tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63174379618708082452023-11-15T08:20:19.263-05:00"That's my philosophy"Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger62125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317437961870808245.post-76571486142053810742013-12-08T11:12:00.000-05:002013-12-08T11:12:24.010-05:00Love is a VerbAs I fall in and out of romances and friendships, I find myself having deep conversations with friends about their relationships with others and with me that force me to define my beliefs about love and articulate them. Here's where I'm at:<br />
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Love is not some ambiguous feeling that no one can describe. Love is a verb. Love is the actions we take towards the people in our lives. I love my family. I love my friends. I love the men I get involved with romantically. Loving them doesn't necessarily mean that I want or intend to spend the rest of my life with them and no one else. Loving them means that I care about their feelings, their desires and goals; and that I want to help them when and how I am able and that I want to see them succeed in being their happiest, most-fulfilled self. I love plutonic friends with the same intensity that I love romances. <br />
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Most often in my relationships with men (romantic ones), they begin with sexual passion and later down the road, develop into friendship. I don't always find these friendships to be deep and lasting; nor do I always find the passion to be deep and lasting. I have yet to find a man whose friendship and passion with me are unceasing. <br />
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We often speak of "soul-mates". I don't believe that there is <i>just one</i> person in the world for every other person. I think we find and connect with many soul-mates in our lifetimes, and not all of those soul-mates will be people we want to marry and/or have children with. For example, there are several people in my life with whom I would consider myself a "soul-mate". <br />
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Tiffany: my oldest (longest) friend. She and I have been through a lot together, and we know one another through the traumas we've witnessed and supported each other through, and we are intensely loyal to one another. Although our lives have not always followed the same path, and it's not always easy to understand the others' perspective or desires, we have a mutual respect for one another and there is always common ground to fall back on, and a sense of true sisterhood between us.<br />
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Andrew: my ex-boyfriend. He's broken my heart (more than once) and has not always been the "best friend" I once considered him to be. Yet he and I once had that passion I described earlier. He and I lived together and learned one another's habits and flaws and virtues and values and goals, and despite having lost that early passion and gradually coming to realize our incompatibility, we still love each other (and I think we always will). Of anyone I know, I can still count on him to give "tough love," to listen to my troubles and to commiserate over similar family-drama-type situations and to be kind and well-intentioned. <br />
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Lauren is my cousin. She and I are 2 years apart and have been peas in a pod since we were kids. I think we've both been each other's role model in some ways as we've grown up together. She understands our crazy family like no outsider does. She is sensitive and kind and we share a lot of traits, as well as a passion and talent for music. Lauren is family; and family is as loyal as they come.<br />
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These are just three of the people in my life who I would consider "soul-mates". I imagine (and hope) that someday, I'll find someone who I can call a "soul-mate" and love and share mutual sexual passion and deep trust and understanding. I want that person to be a true partner and to share in my life with me and allow me to share in his. I want that person to accept me in all my beautiful, flawed ways, for who I am and who I was and who I will become. I want that person to have fun with me, and I want to have fun with him. I want him to be beautiful and flawed and fascinating. I want loyalty. I want friendship. I want compassion and understanding and affection.<br />
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Commitment is just not that important to me. I think if two people love one another, are loyal to one another, are friends; care about one another's desires, goals, values and success, then what good is commitment anyway? To me, it takes away from everything else. It turns loving someone into an obligation, instead of a desire. It turns loyalty into an obligation, instead of a desire. I don't want someone to fear the guilt they'll feel if they don't treat me with love and loyalty. I want someone to <i>want</i> to love and be loyal to me, just as I <i>want</i> to love and be loyal to him. If I can have that, who cares if he's my "boyfriend" or my "fiance" or my "husband"? I'm not even sure it's natural for us to be monogamous anyway. How many other mammals are?<br />
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I want verbs; not nouns.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317437961870808245.post-76332579014192561152013-12-08T10:57:00.002-05:002013-12-08T10:57:24.948-05:00On MortalityOn Friday, I learned I have stage IV metastatic melanoma in my rib, lungs and shoulder (and maybe hip). Having previously beaten a lesser stage of this disease 3 years ago, I feel much better prepared to handle it this time around. I have a deep knowledge and understanding of melanoma that I lacked the first time around, and I have developed relationships with wonderful people who can help me now. <br />
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With the exception of my fractured rib (caused by the melanoma that's growing there), I feel physically normal. I'm realizing now that the emotional impact of this cancer is affecting everyone in my life as much, if not more, than it is affecting me. It's much scarier to consider someone you love having a disease about which you know very little and for which the statistics are not promising, than it is to be positive and assume that everything will turn out fine. <br />
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Here's the thing: statistics are just statistics. I have a lot in my favor - I am young and otherwise healthy, and I am positive and have an army of friends, family and other resources who are standing beside me through this ready to fight for/with me. Every case is different, and the treatment options are growing and becoming more and more successful with every day and dollar of research.<br />
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I told my roommate my diagnosis on Friday night. He went to "take a nap" and emerged from his bedroom an hour later looking like he'd seen a ghost. He had been reading those statistics and learning about melanoma. After we talked about it a bit more, he started building a Bucket List for me (and him) to work our ways through; a great idea, but a morbid one.<br />
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The fact is, we all have limited time in this life. Making the most of that time and doing everything you can to enjoy whatever you've got is a great way to live. I could get hit by a bus and die tomorrow from that, or I could live another 80 years. I could die from melanoma in the next 5 years, or I could live another 80 years. I can sit by idly and let my quality of life slowly deteriorate until I die of melanoma, or I can attack this cancer with the best treatment available and buy some more time in this life.<br />
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I'm dreading the side effects that will accompany whatever treatment I end up choosing. None of it is easy to go through, physically or emotionally, and all of it reduces quality of life for the duration of that treatment (and often beyond). All of this is in exchange for a little more time at the end. I feel like I'm trading time for more time - it's like any financial investment: give up a little cash now so that you can have a bigger return later. But there's a risk in doing that. You could lose. <br />
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The problem is, either way I'll lose that time - in treatment with awful side effects and hope of a healing cure, or in doing nothing and letting myself slowly and painfully die. So I've got to try and hope for the best and just get through it. And in the meantime, I'm adding to my Bucket List and making plans to most enjoy whatever time I have left in this life, be it 5 or 80 years.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317437961870808245.post-77739659831910105922013-06-09T23:49:00.000-04:002013-06-09T23:49:10.277-04:00Confidence"Confidence is like a muscle - the more you use it, the stronger it gets."Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317437961870808245.post-34157188698983323602013-03-07T14:07:00.002-05:002013-03-07T14:07:49.632-05:00The Sum of It<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317437961870808245.post-19320945927837169912013-03-05T16:24:00.000-05:002013-03-05T16:24:45.196-05:00Dear ____,I love your inner peace. Even in the worst of times, when the weight of the world is clearly on your shoulders, you manage to keep your calm. Even during a meltdown, when you're crying and lingering in sadness, you stay steady. I can think of only one time in the last 5 years when you've lost your cool and become truly hysterical - it was in the passenger seat of that car on that night...the night of the last straw.<br />
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I love the care you take in selecting your friends and the kindness with which you treat them. You do not waste your life and your love with and on people who do not deserve it. You gravitate toward other people, like yourself, who enjoy life and don't take things too seriously. When your friends need help, you help them. When your friends make mistakes, you forgive them. You share in their joy and you comfort them through their sadness. You worry for them deeply because you care deeply. You are selfless with these few who have earned your trust and love.<br />
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I love your sensuality. Somehow you've managed to emerge from that cocoon of insecurity (middle school) a beautiful creature in your own eyes. That awkward self-consciousness is gone. You are confident of your sex appeal and you have no hang-ups about expressing that sensuality to the few you let in. You are carefree and gorgeous. Nothing exists when you're in his arms but that moment.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317437961870808245.post-5908613110781062212013-02-28T16:48:00.005-05:002013-02-28T16:48:42.021-05:00Mountain ClimbingEveryone faces challenges in life. Although you can easily feel like you're all alone in the midst of a challenge, it's almost a surety that others are facing the same struggle at the same time, and sharing that overwhelming sense of despair, loneliness, worry, and frustration with you. Over the course of the past several months, it has seemed that the people closest to me have been charged with an unusually severe lot of life's challenges. As I've observed my friends and family take on these "mountains", I've found myself analyzing how it is that they've chosen their particular paths up the mountain. I know...stop it, Jen. <div>
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But every one of my family and friends in their specific situations has in many ways been training to meet the valleys of these mountains and take on these climbs. They probably don't always realize it, but the smaller struggles that they've encountered in life up until this point have prepared them (in many ways) for what they're up against now. More than likely, these mountains will one day look small in comparison with the next mountain range with which they'll find themselves face to face.</div>
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Here's an example - my ex - let's call him "Anthony". Still a good friend, we've maintained contact since our split a little over two years ago. When he and I were together, Anthony was rather distant from his family, and he preferred to keep that distance. I, however, have a strong familial bond with my big, fat, Greek family, and they seem to be constantly in my business or me in theirs. Through the years that I spent as half of the couple "Jen & Anthony," I showed him the value of keeping family close, relying on them and supporting them when necessary, and I like to think he caught on to some of that, and grew closer to his own family as a result. When I was diagnosed with cancer in September 2010, Anthony and I were living together. I knew my world was about to rapidly change, whether I wanted it to or not. I thought then that even though Anthony and I had our issues, he was my best friend, and when the shit hit the fan, he would come through for me and be there for me 100%. I thought that I had done such a good job of welcoming and incorporating him into my family, that he would follow-through as I'd expect one of my own family to do in a time of need. But when I got that life-changing diagnosis, I learned that I was wrong about Anthony. He didn't know how to be there for me and support me through that. He reverted back to how he knew to stay safe in a family - by keeping his distance. And he lost me.</div>
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Anthony's younger brother was in an accident this past fall. Let's call his brother "Paul". In his early twenties, Paul could have died; he could've been permanently brain-damaged; he could've been paralyzed for the rest of his life. Anthony and his family were devastated. Anthony could have hidden his feelings and detached himself from the situation and carried on with life as he knew it. Paul was living in another state, and they saw each other rarely (holidays and other special occasions). Instead, Anthony showed up at sunrise; he changed his life to fit with Paul's changing life; he started to climb full-speed up that mountain; he knew and feared the possibility that if he didn't start climbing, Paul would fall off his mountain and out of Anthony's life forever.</div>
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Maybe his sense of loss over our romance and depth of friendship was his prep-work for what would happen with Paul. Anthony said to me recently over a bottle of wine, "I want to be there for him the way I wasn't there for you." The fact is, he's kicking that mountain's butt now, and I'm proud of him for even taking it on in the first place.</div>
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When I think of the mountains I've personally had to climb in life, there has always been an adjacent challenge that came first to prepare me for how to handle it better when the <i>real</i> mountain appeared. I guess everything happens for a reason; and everything happens when it should, as it should.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317437961870808245.post-41822969600723207782013-02-21T17:24:00.002-05:002013-02-21T17:24:35.521-05:00A Baker's MorningHot rays of sunshine crept onto my face to the point of discomfort. I slowly woke and with eyes closed I saw only blood orange light behind my lids. Alone in my queen bed, I felt warm, safe and secure, nestled into my crimson cotton sheets and fluffy white down comforter. I felt the gray and black striped cat stretch atop the bedspread, always touching me slightly so I couldn't sneak away while he slept. As I came out of my dream and into the day, I opened my clamped jaw to discover morning breath - gross. Lying in bed, I imagined the warm refreshing shower and tooth-brushing that was to come upon dragging my dead-weight body out of bed. I dreaded being wet, but the thought of the clean feeling that it would produce enticed me to push the sheets and comforter and cat aside.<br />
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An hour later, clean and full-stomached, I began another day in my kitchen. Today's menu - devil's food cake with caramel swirl crunchy icing. Eggs, flour, sugar, cocoa, cream and love were my life's ingredients.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317437961870808245.post-62113314226244427172013-02-21T17:12:00.000-05:002013-02-21T17:17:51.840-05:00A Reason A Season or A LifetimeA wise person recently shared this idea with me, and I feel compelled to pass it along:<br />
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We meet people and form relationships for a reason, a season or a lifetime. <br />
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It didn't take long for me to identify myself as the type of person who enters into every relationship with the loose expectation that it will last a lifetime. There is no "purpose" motivating me to open my mind and heart to a friendship or romance except simply<i> to have</i> a friendship or a romance. When it comes down to it, it's pretty simple and (at that stage, at least) I don't overthink it. My initial analysis of a relationship tends to be purely intuition-based. I have a tendency to trust people until they give me a reason not to. I can usually tell within the first 5 minutes of meeting a person if they're someone I want to give my trust and friendship. Once that trust is irreparably broken, the season ends. But it was always my intention to have a lifetime.<br />
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I'm not a friend with ulterior motives; I'm just a friend.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317437961870808245.post-73828630827268925712013-02-20T13:21:00.002-05:002013-02-20T13:21:58.812-05:00Jazz StandardsI'm a music-lover. I am a musician. I love to listen; to play; to write. I love it all. It's a true passion of mine. It's always been a part of my life, and it always will be. As my good friend, Tiffany, and I related to one another recently, the right music at the right time can speak to the soul and bring us to tears easier and with more depth than just about anything. It brings back memories, good and bad. It can pull at your heartstrings like no one and nothing else can. <br />
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If asked to select my genre of choice, ordinarily I hate to peg myself to just one, since I have an eclectic ear and enjoy all genres of music. Here's my secret truth: my favorite is standard jazz. I could listen to Tony Bennett, Nat King (or Natalie) Cole, Sarah Vaughan, Etta James, Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday and the like all day, every day, and never stop smiling and/or crying. </div>
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The chords are so thick and luxe, I sometimes don't even listen to the lyrics. But when I do, those lyrics are so soulful and real. It's like they've taken everything I've ever felt and will ever feel and mashed it up into the sweetest, perfectly warm and smooth cup of hot chocolate you can imagine. This stuff is unbeatable from where I sit.</div>
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<i>It's not the pale moon that excites me,</i></div>
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<i>that thrills and delights me, oh no</i></div>
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<i>It's just the nearness of you</i></div>
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Genius.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317437961870808245.post-66003594556702978902013-02-20T13:09:00.002-05:002013-02-20T13:09:42.393-05:00Means for Inner PeaceIt's rare that I just <i>don't feel like </i>going for a run. Running accomplishes so many different things for me. While on a run, I can consciously think through problems and (sometimes) find solutions, or I can forget the problems and think about nothing, knowing that I'm doing something good for my body and mind. Whether I'm seriously thinking or not, I remind myself during each and every run that I am strong; that I am alive; that I am a survivor. I always feel like a superhero when I finish a run, sweat dripping from every pore, stretching out like a champion.<div>
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Growing up, I found solace playing the piano. I could lose myself at the keys the way that I do now on a run. Yes, I still play the piano, and I still find solace there sometimes. I haven't replaced my old friend, baby grand, with a treadmill or open road. But I have found it increasingly challenging to get away from the grind of everyday life to play the piano. It seems like whenever I sit down to play, I strike a chord, and immediately, someone needs me for something. My phone rings or I get a text that needs attention; Dad or Marie want me to do it NOW, not later; someone's favorite TV show is playing loudly in the background, drowning out my peace. When I go for a run, there is nothing else for me to do but that; right there, right then. Dad and Marie sure as hell aren't going to come running after me. There are no calls or texts urgent enough that I can't handle them 60 minutes from now. For an hour or so, I've reclaimed my peace in the world. I can unplug and reflect on what's good and what needs some work.</div>
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Everyone needs an escape now and then. Everyone needs a daily dose of introspection. Without it, we melt down.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317437961870808245.post-55868723698543045802012-11-25T22:24:00.000-05:002012-11-25T22:24:07.946-05:00Live Like You're Dying?As my close friends and family are aware, a little over two years ago, I was diagnosed with Stage IIC T4b Malignant Melanoma. Since the day I received that news, I've been through a lot, physically and emotionally. From diagnosis to surgery to interferon (a form of chemo-therapy) to worry, worry and more worry, it's been a long journey to where I am today. Today, I am in maintenance mode - whenever someone finds out that I've had cancer, they always ask, "so, are you in remission now?" That is, unfortunately, a difficult question for me to answer. Because I don't know the answer to it. In the madness that ensued during the beginning stages of this journey for me, mistakes were made and having known nothing about this specific disease at the time, I just tried to go with the flow as much as I could handle...and in doing so, things were overlooked, and my diagnosis was never able to be (and still cannot be) completed. Since I stopped receiving treatment in January 2011, I have consistently had negative scans and biopsies...which is good news...but not conclusive news. So I don't know. I don't know what the future will bring for me, with or without melanoma. I know that mine is a high-risk case and that the likelihood that I'll have a recurrence within the first 5 years of being treated is very high. Two years in, I'm comforted to know that I have a rock-solid support system in my amazing family, and friends who don't pretend to understand, but will hold my hand through trying times and have shown me boundless love. I am tremendously blessed. <br />
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With that as a preface, lately I've been struggling with deciding which choices I should make for my life, with the lofty goals of general life fulfillment and happiness. Should I be a little more reckless and take more risks, or should I take on more responsibilities, settle down, and take the careful route? I remind myself every day of how short life truly is. I had an awakening at 23 when I was forced to face and accept my own mortality and shelf that old concept of youth and invincibility. The question now is: Should that affect the path I take moving forward? Should I keep on keeping on the path of carefulness, planning for the future long haul; or should I readjust to a course that's a little more carefree and in-the-moment? I'm sure the answer to my own question lies somewhere between the two. But how does one find that balance?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317437961870808245.post-61651447356460893012012-01-13T09:15:00.004-05:002012-01-13T17:08:21.433-05:00Alternative Social SitesA friend recently brought my attention to two social sites that I had not yet seen or heard anything about:<div><br /></div><div>www.ning.com</div><div>This could be the Facebook "alternative", in that it allows users to create a free profile, gather groups of "friends," (anyone they know who also subscribes to the site), and interact with them via the web. It provides users with similar capabilities - allows you to create events, invite specific "friends" within groups as you choose, post comments, participate in discussion boards, etc. Ning takes what started as a way for college kids to connect with one another and orient themselves to their new environment away from home (Facebook), and puts a business/marketing spin on it. Ning allows users to create networks within their networks (very "Google+" -esque) and send direct-to-email mailings to specific groups, run branded ads, sell merchandise directly to a specified group of users. It seems like a great way to communicate internally with coworkers, externally with clients and soon-to-be clients, and sell, sell, sell! It is a platform for building additional revenue and monitoring customer relationships. Being a new tool, I think Ning will face some difficulties breaking into the mainstream. People of all walks of life are comfortable with Facebook and other mainstream sites, and don't want to leave those calm waters to try something new. I'll be watching this one to see if it catches on. </div><div><br /></div><div>www.ryze.com</div><div>The LinkedIn "alternative". It doesn't look like it's quite fully developed from the website (I can't get a feel for how it differs from LinkedIn), but I'm curious - has anyone been successful with, or tried this? </div><div><br /></div><div>Check 'em out! Are there any other social "alternative" sites that you know of?</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317437961870808245.post-32071076306460805422009-09-21T15:44:00.004-04:002009-09-21T15:57:06.383-04:00From Gecko to CavemanAt DQ earlier this week, I was blown away as I realized just how effective Geico's caveman marketing campaign has been. I went out with my boyfriend to get an after-dinner treat, and the man behind us in line had a physical appearance, which to be frank, was not even close to the spitting image of the neanderthal from the commercials. In fact, the only attributes that were remotely close to the caveman were his long-ish hair and casual clothes. Yet, immediately when I saw him, my mind went to the caveman in a TV commercial during which neither Geico nor car insurance were even mentioned. All that played was the song, "Let Me Be Myself" by Three Doors Down and a loop reel of the caveman running in slow motion towards the camera. What an awesome thing, Geico. I applaud you.<br /><br />My memory brought me back to an image of your all-too-well-known icon and a catchy song that will be stuck in my head (again) for the next week. All this, because some guy in line behind me at Dairy Queen had long hair. If every long-haired man in jeans and a t-shirt made me think of Geico, I can't imagine what it's doing to the rest of the world. Geico is the fastest growing consumer auto insurance company in the U.S. with over 9 million auto policyholders. With results like that, the marketing gurus working for Geico have <span style="font-style: italic;">got</span> to be wondering: "What recession?" From Gecko to Caveman, someone's doing something right over there at Geico.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317437961870808245.post-76442263514555214102009-09-14T22:01:00.002-04:002009-09-25T19:21:37.769-04:00"Viral Marketing""Viral Marketing" is a scary phrase. People hear "viral" and think they'll contract a disease if they get involved. So, they tune out. How do we immunize so that we can go about our business of spreading the "disease" of our good name, brand, and products? Educate.<br /><br />Wikipedia defines "Viral Marketing" as:<br />"A marketing technique that use pre-existing social networks to produce increases in brand awareness or to achieve other marketing objectives (such as product sales) through self-replicating viral processes, analogous to the spread of pathological and computer viruses. It can be word-of-mouth delivered or enhanced by the network effects of the Internet."<br /><br />Twitter is one of the fastest-growing tools for viral marketing today. It enables individuals to share their lives, beliefs, thoughts, and work with people they've never met in an instant. That's a powerful thing. There's a lot of skepticism around Twitter, as there is around Wikipedia, since anyone can post anything to the sites. Yes, it's true that you can't trust everything you read on the internet. But, for the most part, people want to help others, not hinder them. Unlike Wikipedia, however, Twitter gives users a personal brand, by which they can build the trust of their followers. When I began using Twitter, I followed only the brand names that I already knew and trusted - CNN, Time, Digg, my family, my close friends, celebrities I respect. The more I participated in conversations on Twitter, the more I was exposed to other people, who I don't "know" per se, but who I've spoken with over the web and learned to trust information from. We tweet and retweet each other, and our networks have expanded as they have recommended their friends and followers to me, and I to them. Now, I have over 400 followers reading my thoughts, commenting on articles I've read or written, providing constant feedback of my work and my ideas. A business could do a lot with a system like that.<br /><br />"Viral Marketing" in my own words is one person sharing a good idea with another person, who shares that idea with another two people, each of whom share it with another two people, and so on and so forth. That idea spreads rapidly this way, through trust relationships. For marketers, this is a beautiful thing, but viral marketing is difficult to track and measure results of a campaign. How can we realize the results of a word-of-mouth marketing campaign if it's all done in people's homes over dinner table conversation, or at coffee shops? There are tools out there that can do some of the measuring for us, for a hefty fee. There are surveys that we can pass on, asking our prospective clients how they heard about our ideas. But, our current clients are more likely to pass the idea on if there's something in it for them - an incentive.<br /><br />JumpReach is a viral marketing tool that allows you to encourage your existing customers to share your ideas with their contacts (using incentives), makes it easy for them to do so, and tracks the results of your word-of-mouth marketing campaign, so you can easily see that the money you put into it was well worth it. We want your campaign to work. We want the business that you draw from that campaign to pay for our relatively inexpensive tool and much more. We are excited and passionate about this tool and what it can do for you; we are after hearts and minds, not just eyeballs. We want you to take a look at what we have to offer, and we want you to see how great it is, how affordable it is, how unique and valuable it is. We want your feedback about how we can make JumpReach better for you and your campaign. Follow/DM JumpReach on Twitter @JumpReach or check out www.jumpreach.com for more information about this amazing new tool that could transform your marketing dollars spent into dollars earned.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317437961870808245.post-5399716484479623622009-09-03T19:08:00.003-04:002009-09-03T19:21:15.413-04:00"The Game"Sophomore year I decided to major in philosophy. I took an introductory course with my soon-to-be college advisor, who was inspiring and passionate about her subject. She had a way of explaining the material and prompting discussion that made me <span style="font-style: italic;">want</span> to do the reading and participate in class discussions. But I had further motivation for my hard work in the class - a game.<br /><br />Katherine, a friend and sorority sister of mine, sat beside me and we quickly befriended two boys who sat nearby. Early in the semester, the four of us began playing "the game" and as a result, we became the star students and key contributors to class discussion. I don't remember whose idea it was originally, but "the game" became a fascination for us.<br /><br />Just before each class, we agreed on a word to incorporate into discussion, as well as chose a score-keeper for the day. Throughout the hour, each time the word was used without giggles, the user received a point. The scorekeeper deducted points for laughing and awarded extra points if the professor used the "word of the day" during your turn. After using the word, you had to wait for someone else in the group to use it before you could take another turn. This kept the game interactive and moving.<br /><br />We selected words based on how they sounded, how challenging it would be for us to incorporated them into the discussion (and it was meant to be a challenge), and how often we used the words on a regular basis in our daily lives (the less frequent, the better). We used: "terrifying," "tiger," "quintessential," and "oblong," among others.<br /><br />My favorite use of the word of the day was when we used "tiger". The class was discussing applied ethics. To support her main point (I don't remember now what that was), Katherine gave an example that compared human interaction to the relationship between a <span style="font-style: italic;">tiger</span> and an antelope. The example was drawn out and awarded Katherine and all four of us lots of points for the day, since that one example stayed alive for a good 30 minutes of class-time.<br /><br />"The game" was something that kept us motivated and entertained through sometimes slow-moving subject matter. I still wonder if our professor knew...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317437961870808245.post-10931031267696888902009-08-21T11:51:00.002-04:002009-08-21T12:07:07.761-04:00I Used To Think...that all married people loved each other. that the best things in life are expensive. that healthy foods are healthy in any portion. that good, hardworking people have no trouble finding employment. that bad things don't happen to good people. that God works in mysterious ways. that grandparents are always nice. that the home team is going to win. that "gay" means happy. that effort is appreciated. that people always try to be good, even if they sometimes fail. that when something is broken, you replace it or hire someone to fix it. that the cranberry juice at the grocery store is made from cranberries. that my friends and I would grow up to be astronauts and ballerinas and firefighters.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317437961870808245.post-31319822157847164102009-08-20T14:58:00.004-04:002009-08-21T12:51:17.886-04:00"Investigative Reporting"I was recently offered a position as an Investigator for the United States Investigation Services, a former US Government agency, which was privatized in 1996, and performs roughly 90% of background checks on new government hires. As a recent grad who's been looking for work in the Public Relations/Marketing industry, it often comes as a surprise to people when I tell them that this is the way I'm launching my career. Allow me to explain.<br /><br />As an investigator, I'll be traveling all over the DC Metro area conducting interviews of family, friends and former employers and co-workers of people aiming for positions in government, or where a clearance is needed. I'll also be visiting courts and collecting all the information I need in order to present a detailed report that will give an adjudicator the required knowledge to make judgments regarding our nation's security, and potential risks to it.<br /><br />It may seem a far stretch, but in actuality, I'll be performing a task similar to what journalists do, but with more at stake. Based on what I find in my investigation, and what I write in my reports, people will either be getting hired or losing their candidacy for a job; they'll either get past the security system, or they'll hit a roadblock. What I'll be doing has tremendous impact on United States security.<br /><br />It's an important job, and I'm enthusiastic and energetic to get started with my training so that I can get out there in the field and start working. USIS is an exciting place to be working these days. The company is undergoing a lot of change, including a transition to a new brand, that of Altegrity, as it switches hands. The<a href="http://www.usis.com/"> website</a> already has a new look and I'm sure I can look forward to some interesting and innovative thoughts in the way of marketing there.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317437961870808245.post-58763137594869526702009-07-13T19:00:00.005-04:002009-07-13T22:41:47.370-04:00Gen Y's Undeserved Reputation"Generation Y", the population of nearly 70 million 20-somethings born in the mid-1980's and later, the "Millennials" are the fasted growing segment of today's workforce. Yet, Gen-Y has somehow formed a terrible reputation for itself. Young people today are known for being arrogant, attention-craving, and entitled. How did this reputation form? I do not know. And I wish it were not so.<br /><br />As a member of this "plugged-in", ambitious generation, I too was coddled by overprotective parents who wanted nothing more than for me to have a healthy, successful life without making the mistakes that they did in theirs, nor having to struggle as they did. Instead of getting a paper route at age 15, we were sent to summer camps and joined soccer teams and school orchestras and did volunteer work in our communities. Instead of starting our professional lives at age 15, we, as a generation, generally were not expected to think about a career until 18, when it was "time to go to college". My parent's generation was much more focused, as far as careers go, than mine; my grandparent's generation even more so. When graduation from high school came, and money was tight, families seriously considered the pros and cons of sending their child to college. If the kid didn't have a good idea of what they would use their college degree for after the fact, then the kid didn't go to college. They went to work. The purpose of a college degree was to prepare oneself for the working world.<br /><br />What I'm finding out now is that college did not prepare me for the working world at all. When I entered the College of William and Mary as a freshman, I had no clue what I wanted to study when I got there, or what I wanted to do for a living after school. I didn't know who I was, really. College helped me to explore myself, and find out what I'm truly passionate about. As I was trying to decide on a major, adult mentors in my life gave me this advice: "Major in something you <span style="font-style: italic;">love</span>. Don't worry about how you will use that in your profession. Most likely, you'll go on to grad school anyway, and you can focus on your career goals then. Don't waste this great opportunity to learn about something you're passionate about now." How I wish I did not take that advice.<br /><br />Alas, I did. I became a philosophy major, or as I like to think, I got a degree in something that covers all bases. I learned to think deeply about a myriad of subjects. Since I was having such a hard time deciding on just one subject to focus on, philosophy allowed me to explore them all. I took classes in the philosophy of language, the philosophy of science, social and political philosophy, ethics. Philosophy professors and students engaged in discussions about current events, while we read great literature by brilliant minds such as Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Locke, Hobbes, and Kant. I enjoyed it, mostly. And I consider myself a well-educated young adult, with a true appreciation for learning and profound thought.<br /><br />My recent graduation from college and thus deposit into the vast world of job-seekers has proved rather difficult, without a professional background in my education. I'm not only lacking that experience, but I also lack professional work experience in my fields of interest. My personality, interests and passions do not point me in the direction of professing philosophy at a college or university, and my internship experiences while I was in college were at an investment bank. Although a great working experience and environment, in which I learned new skills and met fantastic and enthusiastic hard-working people, through that two-summer long internship, I also learned that I do not wish to pursue a career in investment banking.<br /><br />So what now? It's a buyer's job market, and there are plenty of laid off workers who have years of experience, glowing recommendations from previous employers, and are willing to take jobs for which they are overqualified, just because those jobs are available. Employers are happy to have proven, experienced workers on their staff, working for entry-level salaries. They seem nervous about considering Gen-Y people for their open positions because of this reputation that the Gen-Ys have for needing constant attention and close watching over, and guidance, while feeling entitled to immediate professional respect, high salaries and paid vacations. If I really thought that all "Millennials" fit that description, I would understand their hesitation. But, as an active entry-level job-seeker in Generation Y, I am offended by this large-scale generalization.<br /><br />Generation Ys have a lot to offer businesses. We understand our fellow Gen-Ys, who are fast becoming the largest target audience and buyers for the majority of businesses. We quickly adapt to new technologies, and are constantly looking for new solutions that make life easier, effective and more productive. We are confident and ambitious, achievement- and team-oriented. We are not beyond asking for help, and as far as I can tell, that and those listed above are good qualities to have.<br /><br />Here's my plea for help: I wish more Generation X's would take on a role as mentors to young adults, share their experiences and sentiments, so as to increase understanding and communication between the generations, and to break down that "bad rap" of Y's in the minds of X's everywhere...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317437961870808245.post-69621518766267248782009-07-09T16:43:00.002-04:002009-07-09T17:17:53.265-04:00The Power of TwitterTwitter's applications and value become more and more apparent to me daily. My first impression of this new social media tool was "This is nonsense. No one cares that you ate a grilled cheese sandwich at 2:32 on June 16th and even included a link to a photo for it." I joined Twitter just to scope it out, see what all the hype is about. At first, I used it in such a way that my prophesy was a self-fulfilling one. I followed my friends and a few news syndicates. I learned very little in real-time, other than the second when my buddy had found some new, time-wasting youtube video. The more I explored Twitter, the more I learned of its applicability and the more I liked using it.<br /><br />I started by following all the people on the list of Twitter-recommended followers. A few followed back, but mostly, it was ineffective as far as keeping me interested and getting my own tweets seen. Then, I started running some searches for things that interested me: music, marketing, PR, health, food, wine, philosophy, school, careers, networking, etc. I looked through seemingly endless lists of tweets on those or related subjects, as people had used hashtags (#) to document them for this exact purpose. And so, I learned the value of the hashtag. I started following some of the people who had posted tweets that caught my eye, and before I knew it, I was off and running with quite a few more followers. <br /><br />This became a continual process for me. Every day, I make a point of running another search for a topic of interest, and following a few more people. It may be a slow process, but it's one that I am enjoying, and it's setting off all kinds of fireworks in my mind. Now, I have a dashboard application that unobtrusively shows me incoming new tweets in the corner of my screen, without interrupting whatever I'm working on. I am learning about all sorts of different things that I never would have had access to or time to dig up otherwise. I am contributing to conversations and getting my own questions answered, or at least discussed. <br /><br />Recently, I've become a "Twitter Strategy Intern" for Careerealism.com, an online career resource center. As an intern, I'm working as part of a virtual team to promote Careerealism, and to give job-seekers, like myself, a little bit of hope and guidance in a lonely, desolate job market. In the past six months, Twitter has changed my life, and the way I communicate with strangers. It is set up so that it feels personal and intimate, yet I'm talking to people I've never met, who live all over the world. Twitter is empowering.<br /><br />I recently came across <a href="http://www.eventmanagerblog.com">EventManagerBlog</a> with a video post called <a href="http://ow.ly/gUE9">"Tweetcamp '09 and Unconferences"</a>, and it really got me thinking about the possibilities that Twitter opens up. Can you imagine going to an industry conference, where a speaker stands up at the podium, behind him a large projection screen showing a Twitter feed. Everyone at the conference has their iPhones and Blackberry's in hand, typing away to contribute to a larger conversation, and to give immediate responses to what the speaker is saying. This conference has become an educational forum, a discussion, and increased the efficiency of what can be done there. As they say, "Two heads are better than one." Well, imagine what 400 heads, all with extensive industry knowledge and experience, could do. Twitter is a powerful tool, and it is at everyone's fingertips, if they choose to let it be.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317437961870808245.post-66634701842105797062009-07-05T10:26:00.003-04:002009-07-05T10:57:17.204-04:00Got Joy?The covers move beside me and I feel myself being jerked from a peaceful sleep. Annoyed, I slowly open my eyes into slits to glare at the creature that has disturbed me. It's still asleep, but morning is upon us. That won't be the last rustling. I slowly stand, stretch my arms, arch my back, make my hairs stand up so that cool, fresh air rushes in to my skin. As I walk past the food and water on the floor, I feel a pang of hunger from within, and stop for a small snack. Then, I find a cozy place to doze uninterrupted until it rises. <div><br /></div><div>These people make so much noise when they move around, it is impossible to miss one. She gets up and stumbles to the bathroom, clanging around, running water, brushing teeth. I watch her walk past and downstairs, and slowly follow her, watching, watching. She goes to the desk first, as always, sits at the computer for a few minutes. Like an alarm clock ringing, the beast within her growls and she gets up and heads to the refrigerator. When I see her pull out a brand new gallon of milk, my mood lightens. Nervousness and excitement are upon me at once as I watch her slowly remove the blue plastic piece that allows her access to the milk. I am sitting on the floor at her feet now, attentively looking up in anticipation. I do my best to make myself known without seeming overanxious. I ask politely, "Mine?" She looks down at me, smiles, says good morning, and tosses the plastic to me.</div><div><br /></div><div>Joy! The object of my desire is in my possession. I toss it, hold it, watch it, run with it, stalk it, pounce on it. The person is back at her desk. I daintily carry my prize to her and lie down at her feet with it, gazing up at her longingly. She looks down. My muscles tense, ready to protect. I see her hand move toward me. My head is close to the ground now. She reaches for my piece and grabs it. My heart is racing. She flings it away from her, and I go flying with it. My body moves with this little piece of plastic. I can't control my movements until it is back in my possession. I allow my heart rate to slow as I make my way back to her, toy in teeth. </div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317437961870808245.post-52578057845375502322009-06-26T13:40:00.008-04:002009-06-26T14:33:07.574-04:00Meeting Goals That I've Never SetI read an <a href="http://www.careerealism.com/be-honest-what-are-you-getting-better-at/">article</a> today that inspired me to think hard about what I have improved about myself in the past month, in the past six months, and in the past year. This article asks you to be honest with yourself - have you set realistic goals for self-improvement, and have you met them? Or are you going through the motions of life, living day-to-day, and not thinking about such things at all? <div><br /></div><div>By setting goals, and writing them down, you're more likely to achieve those goals. We've all heard this before. Yet, often when I set goals, I neglect my own self-improvement. I suppose I do, to some extent, make myself better, I grow as an individual and a professional, by achieving the goals I have set for myself. But, my focus has never been on myself, and my own personal development. </div><div><br /></div><div>When I got to college, I decided to relax a bit, not involve myself in so many things as I did in high school, have a social life, and balance it with my schoolwork so that getting A's was not something I ever stressed about. As a result, I had an enjoyable college experience, I didn't always get the A, but I made great friends, and did some important things. I made a difference in the lives of the people who were closest to me, and in the lives of people I'd never met. I felt fulfilled by my life there. That is, in every area of life except my "career". I began my philosophy degree with a positive outlook, I enjoyed the few classes I had taken in the discipline before, and I looked forward to contemplating large and unanswerable questions further and learning how to answer them. What I didn't realize I would miss, however, by choosing a philosophy major, was <i>everything else</i>. I enjoy a variety of subjects, and I thought I was doing good for myself by picking a major that covers topics of all sorts. I took a Philosophy of Science course, and a Philosophy of Language course, and an Ancient Greek Philosophy course. I learned about all sorts of different disciplines by making philosophy my chosen subject. However, the manner in which I learned them was not my style. </div><div><br /></div><div>As a philosophy major, one is required to think critically and analytically about questions that are impossible to answer correctly or incorrectly. You read and read and read these profound works that philosophers have written to try to answer these questions, and then you discuss in class how they haven't actually answered them at all. It may be a cynic's major, and a cynic I am not. I would have preferred a more "useful", practical major, as it turns out, that allowed me to think for myself, <i>and</i> get the answer correct occasionally, if not all the time.</div><div><br /></div><div>Regardless, here I am now, a fresh graduate of the College of William and Mary, searching for employment in fields in which I have no prior experience, and competing with the rest of the largely unemployed world for those few spaces. Now is a good time to think about how I've improved, and to start setting goals for myself.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here's where I think I've been in the last year or so:</div><div><br /></div><div>- I have grown as an individual. Throughout college, I have learned to communicate with people in a way I was never able to do in high school. I have grown from someone who was buried in her books and her music, as an awkward high-schooler, into a well-balanced, informed adult.</div><div><br /></div><div>- I have defined my religious, and political beliefs. I have moved out of my mother's Catholic house and found that the world makes more sense to me and I am a happier person without the guilt and threat of hell that Catholicism put upon me. I have become a listener of NPR and engaged in discussions with friends and family about political beliefs, and adapted my own ideology based upon what I've seen and heard. </div><div><br /></div><div>- I have realized what is most important to me in life. I have ranked my priorities, my values, written them down, and acted accordingly to reflect where those values stand. </div><div><br /></div><div>- I have striven to be kind and caring to everyone around me, and to be patient. I have made conscious efforts to stay positive, and to expect the best from people, but not to let disappointment take over when they don't always deliver.</div><div><br /></div><div>- I have defined my strengths and my weaknesses, and I have asked my friends and family to help me with it. I have gotten them involved in my life, and my search for self-fulfillment, and happiness.</div><div><br /></div><div>What will I aim for next? That's something to think about. These things listed above just happened. They were not planned out, they did not come about through thoughtful examination. It will be interesting to see what that extra thought does to accelerate my personal development, my self-improvement. </div><div><br /></div><div>What has worked for you? Any suggestions?</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317437961870808245.post-18081722512184075442009-06-09T17:12:00.003-04:002009-06-09T21:33:31.501-04:00We're Not All Spocks<div>According to <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104803094&ft=1&f=1007">this article</a> on npr's website, the city government in Greensboro, NC is paying teenage female students $1 for every day that they're not pregnant, in an effort to reduce teenage pregnancies. As a result of this plan, the teenage pregnancy rates in Greensboro have dropped dramatically. Some economists and psychologists explain this as a phenomenon that traditional economics cannot explain. Traditionally, economists have built their models based on what the perfectly rational person would do. Since experience has proven that these super-human rationalists do not exist outside of the Vulcan world, liberal economists are suggesting that we (and our government) should "nudge" the irrational away from poor decision-making.</div><div><br /></div><div>While I'm all for "nudging", I fail to comprehend why certain American tax-payers, who are just doing their part to make a living, provide for their families, and maybe help a few other people along the way (by their own, direct choosing), are responsible for providing the "nudge" - in the form of their own hard, and well-earned income. Maybe this "nudge" should be implimented in a more positive way for the government, and for its hard-working, honest, clean, and mostly rational citizens. Say, for instance, instead of giving teen girls money for not getting pregnant, the government could enforce a law that pregnant teens should be imprisoned, and then educate them of this law. That's basically what they're doing to themselves anyway by "allowing" themselves to become pregnant. They are committing themselves to a lifetime of strife, and committing their child to the same. That is, if these young mothers choose to carry their fetus to term. If it was common knowledge that teen girls under the age of, say, 18 got sent to institutions for the rest of their lives, I think the effect would be similar to giving them money. Maybe the way to knock some sense into people is by empowering them to make rational decisions based on their fear of the consequences for them <i>not</i> making those good decisions. </div><div><br /></div><div>I can hear the argument now: For a teenage girl, the consequence of having a baby at their young age is already a fear. They already know they'd be trapping themselves in a life that is much more difficult than they had planned, where their dreams will be that much harder to achieve. I haven't been a teenager for years, and the thought of becoming pregnant at this stage of my life is terrifying to me. For some reason, however, I can think rationally about this, and stop those hormones from taking over my life, and <i>use my brain</i>. These teenage girls are not all stupid. They may come from backgrounds that are not the best influences, that have not molded them into perfect little future lawyers, doctors, etc. But that doesn't make them stupid. We should be giving these girls more credit for their smarts, not money to bribe them into not having unprotected sex. Young people who grew up in 'bad' neighborhoods, in poverty, with poor education systems often end up having better common sense and street smarts than those who have been pampered from birth. But, I doubt you'll see too many city governments passing out checks to teenage girls at the country club. Why is that? Because their parents protect them from boys? Because they don't have the people skills to interact with a member of the opposite sex, let alone sleep with one? Because their teachers told them not to have unprotected sex? Are we really expected to believe that less-well-off cities have teachers who promote their students engaging in such activities? I don't think so. </div><div><br /></div><div>Put on your thinking cap, Mr. mayor, economists, and psychologists, because this one doesn't sit well with me, and I have a feeling it's not going to sit well with a lot of other folks out there either. </div><div><br /></div><div>On a more extremist end, earlier tonight, Andrew posed this simple solution to the problem: kill all pregnant teens. That's a bit more than the "nudge" that would likely be most effective - more like a wallop.</div><div><br /></div>Thanks to @GuyKawasaki for tweeting the link out to his Twitter-following world via npr.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317437961870808245.post-75815696190108518852009-06-08T11:41:00.003-04:002009-06-08T12:13:25.100-04:00Transitioning to a New Watering HoleA few weeks ago, Andrew and I moved to Tysons Corner following my graduation from William and Mary in Williamsburg. I grew up in Clifton and <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">thought</span> I knew the surrounding suburbs well. Andrew lived in Fairfax Station for 4 years, and is familiar with DC, but has spent very little time exploring the 'burbs. Together, we should have been a fantastic team to move in together in Northern Virginia. Alas, I do not know the area as well as I thought I did. The truth of the matter is that whenever my mission took me as far as Tysons from Clifton, I was going shopping at the mall. Tysons Corner shopping is fantastic, but it is such a small part of the place where we now live and work. <div><br /></div><div>Coming from Williamsburg, we were both very expectant. We had high hopes for what this area could offer us. Williamsburg is a beautiful town, with a lot of history, but for a young couple with unending energy, Williamsburg moves very slowly. Still, we have our favorite places there to eat, to get drinks, to see a movie or to buy a pair of jeans. Tysons presents us with many new and exciting things. I told Andrew yesterday as he expressed his feelings of detachment from everything we knew and were used to, "I'm glad for that. This is our home now, and that gives us a million new and urgent reasons to make new friends and to explore our surroundings." </div><div><br /></div><div>Tysons has a lot to offer us. However, the one thing we have been unable to replicate from Williamsburg, that we wish we could, is our favorite "town watering hole" - The Green Leafe. There aren't exactly 'bars' in Williamsburg, per se. The college students refer to the trio of pubs on the corner of Richmond Rd. and Scotland St. as "the delis". This trio is comprised of The Green Leafe, Paul's Deli, and The College Delly. During the day, these places are normal small, quaint restaurants. The Green Leafe is a traditional pub, Paul's is a sports bar, and College Delly is...well, it's a bit of a dive. At night, the delis come alive with activity. The flow of students and townies into the delis is slowed only by the bouncers, checking IDs as people enter. </div><div><br /></div><div>What made the Green Leafe so special for us, and different from other bars that we have tried out in Northern Virginia? </div><div>The Green Leafe was so close to us. For the majority of the time we lived in Williamsburg, we could walk there from our residences. Inside, the place was filled with friendly people, who were open to meeting people, and not afraid to act silly. The bartenders knew our names and we knew theirs. They took care of us, and we took care of them. If we had a moment of introspection, they would draw us out of it and back to the public scene, where we were surrounded by friends and laughing. Every 21st birthday celebration was held there, and for that matter, 22nd, 23rd and 24th birthdays as well. The food was good, the prices were good, and the beer selection was incredible. 30 beers on tap, and tons more in the bottle. Drink specials every night of the week. We're not alcoholics, but we enjoy to go out occasionally for a drink or two, and if we have the urge to do that on a Tuesday night, we know that the Green Leafe is having "pint night". Or, if we've been buried under a pile of work and need to get out for some air and some stress-free laughs, we can build ourselves up to attend "mug night" on Sunday. Some might say the Green Leafe became the center of our social lives in Williamsburg. </div><div><br /></div><div>Now, nothing seems good enough in Northern Virginia for Andrew. I've found places around us that seem comparable, and we would get used to them as we were to the Green Leafe if we spent some more time there. We'd get to know the bartenders, and find "our table" and learn the weekly specials. But the one thing that these local Northern Virginia pubs will never have that the Green Leafe does is the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">memories of our college days</span>. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317437961870808245.post-37127630521282325682009-06-07T12:39:00.002-04:002009-10-08T16:36:29.906-04:00Why Can't More People Be Like Gandhi?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317437961870808245.post-5326032720483148232009-06-02T18:28:00.004-04:002009-06-02T18:46:46.977-04:00"Maybe I'm gonna have a petite moment"Recently, I was watching re-runs of <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">The Real Housewives of New York City, </span>when Kelly said something that made me laugh, and then got me thinking. She had a stylist come in to her closet to pull everything that was old or unnecessary (which turned out to be a LOT) to donate to charity. While her stylist was going through this 6-foot tall, former model's closet, she pulled out a cardigan, looked at the tag, and said "Kelly, this is a petite medium. You are not petite. You are never going to be petite. Get rid of everything that's petite." To this, Kelly, without hesitation replied, "Don't tell me I'm not petite! Maybe I'm gonna have a petite moment!" <div><br /></div><div>I was struck by this, since so often I have moments when I'll pick up a piece of clothing in a store that I think is great, and might buy. But then, I have to stop myself, and say, "Wait a minute. This would not fit your body-type in a million years. You were just not built to fit into this. Someone was, but not you." Why is it that we so often fool ourselves into thinking that we have a body that we simply do not? And is there a way to target train areas of our bodies to change our so-called "natural body-type"? Or is there necessarily a limit, of which the upper and lower boundaries are weight? This is something I'd like to explore more in the future, as I hone my diet and exercise plan to fit the kind of figure of health that I wish to exude. </div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0