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Be Frivolous and Impractical
I
am meeting some girl friends for lunch at a little cafe later this
afternoon and I am dressed as if I were stepping onto the runway of a
New York City fashion show. I am wearing a simple red sweater with a
black skirt, but the shoes I have on... they are an old flame. A love from my past.
These are not just shoes. These are the hottest looking pair of red Salvatore Ferragamo works of art. Stiletto heels and a little red and black polka dot bow on the back.
They
could stop traffic on a busy street corner during rush hour standing
all alone, and the best part about them is they make me feel powerful! They are impractical , but when I wear them I am fearless!
I love shoes. High-heeled
or flat, wedge or stiletto, strappy sandals or a great pair of boots,
just about any shoe that is impractical, could find a home in my closet.
I
typically see a great pair of shoes, hunt down an outfit to go with
them and then decide where I can go to wear this new ensemble. I know it sounds impractical, materialistic and completely backwards, but I got this from my grandmother, Annie Florio.
My grandmother was extremely practical and this is where her and I were very different. I have never heard anyone use the word practical in the same sentence with my name.
Of
course growing up during the great depression, she was extremely frugal
and never bought anything unless it was truly necessary.
She washed and reused pieces of aluminum foil, even piecing the small scraps together to reuse later.
She made most of her clothes and wore very practical shoes. I don't think she ever owned anything flashy...except for the single pair of glorious, red, Ferragamo shoes .
When
I was only ten years old, I was playing hide and seek with my cousins
and I had found a great hiding spot in the very back corner of my
grandmother's bedroom closet. As I sat, I started looking through the neatly stacked boxes that were behind me.
At the bottom of the stack, sat a red and gold box . The box was so lovely that I knew it had to contain certain treasures. As I carefully lifted the lid on this wonderful box, my heart began to race and I suddenly felt hot. The contents were beyond wonderful. Not even in magazines had my eyes ever seen such beauty.
It was love at first sight. Almost
in a trance, I gently lifted these precious gems from their slumbering
bed and ever so slowly slipped them onto my size five feet.
I
stood quickly and tried to rush to the full-length mirror across the
bedroom, but before I could catch a glimpse of their magnificence on
the ends of my skinny chicken legs, I tripped and twisted my ankle.
I
must have let out a yelp, signally my grandmother, because suddenly I
could hear her wooden clogs clacking down the tile hallway. I scrambled to my feet and tried to get the treasure back to its hiding place.
When the door opened I spun around and my face gave away my transgression. I began to explain that I just happened to find these shoes and told her they were the most beautiful things I had ever seen.
She took the box into her hands like a lost lover and began caressing the lid. She told me she had bought them when she was in her thirties. My
mother and aunt were just children and they didn't have a lot of money,
but when my grandmother spotted them in a little shop somewhere in San
Francisco, she was smitten.
She
never went anywhere dressy enough to warrant wearing such beautiful
shoes and she didn't own anything that would match their splendor. But
she knew she had to have them, so she put a little bit of money down on
them that day and told the clerk to hold them for her. She made the trip back into the city each week to deposit more money until she could take them home with her.
But I didn’t understand. These shoes were over twenty years old and yet they were still brand new, unblemished. Why, if she loved them so much did she never wear them?
She
said she kept them hidden away for a special occasion, but admitted
that every time she thought about wearing them she said she feared
people would think she was frivolous and impractical, so they laid
unworn, prisoners to her fear.
What did these words, “frivolous” and "impractical" really mean and why would they cause a grown woman such fear?
When
I was forty, my grandmother passed away and as her children and
grandchildren divided her jewelry and china, the only thing I asked for
was the gold and red box in the very back corner of her bedroom closet.
It
is time to head out for lunch and I am reminded that some love affairs
grow stronger over time. I gather my purse and as turn off my computer
I have an overwhelming feeling of power and fearlessness. I am going out into the world frivolous and impractical!
Prepared to Climb Higher
I've had a wonderful life full of love, passion and fabulous experiences. It has been much more than I ever asked for but I have to admit, less than some of my dreams.
I've
often felt a pull to go bigger, higher, farther, but it's easier to
stay here at the base of the mountain where it is safe, beautiful and
very comfortable. The mountain is very steep and
there is no protection from the regular thunderstorms that come, and so
I sit wondering if it's worth the risk.
But
I know if I'd climb higher, if I'd get out of this comfortable place, I
would experience awesome things and see beauty that is indescribable. What if I just sit here and miss out on an opportunity that was meant for me? Could it be that my whole life and all of my trials, struggles and wonderful experiences have prepared me for this very moment?
What
holds us back? Is it the fear of letting go of what is known and
comfortable, or is it the fear of what is unknown and potentially
dangerous? Perhaps it's a little of both.
One of my favorite songs has a line, "Sometimes the thrill of soaring has to begin with the fear of falling."
Maybe we need to go for it and risk falling sometimes. Are you ready to climb higher? Let's go!
WISE CRACKS!
I'm a writer. I write checks. Mostly fiction! ~Wendy Liebman
I work for myself, which is fun. Except when I call in sick, I know I'm lying. ~Rita Rudner
You know your relationship is in
trouble, when you are nit-picking every little thing the other person
does. You say things like, "If my co-worker breaths like that one more
time--that in and out thing--I am going to snap!" ~Gina Schreck
My daughter heard my girlfriend
and I discussing monogamy, and she said to my friend, "We have that
game! And we just got the new SHREK version!" ~Gina ScHREcK |
ASK BOB
A Regular Column on Relationships by Man's Best Friend
Q: Bob, I
need your help on a matter of friendship. Last month I overheard a good
friend of mine saying some very hurtful things about me to someone
else. I did not tell him that I had heard and I have simply avoided him
ever since. We have been running and biking buddies for almost 15 years
and I hate to throw a friendship like this away, but how can I repair
the damage done? Paul
A: Well
Paul, I know exactly how you feel. I once overheard my master saying he
wanted to tie a pork chop around my neck and put me outside with a
flashing light on just because I bark on occasion! I was devastated!
After all, we live in a neighborhood with coyotes, mountain lions and
bears lurking around every corner. It took me hours before I could
forgive him for that. Luckily, dogs don't hold grudges like people do,
so here is my advice to you.
Before calling your friend to discuss this matter,
write down what you want to say. What are the facts, as you recall
them? How did you feel when you heard him say these things? Now pick up
the phone and make the call. Tell your friend that you overheard the
remarks on that specific date and tell him how you felt about it.
Remember your goal is to repair the friendship, and this may be
difficult at first. Listen without getting defensive to his response.
Realize that some of his remarks may have hidden truths in them and
they can sound hurtful, but don't interrupt with excuses or blaming
statements. If this doesn't work, try licking his face. This always
works for me!
Bob "Barker" is the faithful companion to the
Schreck family and resides in Littleton, Colorado. Like most dogs, Bob
is a relationship expert and would love to answer your questions. Just
send mail to Bob@schrecktalk.com
P O W
(Pearls of Wisdom)
The
Declaration of Independence talks about "...life, liberty, and the
pursuit of happiness." But most of us don't even know what happiness
is, much less how to pursue it. We confuse happiness with success or
wealth.
Make a list of things that may you happy. What brings you pure joy? Do more of those things this month!
"Begin
where you are; work were you are; the hour which you are now wasting,
dreaming of some far off place or success, may be crowded with grand
possibilities." ~ Orison Swett Marden
"Perfect understanding will sometimes almost extinguish pleasure." ~ A.E. Housman
(My interpretation...Forget about understanding, let's be stupid together!)
SUMMER FUN?
Young Dustin Phillips just set a record for drinking 14 ounces of ketchup through a straw in 33 seconds! YUCK!
And perhaps to go with all that ketchup, we can combine Dustin with
131 pound, Takeru Kobayashi, who is the 4-time hog dog eating champion!
Takeru ate 53 1/2 Hot Dogs in 12 minutes fat...I mean flat! That's more
than 4 per minute...or more than one every 15 seconds! AND FOR WHAT?!
Were there "VALUABLE PRIZES?" Well, he won a trophy and a years supply
of HOT DOGS! Just what I would want.
Come on people, what ever happened to water-balloon fights or bike rides for fun?
Now speaking of dangerous hot dogs, fans at a Toronto Blue Jays game
were injured when HOT DOGS were fired into the crowd using an
air-cannon. Several hot dogs exploded when they landed firing ketchup,
relish, and unknown animal parts that they called hot dogs, allegedly
causing injuries. Forget the injuries, what kind of nightmares are
these folks going to be having for the next several years?
Monthly Challenge!
Take the Leap! What
have you dreamed of doing, starting, or learning? Have you wanted take
an interior decorating class, but haven't made the commitment
(Cherianne)? Have you always wanted to learn Spanish, but haven't made
the time? How about that book you keep dreaming of starting (Guy)?
This month I challenge you
to take that first baby step. Call and get a brochure, or pick up a set
of language tapes. Write that first chapter or at least an outline to
get started. Remember, "Sometimes the thrill of soaring has to begin
with the fear of falling." Go for it! JUMP!
© 2004
Feel free to forward this to all of your friends, family members and even those you don’t particularly care for!
It may not be sung in a high school play,
written in sand on beaches west of Belize or photocopied without our permission though, so for reprint permission, please call 303-978-0887.
"Random Thoughts" is a monthly email distributed by The Pinnacle Group & SchreckTalk Keynotes. www.Schrecktalk.com
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