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Just When You Thought You Knew It All!
I’ve been working on a new 25-minute talk to let people know that they’re not alone in their quest for love, with tips for how to achieve their goals. It’s a good talk—or so I thought! But even as I believed my audiences would stand up and cheer my brilliance, I also knew that there’s no substitute for speaking in front of a live audience to make sure you’re on the right track.
So last Friday, I invited a bunch of people over to my home to listen and provide feedback. And oh boy, did they ever give feedback!! Fortunately, I got all of it on video because being caught up in the moment as I was, I could not have otherwise remembered everything that was said.
It’s not that my intended talk was bad. It just wasn’t relevant, especially as compared with the material covered AFTER my formalized speech! In my self-imposed vacuum (you know, writers do some of their best work alone behind closed doors), I thought I was on the mark, that my message was clear. Turns out, it was mostly clear to me because I knew the backstory already—I lived it! And my audience, not being in my head, didn’t know how I got from Point A to Point B! My prepared talk had holes in it.
My sunroom was the perfect location for the talk!
I Didn’t Kill Them! Yay!
In some circles I’m known as the plant killer. I’ve been given—or purchased—plants of various types all my life. I love plants, which is why it’s been so shameful and devastating when they don’t survive cohabitation. What is frustrating is that I think I’m doing right by them, a notion which is sadly disabused when the leaves start turning yellow and going limp (a sure sign that I’m overwatering them).
(The only consistent exception is philodendron. I’ve not been able to kill them no matter what I do, which is why you will see many of them at my home.)
Therefore, it is with great pride that I tell you that those lovely orchid plants that I was given about a year ago are not only still here, but all four of them are blooming again?!! OMG! I am so stoked!
My beautiful orchids, thriving in my spa room!
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt – All Good!
When it comes to a viewpoint about marriage, I’m a fan. While hardly reflecting a traditional start, Angelina Jolie’s comments on marriage mirror some of my own thoughts.
“It did change [after marriage],” Jolie told NBC’s Tom Brokaw about her relationship with Pitt in November. “We were fortunate enough to be in that unusual situation. We got married with our children and they were part of the ceremony and they wrote some of the vows. It was all of us agreeing to be together and to just commit to this life together. Not because we had to, not because anything was missing in our lives… because we were absolutely sure we felt that much of a family. It was really lovely.”
Jolie and Pitt… they certainly seem to be a lovely couple in every way!
Want to Live Longer???
A recent study and report in the journal Perspectives on Psychological Science, tells us that:
- Loneliness and social isolation are significant risk factors contributing to premature death (even suggesting a greater risk than obesity!)
- People under the age of 65 are more likely to be affected than people over 65
- We are at the highest recorded rate of living alone in the entire century in the U.S. and worldwide
…and all of this at a time when we have:
- Unprecedented access to social media connections through the Internet
- Record numbers of dating, matchmaking, and singles organizations
- More and more people opting out of marriage in favor of living together and
- Divorce rates are still high!
Does anyone besides me see what’s wrong with this picture?!
The loneliest pup in all the land…
Monogamous or Polyamorous?
Not a subject I would have expected to be writing about! But I was directed to an online article by a woman who said she had come to realize that she was in love with two men at the same time. The article—well-written by the way—was about her journey to unravel her feelings. Ultimately, she had sexual relations with both men—with each man knowing about the other.
While I am committed to a monogamous life—and enjoy it enormously—I also think it’s important to consider the viewpoints of others, especially when presented in an intelligent way, as was the case with this article. The woman was candid while not being sordid.
The key to any good relationship, no matter how many people are involved, is communication!