Wisdom Wednesday (aka just my two cents)

I think I mentioned around Thanksgiving that once upon a time I wanted to be a Rockette. I wasn’t a formally trained dancer, but I liked to dance. Plus I had long slim legs (at that time) and figured I could learn just about anything. Then I got to high school and joined the drama club. It wasn’t really a club so much as a class. It was an elective so I got to spend hours each week pretending I was somebody else. And it was amazing. Then, life happened and things got prioritized and my stage dreams were pretty much set aside. Which turned out to be fine because the older I got, the more anxious I became being in front of people. So over the last year or two, I’ve been doing the poetry night thing where I get up in front of a room full of strangers and read one poem while hoping my hands don’t tremble too much and praying my voice will be steady for just 2 minutes more.

It kind of makes no sense why I would want to get up and read when it makes me so nervous, but in the end it makes my soul happy. And when the soul says “go,” you just go!

So, recently, I was invited to participate in a performing arts show. I wasn’t going to even consider it at first for reasons that (just this once) I will keep to myself. But this little voice inside me kept saying, “you’ll regret it if you don’t. This is for you.” So last night, I went to the meeting for the show. I met the other women. And I decided that I would participate. I get to do poetry. I also get to dance in a group. And I get to don some sort of Greek goddess costume if I so desire (which I do).  And if you are local, you can come see it.

And now, I’m super stoked about the whole thing. Like, more than words can say at this time.

Which brings me to my little point… do the things that are going to make you happy. No matter what they are. If it’s painting (even painting with a twist once a month), if it’s dancing (even if it’s just in your living room to some 90s music), if it’s playing the guitar (even if you’ve never done it before and want to learn via youtube), if it’s writing (even if you need a prompt and you never show it to anyone), if it’s singing (even in the shower or in the car with the sunroof open). Do the things that make you happy. And if the opportunity arises for you to portray a Greek goddess in a local small stage production, then do that too!

I wish I would have lived my life over the last twenty years the way that I live it now. Not that I missed out on anything because I have plenty of time left, but it’s 20 years of experiences that I could have had that I opted out of because of fear or time or some other stupid reason.

So if you never take any advice I’ve ever given in the 2 years this blog has existed, please take this advice no matter your age, please go do the things that will make your heart smile. Build the fence, plant the garden, take the cake decorating class, buy the roller skates, take the vacation, color the picture, paint the wall yellow. Just do the damn thing. We only get this one life (or maybe we only remember this one). So make the most out of it so when you get to your death bed you won’t wish you had.