Past and Present

I was writing a blog post about turning thirty, took a quick break to let it percolate, and came across this post by Rachel. The fact that she’s turned a bit introspective because of her upcoming thirtieth birthday made me feel so much better. So here goes a little Past and Present:

Past

*I was painfully shy. I broke out in hives the day I had to sing my Senior Solo for choir. I still got up on stage and sung my little heart out even though it was the scariest thing I’ve ever done in my life!

*I had a debilitating weakness for candy in any shape or form. I couldn’t go through the check out without buying something, or several somethings.

*I was able to travel to France and Italy with family my senior year in high school. While staying in a tiny town of Chiusi, Italy my uncle and I snuck into an archeological dig and looked around. It was amazing!

*I never felt like I fit in. I always felt like I was on the outside looking in.

*My fondest childhood memories are of my siblings playing with all of our neighbors. I will always consider the kids I grew up with additional relatives. You might not see them often but they hold a special place in your heart.

*Dying would have been preferable to wearing shorts, skirts, or dresses. I was very much a tomboy.


Present

*I take time to appreciate the beauty in everyday things like foggy days, budding flowers, thunderstorms, food smeared faces. I finally realized it's the imperfections that make things beautiful.

*I can make conversation, a skill that is not perfected but has taken YEARS to cultivate.

*I dream of a small house with a big kitchen and large yard where I can watch my kids grow. Oh, and a craft room where we can make things together. I think an attic would make a great craft room!

*I still get as giddy as a school girl when I go to a candy shop but I don’t have to have everything. Also, I can now go through a check out without buying candy. I should get a gold star for that one.

*I have more of a style. It’s still developing and I’m still a tomboy but I no longer exclude shorts, skirts, or dresses from my wardrobe.

*I still don’t feel like I fit in but I have a great group of friends so it doesn’t matter as much now. I’m nerdy, corny, awkward, and it’s okay because my close friends still think I’m awesome. Thanks for that guys, love ya bunches.

What are some of your Past and Presents?

(I can't spell, then or now...)