Sunday, January 29, 2012

Cats In A Hot Tin Roof: Drop It Like It's Hot!

"All she wants to do is dance..."
Don Henley

If your current life finds you in Atlanta, Georgia in the vicinity of Tin Roof Cantina and you wander in on a Wednesday night, beware - you just might wake up to more than another day.

Thank God.  I discovered the Mike Veal Band on the arms of a crappy marriage that shared nothing more than a love of music and watching everyone else have fun.  We drowned our sorrows and smiled through our favorite cover songs.  I think we danced a few times, but it never felt right.

Shit happens.  And the only way to get rid of shit is to take a dump.  So, I took a big dump and moved on.  I feel much better, thank you.

But lo and behold, the universe does not revolve around me.  I'm still in shock.  You mean it isn't my job to save the world?  Really?  Well, damn.  Now what?

Fortunately and unfortunately, like attracts like.  Everyone I know is on the edge of something - trying to figure out where to go from here and looking back for clues as to what keeps getting in the way. 

I love it.  Even when it sucks.

After all, a circle of influence will never contain anything other than what you need or ask for when you need or ask for it.  It's called the law of attraction, and I am definitely attracting everything I need and, on some level, am asking for.

I'm also in the fast lane right now...desperately avoiding a familiar exit that leads to a little town called "Search and Rescue."  I've been there so many times, I could drive blindfolded and still find my way around.

I'm very good at feeling my way actually, but seeing as how I don't want to wreck my new car I recently yanked the blindfold off in hopes that I might see more clearly where I've been going. 

Whoa.  I'll be damned.  The writing on the wall.  The one that says:

STOP TRYING TO SAVE US YOU ARROGANT FUCKING MORON
SAVE YOUR OWN DAMNED SELF
WE'RE ALL JUST YANKING YOUR CHAIN ANYWAY

Ain't that some shit?  And they're right.  I've been yanked around enough and it's my own damned fault.

The next time you get pissed off because someone is yanking your chain...back it up and get real! You let them do it.

So, I'll just fix my ass on the dance floor.  I can back it up and drop it like it's hot...and if I get too low, someone I can see will pick it right back up! 

Cats in a hot tin roof are friendly like that!

KS:  Where are those damned earplugs?
RL:  Here, you can borrow mine!



Saturday, January 21, 2012

Crackheads and Doormats: It's all about boundaries!

"have you lost your place?
I wore my doormat face.
I hung my this or that.
I laid my welcome mat."



A crackhead spit on my new car this morning.  Zippityfuckingdodahday!  All I did was tell him I didn't have two dollars or a sausage biscuit, unless I wanted to give him my daughter's breakfast or the money I gave her for after school.  Forgive me, but my child takes precedence.

I wasn't always so quick to say no.  Once upon a time, I wandered my stomping grounds with a big, fat sign on my forehead that said please dump your shit here and take my money and take everything while you're at it because I obviously don't need it.

Whatever the sob story was, I bought it. 

Not judging at all.  As we locked eyes through my windshield and he bestowed upon me the most hateful expression I've seen in a long time, I felt empathy for him.   Even as he bent down to hock a wad on the hood of my Honda, I felt compassion for him. Wow.  I don't care about the spit, but I will never forget that look.  He visually stated:  I HATE YOU LITTLE WHITE BITCH IN YOUR SHINY NEW CAR! 

He judged me

For a second, I felt guilty - until I remembered that codependence is often disguised as a bleeding heart. 

We all get lost sometimes, but I'm pretty sure we have to find ourselves.

And his anger had nothing to do with me, so I drove on and said a little prayer for that lost soul.








Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Mirrors In a Weird Ass Nutshell

"And the wind blows up his coat and this he scribbles on a perfumed note
if I'm not here, then you're not here."
Sheryl Crow
Interesting.  I can't get the text to align left.  No matter how many times I click on align left, I am stuck in the middle.  I wouldn't call it "non-duality," but Kimmy Sue and Ruby Lou may be forced to join hands for this one.  How annoying. 
Seriously.  This is fucking annoying.

There is no beginning or end to this, only what is.  What it is is uncomfortable.  And being in the middle is probably the most comfortable place to be, but it could also be said that truth resides there...which isn't necessarily comfortable.

Am I cocky?  To a degree, yes.  Am I cryptic?  Sure, but it comes naturally.  I love a good blues song for these very reasons.  To be honest, I have always preferred naughty innuendo to the vulgarity that you hear in some forms of music today.  I'll take Bessie Smith over Missy Elliot any day.
Not dissin' Missy.  She has a few choice words that put a grin on my face! 
I'm also as scared, insecure and confused as any other soul forced to land on this crazy, forsaken planet.  Some of us are just better at hiding from this.  Not that there's anything wrong with that.  We are all on a path unique to who we are and where we're at in terms of what we're ready to evolve.
 
No one escapes this life unharmed, but everyone has the potential to break through the walls that harm builds.  It's a process.  Choose your method.  And, most importantly, don't back down.  Grab the biggest sledge hammer you can find and knock the holy fucking hell out of that wall. 
(On the off chance that saying holy and fucking in the same sentence is a mortal sin, I am forgiven.  I was baptized in South Carolina, which means I can do whatever I want and Jesus will still open the door and let me in.  I'm so glad I'm not Catholic...purgatory does not appeal to me.)

In the manner of "controlled chaos," I'm going to jump to the subject of meditation. Loosely. Years ago, I had the unusual experience of meditating with a very tall, very androgynous Irish woman named Johanne. I have an annoying habit of seeing faces when meditating with another, and this was no exception. At the end of our session, she asked me what I saw. Well, I saw a series of faces "in the mirror."  The only face I was compelled to mention was that of a very evil looking man.  I told her I thought it was something I saw in her. 

And then she asked me a very poignant question:  "How do you know it wasn't you?"

In a nutshell, we have all been victims and we have all been perpetrators.  From that perspective,
how can you judge anyone or anything? 

You can't. You shouldn't. It's wrong.

Judgment may very well be the only wrong there is.

The only thing that is right is forgiveness. 

And without forgiveness...the wall remains.

So, I'm cocky enough to put myself out there in crazy and embarrassing ways...but that's okay.  We all have a purpose. And if my cockiness and craziness resonates with you, amen.  Believe me when I say that the only pain more unbearable than my own...is yours. 


Monday, January 9, 2012

The Dating Game Part II: What DOES single mean?

"No I don't need another half to make me whole."
- Natasha Bedingfield


"Interestingly, snakes shed their old skin when their new skin is formed beneath it. The new skin has the same patterns and colors as the old skin that is ready for shedding. When the old skin is shed, however, it doesn’t look exactly the same as its replacement. It takes on a nearly transparent appearance."

I'm not a big fan of snakes, but I find it interesting that when they shed their skin the process is called "going into the blue."  I love blues music.  No correlation whatsoever, I'm sure.

And if this blog was a song, the bridge would be out of order.  But that's okay.  Not everything has to make sense.

Kimmy Sue's taking a break and since Ruby Lou doesn't think too much, this post will be a breeze. 

The response to Part I has been very interesting.  I guess since the institution of marriage has been turned upside down and kicked to the curb, more people are back on the market and shopping for non-traditional alternatives.  Although I do have one friend who makes no bones about the fact that she wants to get married again.  We all want what we want.  And whatever that is, we should just be honest about it.

Isa, a fabulous new female friend that I like to refer to as "the cupcake lady", suggests I forego thrift stores in favor of Saks.  Sorry Isa...no can do.  This girl has never set foot in Saks, and probably never will.  I personally think a special kind of stupid is required to pay $80 for a pair of jeans when you can get a perfectly good pair at a thrift store for $5.  But I get your point. 

I don't need to wax poetic on this subject. 

Part I is all the time we spend letting the past get in the way of the present and, in turn, predict the future.

Part II is where you just don't worry about it.

I could erase every bad day of my life (and don't we all wish we could do that?) and I still wouldn't be a shopper.  It's not that I don't care.  I simply see no point in spending money on something that I don't need.

However, if I'm browsing through the "hand me downs" and catch a glimpse of something interesting...I will try it on.  And if it fits, I'll buy it.

But, if you're a shopper...good for you.  Go for it!  I love hearing your stories. 

Now if you'll excuse me, there's a really tough piece of skin that needs shedding.  It seems to be stuck around my ass. 






Saturday, January 7, 2012

The Dating Game: Who's in charge?

"We can dance, we can dance, everybody takin' the cha-a-a-ance...is it safe to dance?"
So the subject of dating has come up.  Damn.  There is nothing in this world that makes me more uncomfortable.  I'd rather stick toothpicks in my eyeballs than do what a lot of my friends do...advertise and shop.

I didn't realize until recently just how much I've avoided that whole process, in one way or another.  At a rather young age, the balance between trust and caution tipped the scales in favor of self preservation. 

And I'm not the lone ranger here.  Life is hard sometimes.  At any given point in time, we are a culmination of everything that has gone before.  If we're smart, we learn from it...and let it go.  If we're stupid, we get stuck.

I am stupid.  I've been married three times for all the wrong reasons...and without really meaning to.  It just happened.  And there was love, or something damned near like it, in the safest place to be - off the market. Gotta hide somewhere, right?  And we all hide from something...mainly, ourselves.  Or maybe it's just me.  Maybe I'm the only idiot on planet earth.  I highly doubt it, but it's possible.

Fortunately, I have a saving grace or two - a very deep sense of humor and a strong connection to "spirit."  I am very grateful for these attributes.  They allow me to laugh at myself and understand that from a big picture perspective, none of this really matters.

However, here we are.  On planet earth.  Human.  Admittedly, I've had some "out of this world" experiences in meditation and, on occasion, in my growing energy healing practice.  I don't see people so much as I feel them. As a result, my circle of influence has shifted quite a bit the past few years.  So now, at least, I know I'm not alone in that respect.  Thank God...or, whoever is in charge.

However, here I am.  On planet earth.  Human.  Luckily, the past few years of my life found me in exactly the right place at exactly the right time.  I unloaded thirty years worth of anger that I could no longer run away from.  Now that I'm "clear" of that, I'm left with the only thing to be found beneath any mask of anger.  Fear.  Double damn.  I may not be angry, but I still suck at being vulnerable. 

Which brings me back to dating.  Double doody damn. Where are those toothpicks?

Alright.  Kimmy Sue's gonna shift gears and give Ruby Lou a chance to run with reality and bring it down to earth.  (Or maybe it's the other way around?)

Why do people date? 

Well, I think it's safe to say that as human beings we all share a very basic human fear of dying alone.  It's normal.  As independent as I have always been, I can honestly admit that the thought of dying alone doesn't appeal to me either.  I'm pretty sure we all would like to know that in the end someone will be there...someone who cares enough about our stupid ass to call 911 when we fall and can't get up, or feed us when we can no longer feed ourselves.  That's what it really comes down to isn't it?

But...how to get there?  That is a question that seems to be forgetting the answer more often than not.  Especially today, with divorce rates being what they are.  I personally think marriage and divorce should be eliminated from the relationship dictionary.  The only thing you should ever have to sign for is a loan.  And a loan is something you borrow.  Just saying.

Either my gear shift is sticking, or Kimmy Sue and Ruby Lou are on the same page today.  Lucky you.  Ruby Lou swears way too much.

Where was I?

So, I've got friends trying to "fix me up."  I'm not quite ready for that, but for now I am rethinking my methods.  Mainly, I don't have any.  It's just not in me to "shop."  Should I?  That is so strange to me.  I don't even like to shop for clothes.  I run to the thrift store when I need to replenish my supply of denim and occasionally find a dress that I like, but I'm just not a Mall person.  Ugh.

Years ago I had a boss who pushed me to try an internet dating site.  "Oh, you have to try it!  It's fun!"  So I tried it and it was completely stupid.  I understand it works for some people but, for me, it felt too much like applying for a job.  I had a job.  I have one now.  Anyway, my five day adventure yielded 3 therapists (the humor did not escape me) and a 19-year old who lived in Scotland.  I have nothing against long distance relationships (never mind the fact that I was 38), but I didn't have enough frequent flyer miles for that.  Actually, I didn't (and don't) have any...I'm pretty sure you have to fly in order to accumulate those. 

With the exception of a few wild years in my 20's, I just haven't dated that much.  So it's easy to remember a friend who pushes you to meet someone.  I was so resistant at the time that she invited me to dinner one night...and two of her co-workers showed up.  This friend really wanted me to hook up with this one particular guy, but seeing as how I don't really like being told what to do I dated the other guy instead.  I heard through the grapevine that the guy she wanted me to hook up with "came out of the closet" not long ago.

I ain't too stupid.

Right now I'm simply enjoying the adventures of my best friend.  She is a shopper.  She's been on more dates than anyone I know and she's gotten really good at it too.  She even had a date with a man of an ethnic origin that I will not mention, but let's say the culture is very much about "the resume'."  He very meticulously rattled off all his qualifications over dinner and later, in the car, zipped down his pants to show her his penis. He wasn't a pervert getting ready to attack, he was seriously presenting himself.  I am not making this up!  It's one of her better stories...and the reason I prefer not to shop.

I do like men, they just make me nauseous.  I'll get over it.

For now, I'm content.  I have work that I love and daughters who remind me that life is unpredictable, a little crazy, but altogether worthwhile. 

Even if you're single.































 



Friday, January 6, 2012

Cute Little Hippie Boobs!

"Look, I wasn't wanting melons, just a cute curvaceous B"
- Deirdre Flint/The Shuffleboard Queens


I've always been introspective.  And certain parts of you, whoever you are, have always been "fill in the blank."  Be your self.  Always.

This blog is certainly part of my personal journey back to self...and as a Leo, I will always have a tendency to "pimp my ride."  It is what it is.
  
This past year, I had a few life-changing epiphanies which I am very grateful for.  Make no mistake about it, everything happens for a reason - the good, the bad and the downright weird.  We are all connected and every action, big or small, has a ripple effect in our lives.  

Maybe you start a blog with boobs, get a divorce, delve into life's mysteries and end up right back where you started...BOOBS!

Life is funny that way.

And while I will never cease to delve, today I'm truly thinking about boobs.  They do come in pairs (although I have a friend with one boob, cancer took one and she's desperately hanging onto the other), so they could easily fit into the category of "duality."  But I won't go there.  That would be weird.

So.  Boobs.  I have so many fabulous female friends in all shapes and sizes.  Fortunately, most of my female friends are happy with themselves.  However, we know the rules are a little different for us.  And I hate rules.  This is one of the reasons I'm not keen on marriage.  If we need a "license" to love, we've probably missed the point.  But I digress.  (Wow...I've always wanted to use that expression.  I've envied others who use it in just the right place, without sounding trite.  Yes, I'm pimpin'.)

Some women give birth and lose their original figures.  You know, the figures that make it easier for you to get pregnant in the first place?  For whatever reason, I didn't really develop until after I became a mother. One day a girl and the next...bam...a woman!  Cool.  I have real boobs now!  Not that they weren't real before, but the bigger ones were really real!!!  Although, looking back, they were rather uncomfortable. 

I'm not sure exactly what happened, but this past year they decided to disappear. 

Okay mister man...imagine waking up one morning to the realization that the dick fairy paid you a little visit during the night and stole half your winky!  You might feel a little weird at first.

So I felt a little weird at first.  Then I got used to it.  And one day I realized that I had cute little hippie boobs, again...and Kimmy Sue woke up to the fact that those boobs suited her best. 

I'm feeling more girlish than I have in a very long time.


















Sunday, January 1, 2012

Fear, Farting and Friction...and other things not fully explained!

Fears and farts aren't so different.  If you hold them in long enough, you will explode.  Just saying.

And since my human intelligence is somewhat lacking (I once thought it was a good idea to invite a gay man, a very large woman and a Sikh to a comedy club...at the same time...I'm still friends with the gay man), my understanding of reincarnation is simple.  It has to be.  I'm not that smart.

Life is fear in physical form.  Death is when your soul escapes.  It is rather like farting.  For a little while you feel relieved, until it comes back around and you realize that fresh garlic has never agreed with you.  Shit.  Seriously?  I have to do this again?

Bottom line...if you're eating something that doesn't agree with you and you know it doesn't agree with you, then don't fucking eat it anymore.

But I think most human beings are afraid of change.  We enter this world and find a familiar comfort zone and stay there because it's safe.  If you watch the news, who can blame us?

I can't speak for everyone, but the "fear factor" has been on my grocery list the past few years.  I'm cheap, so I keep waiting for it to go on sale.  Even better if it's "buy one, get one free."  Or maybe I'll just save up for one really good one.  So many to choose from right?  And some are just weird.  For instance, I'm extremely claustrophobic and absolutely will not sit in the back seat of a two door coupe.  I'm also freaky when it comes to shoes.  If I can't take them off in just a few seconds, I won't wear them.  I don't feel so bad about that.  I have a friend who won't wear sunglasses.  Having them on her face freaks her out.  Who knows why?

It's sad to me that so much of what we do and don't do is motivated by fear.  Letting go of fear really would mean the end of war in this world.  But it could also mean the end of the world, as we know it,  if letting go brings us back to "source" once and for all.  And we're really afraid of that!  There are so many good things in this life to be attached to right?

Speaking of which, I have a house full of teenagers begging me to make my killer bean dip.  I think I'll wash it down with some chocolate milk...we'll all be dying!

Oh...friction.  Friction is friction.  It's how galaxies and human beings are created.  That's all I can say about that.  Again, I'm not that smart.

Happy first day of 2012.  Maybe if we stop focusing on things that make us want to stay in a comfort zone, bad news will cease to exist.