I’m going to take different spin on this and talk about a time when I hurt another blogger’s feelings.  So often we meet people through social media and develop relationships online. We form opinions of that person that may or may not be who they really are.

This is about such an encounter.

It was her first blog conference and she didn’t know anyone; she was excited to learn that I would be there.  I was excited to meet her too because we had some great exchanges online.  We met at the conference, exchanged hellos and pleasantries and then went about our separate ways.  We attended sessions as our interests dictated, waving hello if we crossed paths again.

We stayed in touch throughout the year on Facebook and Twitter.

A year later we were at the same blog conference and I suggested that we hang out.  That is when she told me that I hurt her feelings when we first met a year ago.  She said that I was not how she thought I would be. She didn’t think I liked her and was in fact surprised when I suggested that we get together this year.

My jaw hit the floor; I was truly shocked.  How could she think that?  I really liked and respected her and thought our initial connection was positive.

She said that I was “aloof” when we first met.  She thought that I would be bubbly and talkative and I didn’t meet her expectations.   Her feelings were hurt because she assumed that I was that way with other people.  My husband, who was there during this conversation, assured her that I was excited to meet her because I told him so.  He also told her that my aloofness had nothing to do with her because I was like that with everybody.

Now wait a minute!   I was not happy to be called aloof by her or my husband.  I am not aloof; I am friendly and warm and welcoming….

Oh wait.  Maybe not so much.  Not with strangers anyway.  I am not bubbly nor do I speak small talk.   I like to think that I fall somewhere between a “what’s up” head nod and a big bear hug.   Is that aloof?

My husband is the opposite; he is your best friend as soon as he meets you.  He’s a hugger and a small-talker.   He feels like he has to prep me when we are going to an event with strangers, “Now Honey, try to be nice and smile.”  I do smile and I am nice, I’m not just your instant best friend.

I’m not shy and I’m not reserved.  I’m more of a it’s-nice-to-meet-you-but-I’m-going-to-see-how-this-plays-out-before-I-invest-too-much-time-and-energy-into-this-relationship kind of person.

But with people I know?  I am warm and loving and really you could not find a better friend.  When I give a hug, it’s for real.   It just takes me a minute to get there.

So maybe I can be a tad aloof with people I don’t know.  I apologized to my blogger-friend because despite my personality quirks, I would never want to hurt anyone’s feelings.

The funny thing is, she admitted that she has the same personality as me and because of that, she was looking at me to initiate the friendly hellos.  So it was not that I projected myself to be different, she wanted me to be.

The next time I’m at a conference I’ll try to “be nice and smile.”  That aloof woman sitting next to me just might need it.

Visit Mama Kat’s Losin It to write a prompt of your own.

© 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

Like Gretchen Rubin did in her book, The Happiness Project, I decided to make a list of activities that I consider fun and that I don’t consider fun.  The idea is the do the fun things and don’t waste my time doing the things that are not fun.  This is my list.  Your list will be different.  Don’t judge me.

FUN

Playing board games (except Monopoly; I will never play with my family again.)

Riding roller coasters.

Traveling.

Organizing.

Baking.

Decorating.

Reading a book.

Going for a walk.

Hooping (as in hula).

Playing with my dog.

Singing out loud.

Dancing with abandon.

Talking (in person) to friends.

Going to art museums.

Seeing live theater productions.

Browsing a hardware store.

Getting a pedicure.

Playing Wii Just Dance 2.

I’m playing Wii Just Dance 2 at Blogalicious 2010. Fun!

NOT FUN

Cooking.

Talking on the phone.

Watching television.

Getting a manicure.

Participating in a cold outdoor sport.

Running.

Running in a 5k fundraiser for kids’ school.  Never. Again.

Hmm….the Not Fun list isn’t very long.  I must be lying to myself somehow because I’m too quirky and opinionated to have a short list like that.  I will think about this some more and add to the list.  And I see that my husband doesn’t like anything on my Fun List.  Hmmm…..

Do you have a defined list of what you consider fun and not fun activities?

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Other Posts About My Happiness Project:

My Happiness Project: Appreciate The Small Things That Make Me Happy

My Happiness Project: Laugh Some More

My Happiness Project: Laugh More

My Happiness Project

© 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

This post was inspired by a question in Real Simple magazine.  In one of my favorite features, every month the magazine asks a question, encourages readers to respond and then prints the readers’ answers.  I have never given Real Simple my answers to their questions, but I often answer them on my own.   This question fits right in with My Happiness Project: What is the One Small Thing That Always Makes You Happy? It’s an excise in appreciating the small, everyday things that bring us joy.

Here are 3 things in my everyday life that make me happy:

1. Really good tea.  I particularly enjoy iced tea (1/2 sweet, 1/2 unsweet).  Nordstrom Bistro, one of favorite lunch spots, has really good iced tea.   I must say that this is a benefit to living in The South; it is almost a law that an eating establishment must serve iced tea.  Occasionally  you do come across a rare restaurant (usually trying to be “hip”) that does not and then I just have to tell them about themselves.   Or even worse, they serve bottled tea like Arizona or Snapple.  The nerve!  The only bottled tea that I will drink is Sokenbicha’s Alive or Defend.   It’s unsweetened, has zero calories and is purely delicious.  I have at least 1 a day.

I can be such a nerd about office supply products.  I’m saying this to preference my next 2 Small Things That Always Make Me Happy.

2. Good writing instruments.  I hide my pens and pencils from my family.   They will write with anything, like crappy bank freebies, so why should I share my carefully bought pens and pencils? (I must add a caveat to the crappie freebies: Ritz-Carlton and St. Regis hotels both have great pens; I keep these in my purse because they are slim.)  Besides losing my good pens, my family feeds them to the dog and then I have to get all crazy, so it’s better if they just leave my stuff alone.   Right now my favorite pen is Uniball 201 Retractable Medium-Point Gel Pen.  It has a smooth flow of ink; there’s no hesitation or ink drips.  I like the finger grip and the retractable-ness prevents leaks (and makes a snappy sound too).  See, I told you that I’m an office supply nerd.

My pencil of choice is the Papermate Sharpwriter #2 Mechanical Pencil.   I originally bought them for my children, but fell in love with the always sharp point.  Sharpening wood pencils grates my nerves.   On the other hand, children love sharpening pencils, so I let them use the smiley-faced pencils that always fill party goodie bags, while I hide the Papermate pencils for my own use.

3. Pretty file folders.  I have a big filing cabinet with the normal, boring file folders, but I hardly look at those.  The file folders that I keep on my desk, the folders that I use everyday, are much more pleasant to use if they are pretty.  I have gotten some lovely folders from See Jane Work in the past, but my latest set came from Staples; there are many more mas-produced decorative office supplies than there used to be.  Since I spend many hours a day at my desk, this small thing really brightens my day.

See how pretty?

These are few small things that make me happy and as I continue my journey to happiness, I will mindfully look for more.  What about you; what are the small things that make you happy?

********

Other Posts About My Happiness Project:

My Happiness Project: Laugh Some More

My Happiness Project: Laugh More

My Happiness Project

© 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

In my last Happiness Project blog post I talked about how watching a favorite sitcom can make me laugh; reading humorous material is an even better happiness boost.    For instance, Lisa Kogan always makes me laugh while reading her monthly article in O, The Oprah Magazine.    I actually keep a file folder called “Funny Things” that holds all the clippings that I find so funny that I want to read them again.   As part of my Happiness Project to “laugh some more”, I pulled out that folder and re-read some favorites.

The essay “Woof: A Plea of Sorts” by  George Saunders is part of his book, The Braindead Megaphone and while I didn’t enjoy the whole book, this essay is brilliant.

Written from the perspective of the dog, the essay is quirky and most definitely strange.  And I admit, not funny to everyone.  My husband does not think this essay is funny.  As I told you, we don’t share the same sense of humor.   He read it and said, “cute” with a faint smile on his face.   On the other hand, I was laughing so hard that I was shaking, crying and dripping snot.   I cut it out the September 2007 issue of O Magazine, but  I couldn’t find the essay online anywhere to share with you, just an except on Google Books.   Click on the Google Books link and see if it makes you laugh too.  If so, we can most definitely be friends.

Another article that made it into my “Funny Things” folder, but also (more disturbing) my “hmm…that’s really not a bad idea” file in my brain is “My Last Party” by Linda S. Amstutz.

I find it funny because I would so do this!  I cut it out from Skirt, but Linda also has it on her blog, under the title “Over My Dead Body.”   Read it and tell me, do you find this morbid or funny?   Your answer will probably alter the course of our friendship.

What do you read to make you laugh?  Please share; I can always use a good laugh!

*******

Other posts about My Happiness Project:

My Happiness Project: Laugh More

My Happiness Project

© 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

I absolutely love to laugh; don’t you?  Laughter is a great stress reliever and a mood lifter.  It’s also a good relationship binder; I have the closest relationships with people with whom I share laughter.   While my husband and I don’t have the same sense of humor (in movies, TV, books or any comedic entertainment), we both try to find humor and lightness in everyday situations.  As a family we joke around together and most of us find it funny, most of the time; just check out some of our road trip videos on YouTube.   But sometimes if I’m grinding too hard, I forget to look for the funny.   Or maybe nothing is funny and life really does suck today.   In that case, I need some help.  In my new search for everyday happiness, I’ve remembered some things that have made me laugh, like sitcoms.

I don’t watch much television, but when I do, I watch sitcoms.  My favorite shows used to be Frasier and Seinfeld; now it’s Modern Family.  Scrubs was another favorite show; it was just plain silly.  I saw the episode below on the airplane and I was silently laughing so hard that tears were streaming down my face.  It was so funny to me that during the taxi ride from the airport I thought of this scene and laughed again–audibly, very loudly–for the entire ride home.  My family just stared and pronounced me crazy as usual.

The entire episode is in 3 parts on YouTube.  This is the 2nd part. The 6:45 mark is where I completely lose it.  Still.

Is it just me or is that HILARIOUS?

Do you have a favorite television show or scene that always makes you laugh?

************

Other posts about My Happiness Project:

My Happiness Project

© 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

I posed this question to myself while reading the book The Happiness Project: Or Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun by Gretchen Rubin.  It’s not that I’m unhappy, but reading about Gretchen’s year of happiness-seeking made me want to figure out exactly what makes me happy and how to bring more of that joy into my everyday life.  I highlighted many passages on my iPad as I read, but this is was the jumping off point, the part that made me think about my own life:

I was suffering from…..-a recurrent sense of discontent and almost a feeling of disbelief.  ”Can this be me?”

“Is this really it?” I found myself wondering and answering, “Yep, this is it.”

How could I discipline myself to feel grateful for my ordinary day?  How could I set a higher standard for myself as a wife, a mother, a writer, a friend?  How could I let go of everyday annoyances to keep a larger, more transcendent perspective?

Yup, that’s exactly how I feel: not unhappy, but as my son says, “meh.”  I don’t want or need to make any drastic changes in my life; I like most of my everyday life (my husband and kids, I’ll keep them) and what I don’t like, I accept.  I just don’t think that I am mindfully enjoying or creating as many happy moments in the midst of my busy, chaotic life as I can.  Life is weighing pretty hard on me right now.  My natural inclination is just to “man up” and “get it done” (whatever it is that day), but that doesn’t necessarily bring me happiness.

Gretchen Rubin was very methodical about her Happiness Project; she chose a theme for each month and concentrated on making that particular area in her life happier.  She also charted her progress (or decline) in order to be accountable to the project.  At first glance this is right up my alley because I love to chart and plan and organize, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that sometimes I get in my own way.  This is something that I need to just do–not plan.  I jotted down notes as I read the book and came up with some immediate action steps–which I will explore in subsequent blog posts–but I am sort of free-styling my Happiness Project.    I also plan to read What Happy People Know by Dan Baker and The Joy Diet by Martha Beck.  Coincidentally “read more” is one of my Happiness Goals, so I’m grooving already.

Do you want to take this journey with me?   I would love the company.   If you need tools, Gretchen Rubin has them on her website, or you can free-style it like me.   If you are happy enough already–just so giddy that you can’t even stand yourself anymore–then you can read about my quest and help me get to my happy place.  I just bet “helping others” is on your Happy List.

Get ready.  Get set.  Be happy!

© 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

This is my Check Me Out page on my website; I think that it describes me pretty well!   Even though I’ve had this website for well over 2 years, I’m always tweaking my About Me page; that’s a fairly new photo and I linked to some more ways to learn about me.

Because I know you want to know!  You were sitting there with bated breath, anxious, tossing and turning at night, mumbling under your breath “Tell me more Funkidivagirl; I need to know more!”  I know.  It’s okay.  Here I am.  Shhhh.

Can you be both crunchy and fabulous at the same time?  Absolutely!  That’s me!

I shop almost exclusively at Whole Foods and believe that yes, organic foods are better for you.  My children slept in the family bed, I nursed them both well beyond their second year of life and I birthed one of them at home.  I have dredlocks.  That’s the crunchy me.

But I’m only a psuedo-hippie because I also like some BLING!  Peace signs are my favorite icon, but they are even better covered in Swarovski crystals or diamonds.  I don’t consider myself a shopper, but somehow they know me in Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s.  I am also a beauty product junkie; Sephora is one of my favorite stores and I’m always searching for the perfect mascara and lip-gloss.  The fabulous me!

I am a stay-at-home mom, but that is what they call an oxymoron, as I am never at home.  I have been married forever and have a teenaged son and ‘tween daughter.   I live in the South, by way of the Northeast, by way of the West, by way of the Midwest.  But I plan to move to the beach and become a surfer.  I will take my husband with me; he’s cool even though he is irrationally afraid of birds.

I have an uncanny ability to remember lyrics to a frightening number of songs. Even obscure grocery store loudspeaker ones. Or sappy sentimental ones, which I hate. I haven’t figured out how to parlay this skill into a beach house, but I’m sure it’s marketable somehow.  I love cartoons, but not politics and certainly not political cartoons.  I am very opinionated and not afraid to say so!

I started this Lifestyle Blog because my husband, who is a social media big wig, made me.  He thinks that I have a lot to say.  Or maybe he just wants me to say it to someone other than him.  Either way, I accept my mission: To Save the World From Mediocrity.

New to Funkidivagirl.com?   Start with The Best of Funkidivagirl to read my favorite posts.

Want to know more about me?  Learn useless–yet fascinating–random facts about me in Betcha Didn’t Know and on-going revelations (or confessions, depending on your point of view) in What About Me.

You can also find me on:

Twitter

Facebook

YouTube

Got questions?  I’ve got answers.  Email me at Funkidivagirl@Funkidivagirl.com

If you read my blog, I promise to be charming and witty. Make sure you don’t miss a thing by subscribing via RSS Reader or email.  Please come back and visit me often and leave nice comments.

Peace,

Funkidivagirl

Visit Mama Kat’s Losin It to write a prompt of your own.

© 2010 – 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

I wrote this post after attending my first blogging conference, Blogalicious 2009.  Inspired by all the wonderful bloggers around me, I left the conference asking myself these questions:  Am I blogging with purpose?  Am I passionate?  Am I even doing this right?  And mostly…Why do I blog?

I asked and I answered:

I blog to give information in categories like Techknow Mama, Things I like and Ma-Gyver.

I blog to entertain in Kickin’ It Old School and through many of the silly travel family videos that I post in T as in Tango.

I blog to build a community through posts about myself and my family in What About Me, My Charmed Life or Word From the Mother.  I hope that the more you know about me, the more you will share about yourself; that creates community.

I blog Deep Stuff to foster discussion and conversation.  I’m a thinker and I know you are too.

I blog to save the world from mediocrity.  We’ve got to keep the bar high people.  We’re all fabulous; let’s live it!

Through it all, I blog to tell stories.  As Scott Rosenberg says in his book, Say Everything: How Blogging Began, What It’s Becoming, And Why It Matters, “A [blog] post is a shared memory….And in the end, that’s what we want and need to remember about our lives, and the lives of others: not factual details but meaningful stories.”  Whether I am writing aboutDisney World, my marriage, Henry Louis Gates or the best cupcakes, I aim to do it with passion, transparency and authenticity in a way that hopefully makes you remember your own stories.

I blog because I have a voice and I have something to say.  And that is reason enough.

Visit Mama Kat’s Losin It to write a prompt of your own.

© 2010, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

I moved a lot as a child, so in reality I don’t have one childhood neighborhood, but I do identify with one neighborhood in particular, Stonebridge, in Hazel Crest, Illinois.   We moved there from Chicago the summer that I turned 10.

It was a big move.  We lived in an older home in Chicago in a more established neighborhood, but Stonebridge was in the suburbs;  everything was new and shiny–including our house and all the furniture in it.   There was an attached garage, family room, den, separate dining and living rooms, a huge eat-in kitchen, swanky new appliances, an office for my dad and a big back yard, perfect for my new puppy.

It looked like a neighborhood on television.  The houses weren’t cookie cutter, but there were only about 6 variations.  They were laid out differently, painted different colors and tweaked a little here and there, but it looked like a cohesive neighborhood.   All the lawns were green and freshly mowed.  Our parents belonged to the Stonebridge Neighborhood Association, which I supposed made sure that residents took care of their property, but really I think that it was just an excuse to drink and play cards together.

My family can’t remember the house number, but at least I found the street on Google Maps.

But then I “walked” down the street and found my old house!  I love Google Maps! Wow, the house and neighborhood still look great.

It was a neighborhood full of kids and I had many friends.  I lived there for only 3 years before moving to Minnesota, but I made some great memories.  Here are a few:

• The park.  It was really a huge retention basin.  If someone pushed you,  you would roll all the way down to the bottom–which made it perfect for both your enemies and for sledding.

• Chasing my dog (who frequently escaped from the backyard) around the neighborhood with my friends.   He always ended up in the creek, a muddy mess.

• Bathing said muddy dog.

• The library.  It was small–I swear that I read every book in the kids’ section at least twice–but I loved it.

• Riding my bike through a construction site and down the sides of giant dirt holes.  The mother that I am now is chastising my kid self, “Don’t you know that you have been buried alive in one of those dirt holes, girl!”

• Walking to Pottawatomie Hills Elementary School.  In the cold.  Uphill.  Both ways.  I lived 5 houses away from the bus stop, but within the school district’s parameters of “too close to ride the bus.”   I don’t know how many miles it was, but it was hella far (that’s a true measurement of distance, anyone will tell you).  On very cold days, my friend’s mom drove us to school in her fire-engine red station wagon.

• My favorite teacher at Pottawatomie Hills Elementary School, Mrs. Bloom.

• Recess at Pottawatomie.  For my friends and I,  Four Square was our game and it was serious business; we played for blood and took no prisoners.   When we weren’t knocking out fools in Four Square,  we took over the Merry Go-Round and wouldn’t let other kids on unless they paid us in candy.  We called it “The Church of Savior”, shouting it as we spun round and round.  We were small, yet charming; that is the only explanation to why kids gave us candy and didn’t just knock us off the Merry Go-Round.

• Riding my bike to Baskin-Robbins.  I always got 1 scoop of Chocolate Chip and 1 scoop of Daiquiri Ice.  It sounds strange, but trust me, they taste good together.  Then my friends and I would crash our bikes on the way home because “we had too many daiquiris.”

• Halloween.   The neighborhood association made sure that we were safe while having fun.  Every few houses there was an open, decorated garage with doughnuts and hot cider.  Presumably the stop was for these goodies, but in reality it was to check our candy for tampering.

• Sleepovers with my best friends.  Making our famous popcorn (Jiffy Pop mixed with whatever candy and other snacks we had lying around), practicing the latest dance moves and falling asleep to Saturday Night Live.

• Group outings to Pizza Hut.  In retrospect I feel so bad for whoever waited on us: a gang of 12 year olds, sharing a small pizza and leaving $1 tip, if any, most likely covered in parmesan cheese.

• Practicing for pom-pom tryouts at my friend/neighbor’s house and the disappointment that followed.

I am still good friends with some of my Stonebridge friends, and on Facebook I am finding old friends all the time.  We all still love Stonebridge and feel such a strong connection to it and each other that we are organizing a family reunion of sorts, getting the old neighborhood back together again.  I’m excited to see everyone and and excited to show my kids a part of my past–a seemingly small part measured by conventional time, just a mere 3 years–but a very large part of me.

Visit Mama Kat’s Losin It to write a prompt of your own.

© 2010, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

I like to challenge myself.  Sometimes it ends well, as in story number 2 and sometimes not so well, as in story number 1.  Either way, I learn and grow (or look ridiculous).  I posted these stories last year when the Facebook note “25 Random Facts About Me” was circulating.   I only posted 12 facts because that was more than enough; these are #10 & #11.  If you are at all intrigued at my obvious lack of shame, check out the rest.

I stepped outside my comfort zone when I tried to windsurf because: #10  I love the beach, but I’m afraid of the ocean.  Mostly the sharks in the ocean.

I love, love, LOVE the beach and plan living near the ocean (again) someday.  Looking at the water both soothes my soul and gives me energy at the same time.  At least once a year I try to make it to some beach, somewhere.  My kids love the beach as much as I do and we can stay there all day long collecting shells, flying kites and looking for marine life.  But except for an occasional wade out into the water just to cool off, I like the ocean from the vantage point of the sand. I’m afraid of the ocean and of course there’s a story behind my fear.   There’s always a story.

Back when I worked at Club Med, one of the perks was being able to experience all of the Club activities along with the guests.  I took tennis lessons, went horse-back riding and played pool games.  One day I decided that I wanted to learn how to wind-surf.  The wind-surf instructor wasn’t busy that day, so he gave me a beginning lesson on the sand and in the shallow water.   When he thought that I had the hang of it, he urged me to go into the water even further, but still close to the shore.

Now would be a good time to mention that I didn’t know how to swim.   No problem, the instructor said, don’t go out too far and since he wasn’t busy, he’ll keep an eye on me.    I’m pretty fearless and it didn’t look too dangerous at all.    Besides, I had noticed that although beginner wind-surfers fall quite a bit, they fall very slowly and are able to hold on the sail while in the water.  I would be fine.

And I was fine for awhile.  While I did fall a lot, since I was so small, when I did get back on the board and lift the sail even slightly the wind took me pretty far.  This went of for awhile: falling, getting back on the board, lifting the sail, surfing for a short while and falling again.  Finally tired, the next time I fell I just sat on my board.  And looked up to see that I was far away from the wind-surf instructor (who was now busy with guests and forgot all about me) and far away from the shore.  I wasn’t even on Club Med’s property anymore.  I looked at the water and it was a very deep blue AND I TOTALLY FREAKED OUT.  Sharks!–That’s all I could think about.  I didn’t actually see them, but I knew they were there.   I tucked my feet up under me and made sure no part of my body was in the water.

Well, now I was in a real dilemma.  I couldn’t wind-surf back to shore because I couldn’t control the sail very well and the odds were that I would take myself further out to sea.   I couldn’t swim to shore because I didn’t know how to swim.  I couldn’t yell for help from the Club Med personnel because they were too far away to hear me.  So, I just sat on my board for what seemed like forever, but was really probably 15 minutes.

In the distance I saw a small figure on the beach waving at me and yelling something in Spanish; it was a local Mexican gentleman walking on the public beach.   I didn’t know who he was or what he was saying, but I just yelled back “Help Me!”   Much to my surprise, he jumped in the water fully clothed, swam out to me and pushed me on the board all the way back to shore.  He didn’t speak English and I didn’t speak Spanish but I was so grateful and he knew it.  After making sure that I was okay, he went on his way and I dragged the wind-surf board across the sand all the way back down to the Club Med beach.

I was 18 years old when that happened and it while it turned out okay, it was a stupid thing to go into the ocean without a life jacket on, not knowing how to swim.  I didn’t like that I had a fear of deep water (even in a pool) because I don’t like being afraid of anything.  After the birth of my first child, I knew that I had to learn how to swim, if just to be a good role model.

I stepped outside my comfort zone when: #11  I learned to swim as an adult and I’m very proud of myself.

Yes, I took swimming lessons as a child at the YMCA like everyone else and I was doing just fine until they made up jump off the diving board into the deep end of the pool before I was ready to.   There was no compassion from my instructors and it was pretty cut and dry, either jump or leave the class.  I left the class and never went back.   For the rest of my childhood I “got by” at the pool by swimming under water and mostly staying in the shallow end, but I had few incidents of almost-drowning.   One time I was at the local public pool and I wanted to jump off the diving board like all the other kids.   So I did.  But when I hit the water, I didn’t know how to come back up and swim to the edge, so I started fighting the water and going back under.  The lifeguards didn’t even see me, but luckily a teenaged girl did and helped me to the side.  That brush with nearly drowning only worsened my fear of deep water.

So when I finally decided to learn how to swim, I first had to get over my fear of deep water.  My friend had a pool in her backyard and let me use it to hire a private instructor for a few lessons.  When I felt comfortable enough, I continued lessons at my local YMCA.  Before long I could tread water in the deep end and swim the length of the pool.  I was so determined to learn and not be afraid that I was the star pupil of the class.  I kept my progress report as a reminder of how far I had come.

I do like knowing that I have a good chance of saving my life if the situation should ever arise, but I’m not sure if I will ever be comfortable swimming in the ocean; the thought of all the ocean creatures beneath me kind of unnerves me.  The ocean absolutely fascinates me, but I like learning about it from visiting the aquarium or watching Imax films at the museum. However, I do try to push myself every now and then, just to keep my fear under control, and ultimately, conquer it.   This past summer I went jet-skiing in the ocean and boogie-boarding as well.   And someday soon I plan to take surfing lessons.  I gotta get ready for my future life as a beach-bum.

Visit Mama Kat’s Losin It to write a prompt of your own.

© 2010, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

*Today I am participating in Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop by answering the prompt: 4.) 30 things you vow to do this summer.

1. Take my daughter to a Braves game.  She’s been asking since the season began.
2. Teach my son how to drive.
3. Update my will (see #2).
4. Teach my daughter how to ride a bike.  What’s with my kids?  They have no interest.  I’ll have to bribe her.
5. Start hooping again.   As in hula-hooping, not basketball.
6. Do yoga a few times a week.
7. Learn Janet Jackson’s “Pleasure Principle” dance with my daughter.  Just cause.
8. Go to Blogher.  It’s my first time…should be interesting.
9. Read to my daughter everyday.
10. Re-read some of my favorite books like Their Eyes Were Watching God.
11. Teach my son how to pump gas.  Not that he’s ever driving my car….
12. Teach my son how to iron.
13. Think of new flavors for the ice cream I make weekly with my kids.
14. Make popsicles like King of Pops.
15. Try some of John Kessler’s frozen yogurt recipes.
16. See the new bears at Zoo Atlanta.
17. Start a new business venture.  Don’t ask me how with 2 kids at home all summer.
18. Read a chunk of The Bible.
19. Make a dent in the 8 year back-log of scrapbooking I need to do.
20. Take more training classes with Chili Dawg.
21. Continue to blog at least twice a week.
22. Make buttermilk pie.
23. See The B 52s in concert.  I’m trying to figure out how to get my locs into a bee-hive.
24. Go to Jamaica for a friend’s wedding.  I’m not wild about Jamaica, but I want to support the friend and take a trip alone with my husband.
25. Catch up on movies I’ve missed seeing in the theater.
26. Play board games with my kids in the evenings.  The classics: Yatzee, Life, Clue.
27. Take Chili Dawg to the dog park to play.
28. Experience the new Canopy Walk at Atlanta Botanical Gardens.
29. Nap.
30. HAVE FUN!

© 2010 – 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

I’m a pretty positive person, but sometimes life stomps on my heart and zaps my spirit.  I’ve been through my share (and then some) of drama and trauma that still messes with me.  To bolster myself in those situations, I turn to prayer and these inspirational quotes as affirmations:

The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? -Bible verse, Psalm 27:1.  No need to be a punk; my Father has my back.

“It is not enough for you to do your very best. You must do what is required of the situation.” -Cathy Hughes.  Man up, accept no excuses and do what needs to be done.

“If you are going through Hell, keep going.” -Winston Churchill.  Keep on trucking, baby.

“The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta be willing to put up with the rain.” -Dolly Parton.  Life sometimes suck; deal with it.

“Our deepest fear is not that we’re inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond all measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world.” –Marianne Williamson.  Forget the haters and naysayers; I am fabulous.  I believe it and I will live it.

© 2010, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

*Today I am participating in Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop by answering the prompt: 4.) Can you almost stop time with your words? Write about the fastest ride you ever had, but describe only a few seconds of it…as though it was happening to slow motion.

I love roller coasters.  Disney World is more my speed these days than Six Flags, but still I love a good thrill.  Space Mountain and Expedition to Everest (my favorite ride at Disney World) are very fast.  Tower of Terror, not a roller coaster but nevertheless a thrilling ride, is probably the fastest and the most what-in-the-world-was-I-thinking ride.  But my time-stopping slow mo fast ride happened on Disney’s  Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. Actually it’s what happened before I got on the ride that made time stand still.

As I have said before, I am not afraid of too many things (except sharks) but lately I have become extremely claustrophobic.  This is a new, surprising development for me because I am generally a calm person; I’m pretty unflappable.   I have explored the pyschological reasons for my anxiety, but I won’t bore you with the underlining issues.   I have noticed that I get particularly anxious when all three of my triggers are in play at the same time: heat, small spaces, and crowds.   I can handle each one individually, but when they are all together in a no-exit environment, I can go from zero (calm) to sixty (get me out of here!) very quickly.

Disney World is the perfect storm for a claustrophobic panic attack.  During peak visiting times, like our last Disney trip, the ride operator crowds the lines, which are often inside narrow hallways without any ventilation, and the lines move slowly.  I have no problem with small, crowded, hot spaces as long as I move through quickly–it’s staying in those spaces that freaks me out.   I was anxious about the line for Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster because it is one of the most popular rides at Disney World and I knew the line would be crowded and slow moving.  However, I do not like the descepancy between my roller coaster-loving self and my claustrophobic self, so I decided to take the risk.   I wouldn’t have even considered riding if we didn’t have the special media Fast Passs that allowed us to start in the shorter line.  As my husband and I joined the line inside a dark building, these are my thoughts:

This is the Fast Pass line?  It’s long.

My heart is pounding so fast, this can’t be good.

Why do they keep these buildings so dark?  Why is the ceiling so low?

There are so many people in here.

Is there a way out?  Where is the nearest exit?

Take off my coat.  Good.  Okay, at least I’m not hot.

I refused to packed in like a sardine and they can’t make me.

My husband looks concerned and asks me if I’m okay.

I tell him to stop talking to me; I need to concentrate.

I think if I keep a wide path around me and not let myself get crowed, I can handle it.

Two people-length.  Don’t let anyone get closer than two people away.

Focus.  Focus on the flower on that girl’s sweatshirt.  Like in birthing class.

We are going around a bend.  Uh-oh, I know how these lines twist and turn.

I can’t take it anymore.  It’s the fear of the unknown, so I ask a lady next to me who has obviously ridden before: What comes next?  Is it much further?  Does it get more narrow and darker?  She assures me that we are almost there.

We enter a room.  Thankfully they don’t pack too many people in the room, but it is dark and I can’t see the exits.  There is no way out and I start to panic.  My heart is pounding so hard.

I fully expect to faint right now.  Not that I ever have, so I don’t know what that means.  Still.

I can barely breath.  This can’t be good for my oxygen level.

What will happen if I faint?  Will anyone notice?

James is watching me.  That’s good.  He’ll notice if I hit the floor.

Take deep breaths.  In and out.  In and out.  Deep and slow.  I can do this.

Count to ten.  Haven’t I read that somewhere?  Count to ten slowly.

It seems to be working.  I haven’t fainted yet.

I really need to learn how to meditate.

Oh, it’s Aerosmith talking on the screen.  Pay attention.

If I wasn’t so freaked out, I would think this is cool.

This video is way too long.  Finish already!

Oh, the doors are opening.  Freedom!

No wait.  We are in some sort of cage.

A cage!  Are they kidding me?

Where is James?  Doesn’t he know I’m hanging by a thread?

At least there are no closed doors.  Just keep the people away; don’t let them crowd me.

Finally I’m out the cage!  I’m free!

And just like that my anxiety subsides and completely disappears.  The room is big, I’m in cool air and the people are more dispersed.  The line is moving fast and it’s almost my turn to ride.  I switch from anxious to excited and hop in the car with a big smile on my face.  I love roller coasters!  This is why I fought my claustrophobic demons and I’m glad that I did.  The roller coaster takes off like a shot and I am flying through complete darkness with Aerosmith music blasting in my ears.

WOO-HOO!

© 2010, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

“Love Shack” by B-52s

I secretly think that I am a member of the B-52s; I have the white go-go boots already.  ”Love Shack” is my number one song to put me in a fantastic mood.  It makes me want to dance around and do the pony.   I would kill this song at karaoke!

“Pump” by B-52s

If you think the B-52s greatest hits are old school, think again.  Their latest release is just as rocking as songs of old.  ”Pump” is classic B-52s: addictive guitar riffs and esoteric (or just crazy) lyrics.  Listening to this song makes me wanna swing my hips wildly while shaking a tambourine.

“Back to Love” by The Brand New Heavies

Most of The Brand New Heavies music is funky and groovy–perfect for creating a sunny mood.  But this song has the benefit of uplifting lyrics as well.  It’s a message that everyone needs to remember: “…we seem to lose our way, somehow got lead astray, that’s why I’m here to say, got to get back, get back to love.”

“Groove is in The Heart” by Dee-Lite

Do you see a pattern here?  I like groovy music.  Peace signs, disco balls, go-go boots–give it to me, baby!  This song is a flower-child dance party, with a 90s house beat.  I dare you to listen and stay in your seat.

“Cherish” by Madonna

A bouncy, feel-good beat and sing-aloud lyrics about love keeps this song on my Get Happy playlist.  True, I can’t get the image of Madonna wearing all that lace out of my head, but I don’t hold it against her.  How can I?  I used to dress like her!

“I’m Every Woman” by Chaka-Khan

This song makes me feel like I can conquer the world.  Chaka is belting out those lyrics with the force of nature.  By the end of the song when the music crescendos,  all I need is a cape and a big W on my chest and I’m ready to fly!

“All This Time” by Sting

Soul Cages is one of my favorite albums by Sting; the writing is incredible.  Even though this song is about his father’s death, Sting’s poetic lyrics and great music makes it a up-beat tribute instead of a dirge.   You can feel the maritime intentions in the song–the waves rolling, the sea breeze, the boat rocking.   I love the beach and this song takes me right there.

“Dancing Queen” by ABBA

Yes, I know it’s clichéd, but despite the over-use of this song, it still puts me in a good mood.  With the disco ball twinkling, I can hear the DJ saying, “It’s time for ladies only skate, ladies only.”  In my tube socks and shiny shorts, I can see myself gliding around the roller rink.

“P.Y.T” by Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson showed his talent through many songs, but whenever I play this song I feel his passion and happiness.  And that happiness is then transferred to me.  I don’t try to moon-walk though.

“I Like It Like That” by The Blackout All-Stars

There aren’t that many lyrics to this song, it’s all about the beat.  Latin music is made for dancing; the horns and Congo drums make me want to throw on a twirly skirt, some high heels and do the merengue.

“Haven’t You Heard” by Patrice Rushen

Another song with limited lyrics, “Haven’t You Heard” is all about the music.  Patrice Rushen is an incredible musician and arranger and her blend of jazz, funk and R&B always has me tapping my toes and bopping my head.  This is perfect Sunday afternoon, life-is-good type of music.

“Let’s Go Crazy” by Prince

A musical genius.   I love many a Prince song and different songs put me in different moods.  ”Let’s Go Crazy” is Prince in a zany mood and the song makes me feel zany too.   With lyrics like “let’s look for the purple banana ’til they put us in the truck” how can you not get in a great mood?

“Rebel Yell” by Billy Idol

I love to rock out to this song.  À la Jennifer Beals I want to wear ripped sweatshirts and leg warmers while dancing a scene out of Flashdance.  Or sometimes I play it really loud in my car when I’m frustrated and it never fails to make me calmer and more in control.

“The Biggest Part of Me” by Ambrosia

This is my singing in the shower song, the one that makes me croon into my pretend microphone.  Singing this song I have my audience in the palm of my hand; all eyes are closed and they’re doing the church wave.  This image never fails to put a smile on my face.

“Sunday Morning” by Maroon 5

Smooth, jazzy and groovy, “Sunday Morning” is what I want to hear while taking my dog for a walk.  Sometimes walking my dog can be a chore, but a song like this puts a skip in my step.  My dog thanks you Maroon 5.

“Flashlight” by Parliament

After the 9 second intro, right when the song really begins, I want to jump up, land in a splits, jump up again and do a James Brown spin.  From there I would go into an impressive robot dance, then snake on the floor.  If only.  Instead, I do my own version of a funky dance.

“8th Wonder” by Sugar Hill Gang

The beat is fresh and the rap lyrics memorable.   It’s my ring tone and I have a mini-dance party every time someone calls me.  An interactive party song asking you to sing along, how can you stay in a bad mood reciting lyrics like: “If you’re ready to party and you’re ready to jam, scream it out and say ‘I am (I am) somebody (somebody),’ now you know you are.  You go ah, ah, ah-ah, ooh, ooh.”

“Love of My Life Worldwide” by Erykah Badu (featuring Queen Latifah, Bahamadia & Angie Stone)

I used to love “Funk You Up” by Sequence back in the day and Erykah Badu took a good thing and made it even better.   The addition of Queen Latifah, Bahamadia and original member of Sequence, Angie Stone, adds multiple layers to an already smoking song.  If I could break dance to this song, I would.  Alas, I have to settle for wearing my shell-tops and doing a quick Kid ‘N Play step.

“Woo” by Erykah Badu

Erykah Badu was on fire with the Worldwide Underground album.  This song puts me in happy mood, but more like a mellow, funky, happy mood rather than maniacally happy.  I can’t be bouncing off the wall all the time.  Right here I’m tipping my fedora over one eye, sipping a glass of Prosecco or champagne and bopping my head to the beat.

“Good Life” by Kayne West

It samples one of my other Get Happy songs, Michael’s Jackson’s P.Y.T., and it gets me hyped.  Although Kayne’s version of the good life is not the same as mine, still I throw my hands up in the air and scream, “I’m good.”

© 2010, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

Today my sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc, was founded in 1908 on the campus of Howard University.   It is the oldest Greek-lettered organization established by African American college women.  I pledged Zeta Alpha chapter at Arizona State University in the 2nd semester of my sophomore and I think it was one of the best things that I have ever done.

Surprised that I am a sorority girl?  I was surprised myself that I wanted to pledge!  I never thought of myself as a “sorority type” because I was artsy and a bit strange, but a friend talked me into going to an information “tea” and I liked what I heard.  Truth be told, the existing members didn’t quite know what to make of me when I entered the room for my interview.  I will never forget: I wore a long black dress, black boots and a black hat.   And there they were…in their pearls and silk dresses.  I was out of place for sure!   But they took a chance on me (I think I had good recommendations) and every one of them eventually came to love my quirky style.

Pledging was rough–I’m not going to lie–but it was not physically harmful in any way.  The most challenging part was trying to do all that was required of a pledge and still study for my classes.   Honestly it is almost impossible to pledge and not have your grades slip a little and mine did; I made it up though and still graduated with honors.   From an outsider (someone who is not Greek), pledging looks stupid and senseless.  While I admit that many of the things that we were asked to do were stupid and senseless, it was all to teach us how to be “one unit” and look out for each other.  Sort of like the military.  And of course once we were in the sorority, we got our chance to mess with the new pledges.  Once my roommate was the dean of pledges and so I had special torture privileges because they came to my room everyday.   Lucky for them I was in my senior year and busy, so I didn’t demand too much, but just to be mean, my Big Sister name was “Chilly As In Ice–Not Nice”.   Ha!   I loved messing with them, but once they were in, I was as sweet as pie.  One of my pledges is a good friend to this day, so she has forgiven me.  :-)

I don’t know if I would have pledged if I had gone to another school or if my experience would have been so great somewhere else, but at ASU I have the best memories.   Having been an only child my whole life, I experienced sisterhood like I had never felt before.  I lived in the sorority dorm with my sisters and every day was so much fun.  My line sister and roommate Sondra became one of my best friends.   After graduation we never again lived in the same place and the chaos of life caused us to not even keep in touch that much, but I saw her recently and it was like old times; we sat in a restaurant for 5 hours talking non-stop.   There is a bond there created by Alpha Kappa Alpha.

I could give you a history lesson about all the community service that the sorority does or how we are dedicated to seeing women succeed in college and beyond, but for me it was all about the sisterhood.    Many of my sorors were in my wedding and one of my favorite memories of that day is when they surrounded me and sang our sorority hymn.   That song still always makes me cry.

*Dictionary Sidebar: “Soror” is what we call each other and “line sister” refers to the people who pledged with us.  Oh, and if you don’t know, “Skee-Wee” is the sound that other AKA’s make to greet each other or just let other people know that we are in the house.  It’s really high-pitched and has been known to break glass.

And talk about having fun!   We threw parties, went to other Greek parties, participated in school-wide Greek functions, took road trips to other colleges and had many late-night pajama parties.   Of course there was friction sometimes–have you ever known a group of women to not have friction?   But in the end it always came down to one thing: we were sisters.

On a road trip to a SDSU step show

At UCLA stepshow

ASU was not a very diverse school, that is to say, the black people were scarce.   And it is also one of the biggest schools in the country, an easy school to feel lost and alone in if you don’t have a crew.   I was far away from my Minnesota home and I only knew one other person on campus before coming to school; joining the sorority gave me an instant family and a place to belong.  And not just in my own sorority.   Because most of the other Black Greek Organizations were relatively small chapters like ours, all of us were one family.   Of course there was friendly rivalry, but with so few of us at the school, there was no room for dissension.

I have many, many fond memories but one of the best is when I got “kid-napped” while pledging.   It is not unusual for fraternities members to try to kidnap a pledge and for that reason pledges were never supposed to be somewhere alone.    However one night I had to study in the library and for whatever reason, I went alone.    When I was done studying I left the library and unlocked my bike to ride back to my dorm room.   Just then two members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity (our brother fraternity) surrounded me and I had nowhere to run.   Since I was going to be in trouble anyway with my Big Sisters for being kidnapped, I figured that I might as well have fun.   I asked them to take me to Haagen-Dazs for ice cream and they did, but when we got there, they only had 7 cents between them!   They were broke!   I had to buy my own ice cream, can you believe it?  It was so ridiculous that I still have the 7 cents taped in my scrapbook.   Wait–It gets worse.  When they returned me to the library to get my bike, it had been stolen because they whisked me away right after I had unlocked it.  And they were too broke to replace it!  Eventually I shamed them into scrounging up 1/2 of the money for a new bike and good faith between our respective organizations was restored.   And yes, my line sisters and I totally got blasted for my kid-napping.  It’s funny now, but it wasn’t funny then.

Really I could go on and on with all kinds of stories.   It’s funny because many people who have met me after graduate school don’t even know I’m an AKA.  I don’t have a license plate and I rarely wear my letters.   I’m not currently active in a graduate chapter.   I do not feel the need to let people I meet know about this part of my life; more often than not it is my husband who will tell others about my sorority membership.   Yet, my sorority is something very dear to my heart.  I have fantastic memories of my college years and I know it is because of Alpha Kappa Alpha.

Thank you Alpha Kappa Alpha for having a vision more than 100 years ago of sisterhood and service.  This quirky, artsy girl will always proudly wear her pink and green.  Skeeeeeee-Weeeee!

© 2010, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

In this area of faith, my husband and I are an anomaly in our current environment and as such have certain assumptions made about us.  Because of where we live (intown Atlanta, not a suburb) and our kids go to a very progressive school and of course because we both have dreadlocks, it is assumed that we are a reflection of our environment (and hair).  Comments are often made to us or about us that are meant to affirm or agree with what people think our values are.  This is the problem with assumptions and not taking the time to really get to know someone versus who you think they are according to superficial criteria.

Well if you don’t know, now you know.  We are dread-lock wearing, tattoo-having, hip-hop-listening, intown-living, funki-dressing, fun-loving, Bible-believing, God-honoring, Jesus-loving Christians.   *Gasp!*–Yes, it’s true that Christians can look like us and act like us too!  ”Great” you say….until I am in a high school parent meeting with you and I say that my husband and I do not believe that our kids should drink under-age, do drugs (at any age) or have pre-marital sex (although really this is just common sense).  Or when I say that no, I don’t believe that people should get divorced just because they are “unhappy”–they should really try to honor their commitment to God and each other and work it out (again really not a Christian thing, just common sense).  Or any number of statements that I can make that are contradictory to my environment and the world at large.   Right…uh-huh, we are those kind of Christians.  See, now why are you looking at me like I have 3 heads when we were cool just a minute ago?

BUT I’ll tell you what:  If you promise to not make assumptions about me, like all dread heads smoke weed or that all Christians are home-schooling 18 member families (not that there’s anything wrong with that) then I promise not to assume that you can’t dance because you wear Dockers or that you are a heathen going to hell in a hand basket.  Deal?

© 2009 – 2010, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

I asked and I answered:

I blog to give information in categories like Techknow Mama, Things I like and Ma-Gyver.

I blog to entertain in Kickin’ It Old School and through many of the silly travel family videos that I post in T as in Tango.

I blog to build a community through posts about myself and my family in What About Me, My Charmed Life or Word From the Mother.  I hope that the more you know about me, the more you will share about yourself; that creates community.

I blog Deep Stuff to foster discussion and conversation.  I’m a thinker and I know you are too.

I blog to save the world from mediocrity.  We’ve got to keep the bar high people.  We’re all fabulous; let’s live it!

Through it all, I blog to tell stories.  As Scott Rosenberg says in his book, Say Everything: How Blogging Began, What It’s Becoming, And Why It Matters, “A [blog] post is a shared memory….And in the end, that’s what we want and need to remember about our lives, and the lives of others: not factual details but meaningful stories.”  Whether I am writing about Disney World, my marriage, Henry Louis Gates or the best cupcakes, I aim to do it with passion, transparency and authenticity in a way that hopefully makes you remember your own stories.

I blog because I have a voice and I have something to say.  And that is reason enough.

© 2009 – 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

So this is for Paula and anyone else out there who needs a lift today:

Message in the Music–Debra Killings

Fix It–Canton Jones

Holla–Canton Jones

Keep On Praisin’–Fred Hammond

Looking For You–Kirk Franklin

Stay Saved–Canton Jones

Better–Kirk Franklin

1-2 Victory Check–Tye Tribbett

Good Time–Canton Jones

Old School–Lisa McClendon

Stomp–Kirk Franklin

Brighter Day–Kirk Franklin

Everybody Dancin’–Canton Jones

Get On The Floor–Canton Jones

ATL–Canton Jones

Heaven–Mary Mary

The Real Party–Mary Mary

© 2009 – 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

Own another dog *This is my sweet Chili Dawg!

Swim with dolphins

Travel to the South Pacific Islands

Stay overnight in an Irish castle (because I am royalty, after all)

Rent a villa in Tuscany

Learn to surf (that could be a problem as I am afraid of sharks)

Write my memoirs

Appear on Sesame Street

Own a horse

Go on safari

Live on the beach

There.  It’s out there.  God, are you listening?

© 2009, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

I heard this song the other day and it brought back memories.  I honestly don’t remember any other songs by Mass Production, but “Firecracker” was the jam!   I still know all the words, as I am gifted like that, but this particular song is burned in my memory for a reason.

I was in 7th grade when I decided to try out for the pom-pom squad; this was a big deal because most of the girls on the squad were 8th graders.  Pom-pom and cheerleading wasn’t really even my thing, but you know, this was 7th grade and I wanted to be a part of something and be popular in Jr. High.   Fortunately, I had 8th grade neighborhood friends who let me be a part of their try-out team.  They were a cool bunch, hip on all the latest music and dance moves; they chose “Firecracker” as our performance song.   For weeks we rehearsed our routine after school until it was flawless.  Finally the day came for try-outs….and I woke up terribly sick.  Not a fake I-don’t-want-to-go-to-school Ferris Buller kind of sick, but an Oh-God-no-this-can’t-be-happening-to-me kind of sick.  I had to stay home from school and missed the pom-pom try-outs.  But do you want to know what made it really bad?  The “ain’t that a blip” about the whole thing?  EVERYONE ON MY TEAM WHO TRIED OUT MADE THE POM-POM SQUAD.

And that’s why I will never forget “Firecracker.”  But despite my tragic adolescence recollection, it’s still a jam.  Take a listen ♬:

© 2009, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.