BE YOU!

I came across this just a few minutes ago and it just got all of these thoughts started in my head.  I HAD to sit down and start writing, after all this blog is about me and learning to be me and not caring what other think.  This, this right here encompasses “Finding Maggie” to a T!

Just be yourself!

How perfect is that?  Too many of us walk around day in, day out, trying to portray this idea of who we think we would be, who we think people want us to be.  Why?  Why is it such a big deal if people see our imperfections?  It’s not!  We all have flaws,  We’re all a little quirky, right?  It’s those flaws, imperfections and quirks that make us who we are.

I’ll share one of my quirks. My friend Molly can back this up for me.  If I do something stupid, make a mistake, misquote song lyrics, I HAVE to tell on myself. It’s just what I do.  I just can’t pass by a chance to let someone laugh at me. Most people would be embarrassed.  Not Maggie!

Example A.  ROCKING out to Def Leppard’s Pour Some Sugar on Me with Molly and I sign out “television Gerber baby goo all night.” Those are not the right words.  I still don’t know what the right words are and I don’t care to know them.  The ones I sing are better, so I sing them loudly whenever I hear the song.  It crack Molly up, and that makes me happy.

Example B. I have a tendency to break into dance at a moments notice. I also have a tendency to forget that other people can see me when I’m in mid dance.  I used to get embarrassed by this.  Not anymore!  Now I embrace it and just let loose.  When someone sees me, sometimes I intend for someone to see me, other times not so much, but when I’m caught I just keep on dancing.  It usually makes the day of whoever caught you.

One of he reasons I’m so happy that I’ve learned to embrace my quirkiness is because it enabled me to take part in one of the greatest experiences of my life.  GISHWHES.  What is GISHWHES you ask?  Oh it’s just the Greatest International Scavenger Hunt the World Has Ever Seen.

Let me tell you a bit about GISHWHES.  GISHWHES is one week of absolute madness where you throw out all your inhibitions, all of your fears, all of your cares, and have a blast creating and being silly.  It’s a week where you are guaranteed to make someone’s day and give them a memory that they will tell others about for the rest of their life. What kind of memories you ask?  Oh I’m pretty sure there is a woman in Georgia who to this day is telling people about the time two women in bathing-suits, covered in whipped cream, approached her with “free hugs” signs.  Yeah. I did that.  I also dressed up in the craziest “party” outfit and picked up trash on the side of a busy road.  I ordered coffee from Starbucks and gave the name of Hu Flung Pu. I dressed up as a pirate and made a wedding dress and tux out of plastic dinnerware and paper plates and officiated my friends renewal of their vows.  Molly and I made a 5 foot in diameter birds nest out of pine straw and took pictures of her “nesting” in it.  I made an angel out of feminine hygiene products.  Yup.  I did that.  I made a care package for a soldier serving overseas.  I joined a team of 15 people.  13 of them were people who I now consider dear friends that just happen to be Italian. See it’s not all fun and games.  I helped others and made lifelong friends.  If I was scared to make a fool out of myself or worried about what others would think I wouldn’t have “My Italians” in my life and I wouldn’t trade them for the world.  I cannot wait for this year’s GISHWHES.  We may not win, but we’re gonna have a hell of a lot of fun, make some wonderful memories, and make other smile.  That seems like a good use of a week if you ask me.

So, like the picture above says, let people see you, the real you.  The you, you are scared to show other.  Be real, be silly and have a damn ball doing it! While you’re at it join a GISHWHES team. It’ll change your life and you’ll thank me,

Gish on, y’all!

Lunch break post!

I am beginning to get a little overwhelmed, but life is so very good right now. I have to say I’m pretty damn happy right now. SOOOO much happening in a short amount of time. Woo. Y’all this next week begins the whirlwind of my summer. Nothing this weekend. Dinner at Babalu’s with the girls a week from today. Atlanta for Memorial Day weekend. Home for two weeks then off to Memphis to switch cars with my sister, pick up the girls and then head to NOLA to get on a big ass ship. I can’t wait to unplug from the world for a week. Nothing going on in July. This girl does need a break every once in a while. After that nice little break it’s off to Panama City Beach in August for a long weekend in the sun.

Good Lord y’all I’m tired just thinking about it all. This is gonna be a busy but fun summer. Expect lots of pictures and lots of stories.  Buckle up. It’s gonna be a bumpy ride, and it starts in a week!

TGIF

So I didn’t get a chance to write that post last night. Planning on writing it tonight. Stay tuned…

On on a side note IT’S VAN DAMME FRIDAY Y’ALL!!!

http://m.gifbin.com/981610

Hellooooooo

Oh boy do I have a post coming. Can’t write it right now, but I’m gonna try to get to it tonight. Lots to discuss. until then I’ll leave you with this…

Bye bye bye April. See what I did there?

Hello beautiful!

Today is one of those days that makes you stop in your tracks, take a deep breath, smile and thank God you’re alive.  It’s insanely beautiful out.

The floodgates opened today.

My precious

I decided to buy a new journal today. The old one has gotten a bit raggedy. I’ve actually needed a new one for a while. After work I headed to B&N and used the rest of my birthday gift card on a brand new journal. I then proceeded to sit down and write up a storm while listening to A Fine Frenzy on my patio.

My hands are now covered in ink and my mind is a little less cluttered after my furious writting session.  I’m always amazed at how much better I feel after writting down on paper the things I’m too chicken to share here.

Anyway, I need to try to get some sleep. I’ve had a long day.

Written or typed?

I love writing. I do. I love being able to get my thoughts out of my head and down on paper or onto a screen.  Anyone who knows me know that I live in my head.  It gets so cramped in there sometimes.  So jotting things down really helps me to focus.  As much as I love this blog and typing, it will never take the place of my journal. My journal has deep thoughts, bad song writing attempts, and the first paragraph of the book I want to write. It has my every day thoughts and feelings. It’s basically a look right into my soul, and it is as guarded as my own heart is.  Maybe one day I’ll trust someone enough to let them read it. Probably not. Lol back to to work I go.

This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius….or is it?

OK, part two…you can actually read this.  This a real post. Kinda.  Let’s face it. I’m just bored as hell and need to get some of my thoughts out of my head.

So the other day I was reading my horoscope, like I will just for shits and giggles.  I was talking to my friend about it and telling her how I didn’t think I had a lot of the traits that an Aquarius is supposed to possess.  To which my friend replies “Maggie, you are such an Aquarius.”  I’m not so sure about that so let’s take a look and see.  Google here I come!

Here we go.  According to zodiac-signs-astrology.com an Aquarius is…

Aquarius strength keywords

• Witty … Duh!
• Clever … of course!
• Humanitarian … I’m a people person
• Inventive … I have GREAT ideas!
• Original … Ain’t no one like me baby

OK, I can get with that.  Yes, I’m all of those things.  Let’s move on to the weaknesses.

Aquarius weakness keywords

• Stubborn … uhhhh isn’t everyone?
• Unemotional … (this isn’t true)
• Sarcastic … who, me?
• Rebellious … um, yeah I guess.
• Aloof … it completely depends!

OK so here we go with the meat of it all.  Apparently Aquarius’s, Aquari? Lol  Anyway, my people and I are independent and “any attempt to hold them down or restrict them will cause them to flee…independence is not just desired, it is essential to their wellbeing.”  Um.  Kinda.  I guess.  I mean I love my alone time and I like that I can take care of myself, but I’m not scared of getting tied down, ya know?

Ok this part I can get with.  “They love to make people laugh and cheer people up and it makes them feel good to make others feel good. They are very unconventional and always make life fun.  They might offer you a spontaneous last minute camping trip with no supplies prepared.  If you decide to go along, you will have a weekend to remember forever!”  OK, now that I’ve actually done.  J  I think it’s closing in on time for another random camping trip.  Who wants to come with?!

I also agree with this part.  “Despite their stubbornness and fixed opinion, they will never impose their ideas on others; they have respect for everybody’s differences.”  Yup.

Well, well now.  I completely agree with this as well.   “She is funny, smart, adventurous, never clingy, or jealous.  Anything goes with this woman and any man she chooses will have an amazing relationship.”  Hehehe “Court her and woo her, she expects this ladylike treatment, she is old fashioned in that sense.”  Damn right.  Woo me.  WOOOOO me.  I love that phrase.

Well how the hell about that?  Summer was right.

Please excuse my ramblings…this is really just a post for me.

Seriously, this may be all over the place so you can stop reading now.  Too many things floating around in my head right now.

Just who the hell do you think you are?  That’s a question I’ve been asked multiple times throughout my life.  It’s a question I’ve asked myself too many times to count. It’s also a question I’ve been trying to answer for the past few years.  I think I finally have an answer.  That is, after all, what this blog was supposed to be about.  So let’s take this one small part at a time.  I am someone who loves MUSIC.  Sweet… glorious… music.

Music is such a huge part of my life and who I am.  I don’t know about anyone else but my earliest memories are filled with music.  I have parents who love music, and music seemed to always be on in my house.  I can’t clean my house, put on my makeup, do laundry, hell even type this without music.  I have my mom to thank for that.

I probably has the most diverse taste in music.  I love it all, and I’m not one of those people who say they like all types of music.  I mean I probably know some part of almost any song on any station in any genre of music.  Oldies? Yup.  Rock? Yup.  Classic rock?  Yup.  Country? Yup.  Rap? Yup.  R&B/Hip Hop.  Yup/yup.   50’s. 60’s, 70’s, 80’s?  Yes, yes, yes, and yes.  I love it all.

Some of my earliest memories are of my family and me driving from some part of the south we were currently living in back to Memphis.  When my sisters and I were younger we were subjected to whatever music my parents wanted to listen to. I’m so thankful for that now, though I hated it at the time.  I wanted to listen to New Kids on the Block, not Mo-town, The Eagles, and CCR.  I remember one time, my sisters got to stay home with dad, and I was with my mom and Aunt Martha.  We were listening to a Gladys Knight and the Pips cassette.  YEAHHH a cassette baby!  I knew every song.  I sat in the back, staring out the winder singing my little 9 year old heart out.  I also remember Aunt Martha telling me to give Gladys a change to sing, since she did it so well.  I can’t imagine my Aunt Martha saying that now.

See, I love to sing.  LOVE it. I sing all the time or as much as I can. I’m actually pretty good at it, depending on the genre.  It’s taken a very long time for me to be able to sing in front of people.  It started off with me singing in the car while my mom drove.  Even then it was always soft and probably way off key.  Then at some point, probably immediately after turning 16 and driving around as much as I could, even though dad specifically said “no joyrides” I started singing louder and gained a little confidence.  Who knew I could actually sing a little?  Now it’s hard to get me to shut up.

Not only do I like to sing, but I like to play music too.  At the age of 16 I asked my mom for, wait for it, a violin.  I had previously taken piano lessons.  I had picked out a song or two by ear and mom signed me up for classes.  I hated piano lessons.  Then I signed up for violin in the orchestra class in 6^th grade.  I was ok….not great, but I really liked it.  So when I asked for a violin my mother, in her infinite wisdom, bought me a guitar.  Ha! I gladly took it even though I had no idea how to play.  Off to the awesome, kick ass, dial up AOL internet I went to teach myself to play the guitar.  I started out with the easy stuff.  You know, G, C, D.  Basically almost ever Eagles song out there.  Good thing I love The Eagles.  I remember my mom hearing me practice and asking me to come out on the patio and play for her.  So, for the first time intentionally, I played my guitar and sang, out loud, for someone other than myself.  I sang “Take it Easy” and “Peaceful Easy Feeling” for my mother.  She told me I was good.  That meant the world to me.  I still play my guitar every once in a while but the older I get the less I play.  I can pick out a tune, but I am by no means a real guitar player.  I know enough to impress someone who can’t play.  J  I wish I had been brave enough to actually do something with what little talent I was given.

As I sit here, mind swirling in ADD bliss, I keep thinking about how a friend recently told me I was the epitome of an Aquarius.  That took me a bit by surprise.  Sure, I’ll read my horoscope, see what the stars have in line for me, but I’ve never really taken them all that seriously.  Kinda.   So I looked it up… and that is the start of the twofer of todays blog posts.

Have you completed the TPS report?

I really should be working right now.  Writing is writing but this isnt about liability arguments. This is more of a post to remind me to post something real later.  Lots of things floating around in my head that I want to get down, but for now I’ll leave you with this.