichesite.com/index.asp
(Great books, too!)
http://www.signgeneratormaker.com/
Random, but fun to make and send to your friends...
http://www.stephanieklein.com/first.html
Greek Tragedy
http://www.homestarrunner.com/
Always a favorite in this house
http://www.letterperspectives.com/
Inspiration for my current DIY
http://www.flickr.com/
Photography sharing site
http://www.etsy.com/
Shopping and DIY-inspiration
http://www.paperbackswap.com/
Obviously a paperback website to swap books
http://quotation-marks.blogspot.com/
The Blog of Unneccessary Quotation Marks (to which I am an offender!)
http://itsababynotbrainsurgery.blogspot.com/
Tales from Labor and Delivery
And the mother of all cliche sites...
http://utopia.knoware.nl/users/sybev/cliche/
http://www.westegg.com/cliche/
http://www.clichesite.com/index.asp
Cliche-tastic
I stole this word from a book I'm reading. I think it is the perfect word to describe my life. After coming across this word, I thought about all the cliches out there and how they can relate to my life. Each entry will be brought to by one cliche or another. Maybe you can relate to one (or all!).
Please bear with me while I move my posts from one blog site to this one. And welcome to my blog...My Cliche-tastic Life
Please bear with me while I move my posts from one blog site to this one. And welcome to my blog...My Cliche-tastic Life
Some things you should know about me if we're already friends (but in case you don't!)....
1. I can't think of many things I enjoy more then being surrounded by my friends and family.
2. I love curling up with a good book during thunderstorms.
3. I have two younger brothers and two older sisters.
4. I take lots of pictures of other people, but *hate* having my own picture taken.
5. I get cravings for cherry/vanilla gelatos from Ritas during the summer.
6. I believe napping should be mandatory at all ages.
7. I may have been born in North Carolina, but I'm a "Jersey Girl" at heart.
8. I have my Master's Degrees in Expressive Arts Therapy and Mental Health Counseling from Lesley University in Boston, MA.
9. I enjoy playing in the rain on warm summer nights.
10. I still don't know what I want to be "when I grow up."
11. I like to sing while I drive (and sometimes in the shower), even though I can't keep a tune to save my life.
12. I have yet to have a 'religious experience,' but I'm waiting....
13. Two of my biggest fears are dying alone and not making a difference in the world.
14. I love sleeping on cold sheets and having warm towels when I get out of the shower.
15. I'm definately NOT "fancy." :)
16. I love sleeping in late on cool mornings...okay, really any mornings!
17. Fall is my absolute favorite season.
18. I enjoy hiking to waterfalls, taking off my shoes and socks, and having picnics sitting with my feet soaking in the water.
19. My comfort foods are grilled cheese from the diner, cheese ravioli,cheese pizza, and fresh popped popcorn.
20. I think the world would be boring if we were all the same.
21. I wear multi-colored or "fun" socks *if* I wear socks at all. I prefer flip-flops...
22. I read alot and enjoy getting an escape from reality for a little while.
23. I dance while I vacumm.
24. My favorite drinks are Ginger Ale, Dr. Pepper, apple juice in the summer, and hot chocolate in the winter.
25. I have a sunflower tattoo on my left shoulder blade.
26. I love to wade in the tidepools in Laguna Beach, California, which is where my husband and I got engaged.
27. I want to learn how to surf one day, but I'm scared of sharks!
28. I have a huge family and a ton of cousins. It makes for crazy holidays but I wouldn't change it for the world.
29. I prefer to be barefoot if at all possible.
30. I'm Irish, German, Swiss, French, and English.
31. I love things with sunflowers and penguins.
32. I enjoy finding quotes that can better explain my life/feelings then I can.
33. I want to visit as many places as I can in my lifetime...Currently topping my wishlist of places are Italy, Spain, and Australia.
34. I like listening to sulty, angry, "chick music."
35. I believe in not judging someone until you've walked in their shoes.
36. I had a "you break it, you buy it" policy with my heart until I met my husband.
37. I was lucky enough to get married outdoors on a beautiful day in September.
38. I'm older then my husband by 6 months and he always reminds me of this!
39. I attended three colleges for my undergraduate degree: Old Dominion University, Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, and took summer classes at Ramapo College. And still did it in 4 years!
40. I'm grateful I have a husband and friends that I can have "heated discussions" with regarding organized religion, politics, and life in general.
41. I hate wearing pointy-toed shoes and avoid wearing them at any expense.
42. I get "itchy" when I live in the same place for a long time.
43. I know every word to "When Harry Met Sally" and "Empire Records" thanks to too many late nights in college.
44. I dislike spicy foods.
45. Even though I live about 45 minutes from it, I've never been to the Empire State Building.
46. My current food cravings are chicken pad thai and tostada salads.
47. My favorite flavor of ice cream is Mint Chocolate Chip, but I really just prefer to eat the cones!
48. Sometimes I laugh so hard with my friends that I snort.
49. I have "very strong negative feelings" about reality TV. After working for years with drugged out abused gangster 13 year olds who were taken away from their parents by the state, who needs to watch Survivor...I worked with survivors all day.
50. I hate the smell of coffee, hard-boiled eggs, and tequilla.
51. I enjoy attempting to scrapbook, but I'm not that good at it.
Oh - I've been told I have a "flair" for being dramatic by more than one person. And I have opinions about almost everything...so if you ask me a question, expect the truth.
2. I love curling up with a good book during thunderstorms.
3. I have two younger brothers and two older sisters.
4. I take lots of pictures of other people, but *hate* having my own picture taken.
5. I get cravings for cherry/vanilla gelatos from Ritas during the summer.
6. I believe napping should be mandatory at all ages.
7. I may have been born in North Carolina, but I'm a "Jersey Girl" at heart.
8. I have my Master's Degrees in Expressive Arts Therapy and Mental Health Counseling from Lesley University in Boston, MA.
9. I enjoy playing in the rain on warm summer nights.
10. I still don't know what I want to be "when I grow up."
11. I like to sing while I drive (and sometimes in the shower), even though I can't keep a tune to save my life.
12. I have yet to have a 'religious experience,' but I'm waiting....
13. Two of my biggest fears are dying alone and not making a difference in the world.
14. I love sleeping on cold sheets and having warm towels when I get out of the shower.
15. I'm definately NOT "fancy." :)
16. I love sleeping in late on cool mornings...okay, really any mornings!
17. Fall is my absolute favorite season.
18. I enjoy hiking to waterfalls, taking off my shoes and socks, and having picnics sitting with my feet soaking in the water.
19. My comfort foods are grilled cheese from the diner, cheese ravioli,cheese pizza, and fresh popped popcorn.
20. I think the world would be boring if we were all the same.
21. I wear multi-colored or "fun" socks *if* I wear socks at all. I prefer flip-flops...
22. I read alot and enjoy getting an escape from reality for a little while.
23. I dance while I vacumm.
24. My favorite drinks are Ginger Ale, Dr. Pepper, apple juice in the summer, and hot chocolate in the winter.
25. I have a sunflower tattoo on my left shoulder blade.
26. I love to wade in the tidepools in Laguna Beach, California, which is where my husband and I got engaged.
27. I want to learn how to surf one day, but I'm scared of sharks!
28. I have a huge family and a ton of cousins. It makes for crazy holidays but I wouldn't change it for the world.
29. I prefer to be barefoot if at all possible.
30. I'm Irish, German, Swiss, French, and English.
31. I love things with sunflowers and penguins.
32. I enjoy finding quotes that can better explain my life/feelings then I can.
33. I want to visit as many places as I can in my lifetime...Currently topping my wishlist of places are Italy, Spain, and Australia.
34. I like listening to sulty, angry, "chick music."
35. I believe in not judging someone until you've walked in their shoes.
36. I had a "you break it, you buy it" policy with my heart until I met my husband.
37. I was lucky enough to get married outdoors on a beautiful day in September.
38. I'm older then my husband by 6 months and he always reminds me of this!
39. I attended three colleges for my undergraduate degree: Old Dominion University, Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, and took summer classes at Ramapo College. And still did it in 4 years!
40. I'm grateful I have a husband and friends that I can have "heated discussions" with regarding organized religion, politics, and life in general.
41. I hate wearing pointy-toed shoes and avoid wearing them at any expense.
42. I get "itchy" when I live in the same place for a long time.
43. I know every word to "When Harry Met Sally" and "Empire Records" thanks to too many late nights in college.
44. I dislike spicy foods.
45. Even though I live about 45 minutes from it, I've never been to the Empire State Building.
46. My current food cravings are chicken pad thai and tostada salads.
47. My favorite flavor of ice cream is Mint Chocolate Chip, but I really just prefer to eat the cones!
48. Sometimes I laugh so hard with my friends that I snort.
49. I have "very strong negative feelings" about reality TV. After working for years with drugged out abused gangster 13 year olds who were taken away from their parents by the state, who needs to watch Survivor...I worked with survivors all day.
50. I hate the smell of coffee, hard-boiled eggs, and tequilla.
51. I enjoy attempting to scrapbook, but I'm not that good at it.
Oh - I've been told I have a "flair" for being dramatic by more than one person. And I have opinions about almost everything...so if you ask me a question, expect the truth.
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