It was during the holiday season. The next Goal Setting meeting was just a few days away and I was on a high. After a rough couple of years, the stress of the recent hardships was finally beginning to lift. There was finally space between that ‘rough period’ and recent memory. The life I had been working so hard to build was almost realized.
Things were… on track. Finally. Continue reading
Last year, I announced right here “I can’t go another decade without digging my toes into a sandy beach.” Happily, I only went one year!
Recently, an acquaintance asked me a question that left me stumped. Given my lifestyle and the content of this site, it should have been a quick and easy response.
The question was: “What do you want?”
I lost my iPod this weekend. Being a responsible technology owner, I opted to take my shuffle out of my car so as to deter thievery. Unfortunately, the clutch I carried did not clutch the device.
There was a quiet in the car when I realized it was really gone. Everyone felt bad for me. “That sucks,” they all agreed.
I took a deep breath, lamented the $50 loss, and announced, “It’s ok.” You see, earlier that day, I was considering putting it away for good. It’s more trouble than it’s worth. Continue reading
There was a plan to post about skydiving this weekend. Honestly, there was time set aside, some brainstorming, even a couple of hours of typing. Despite that, this post is not about skydiving.
On Thursday, my friend Jamie asked me if I was still planning to get a tattoo. The deadline I had set over a year ago was this Tuesday, May 31st, what would have been my Mom’s 49th birthday. How Jamie remembered is beyond me. I told her, “Yes… but not right now.” I do not want to seem like gets-a-tattoo-because-her-relationship-ended girl.
Especially with sky diving only a week away. Continue reading
Last night, I ran into a friend who is a musician. After months of being unable to attend official events sent via Facebook invites, I heard his voice coming from a bar while walking to meet some friends. I immediately turned and walked inside.
This time last year, I created a series of posts recapping one of the five most important books I’ve ever read: 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
Do you ever read a book after it’s sat on your shelf for a long time and/or twenty people have recommended it and then go “Oh. Yeah…” ? That was the case with this book. In the midst of a binge on books that could TECHNICALLY be considered “self-help,” I received a literary kick to the head.
Last week, I had the chance to recommend a few books to people in need. With these books in mind, it seemed an official list was in order. Below are the top 5 most life-changing books I’ve ever read.
5. Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes, recommended by Jason Head
4. When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chodron, a serendipitous find at Half Price Books
3. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, recommended by a close friend
2. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey, recommended by Armando Ortega
1. How to Win Friends and Influence People recommended by Nick Hammond
These are the books that influence my daily decisions and to which I turn for inspiration, strength and/or an expedient realignment.
Now that I’ve shared mine, tell me:
After an entire adolescence spent avoiding social categorization, and becoming a “nerd” by default, nerdy-ness has reached its saturation point and become a social prime. This is good news, right?
Eh.
Thanks to fashion and the global dominance of technology as a business driver, taste-maker and general discussion topic (sorry, weather, your days are numbered), it’s not just cool to be “nerdy,” it’s uncool NOT to be nerdy. (If that makes any sense.)
Obsessions with fanfiction series are now a badge of honor. Star Wars versus Star Trek debates are now business meeting fodder. New iPad releases compete with March Madness headlines for viewer-ship. Preference for independent music, movies and fashion have made it impossible to keep up with “what’s hip.”
That’s fine, of course, because there are so many different TYPES of nerdy that both Mashable and Fast Company have shared incredible infographics for Geek/Nerd ontology. No matter your interest, there is a way for you to be classified. You can even hold multiple titles. Love movies AND food? You’re in luck.
As with all good things, this shift in consciousness paved the way for a disturbing volume of posers, and marketers have had a hay-day abusing la mode du jour. Like the “Extreme” or “Xtreme” lifestyle of yesteryear, it’s so mainstream and diluted that it’s a almost worthless identifier. Almost.
So why is it that a girl with 27 years of never-really-fitting-in under her belt would feel so inadequate? It’s simple: even with all these amazing things to learn and see and do, I can’t find my niche. I haven’t read Lord of the Rings. I don’t enjoy Xanga. I couldn’t knit my way out of a wet paper bag. I can’t remember anything from college physics except how to pronounce my instructor’s last name: Tutunjian (too-toon-jun). I don’t even like reading that much… it’s a necessary evil. Like push-ups for my own writing skills. Vitamins for the creative process.
When people bring up these things I sometimes let them think I know more about, or have a greater appreciation of, the topic or activity than I actually do.
Smile. Nod. Conform.
Truth is, I like a bit of everything. I’m a dilettante. The only thing that I’m obsessed with is nutrition, fitness, chocolate, passion and building community.
That’s the first question when two people meet at Geek Girls. As an organizer, I’m asked it a lot. A million images and feelings come to mind, but no single answer. Discussion ensues. What is this “geek” thing all about?
Last night, at happy hour with friends, someone insisted I would love a cheesy sci-fi movie because it has zombies in it. This is probably the 50th time in the past year that someone made that assumption. The problem is, I don’t love zombie movies… I love good zombie movies… and for a very specific reason:
I love good zombie movies because they are the first movie I ever saw where people were in such a dire situation (typically apocalyptic) that the characters were allowed to be happy, sad, amused, bitter, angry, in love, enraged, lonesome, hopeless and any other mix of emotions available to the human heart… sometimes within minutes of each other. It became almost impossible to classify.*
So, no, I’m not obsessed with zombies. Just Shaun of the Dead, Zombieland, and a lot of other genre-obliterating movies. I also love people who refuse to conform. People that are true to themselves, first and only.
Through discussion, the Geek Girls have concluded that it’s not your particular “type” of nerdy that counts. “Nerdiness” is defined by your flow activities; the hobbies and activities you do that make your heart sing and time fly by! Being a “nerd” is about nerding out, which is about having passion. In other words:
After 27 years of being unclassifiable, this is one label I’m ok with. Even if I can’t back it up with a deep love and understanding for molecular gastronomy.
Not sure what type of nerd you are, or if you are a nerd at all? That’s ok. It’s just a trend anyway, right?
*Yes, I realize this level of analysis of a movie is an automatic qualifier for Film Geek.
I’m doing this with some friends:
And I’m not doing this:
I’m also creating a sign to hang in my office that says:
I’m giving up coffee, tea and sweets for Lent. You’ve been warned.
It’s worth noting that this is a personal spiritual exercise, but I am not Catholic. It’s a personal choice and an annual tradition; a spiritual hack, if you will.
I challenge you to challenge yourself for 40 days regardless of personal religious preference.