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Two Steps Forward; No Steps Back
By Jenette Zubero
Pretty, educated, sophisticated, and classy women have always been a
source of conversation and admiration in my family. Since I was a
child, I've been encouraged to do my best with my looks to attract
men, study hard to appear smart, wear suitable clothing to "fit in"
and to always do the "lady-like" thing so as not to "scare away" the
boys.
Goodness knows, I haven't always fit into these categories; and I
can't be thankful enough for that, either! However, from junior high
school through college, there has been one theme I've always strived
to master; being pretty.
To me, being pretty meant having nice hair, wearing makeup tastefully,
and being skinny. Skinny being the functional word. If I wasn't ten
pounds underweight, then I was fat. I never had an eating disorder,
and that's not where this story is headed, but I was consumed with my
weight and envied models who sauntered down runways.
As an adult, I'm finally starting to come into my own. I don't find
the modeling industry repulsive, although I do find certain aspects of
it to be unattractive, at best. I no longer envy the six-foot tall
girl who weighs 110 pounds. And it's not because there aren't
admirable things about her. Certainly there are.
It is, however, that I now find athletic women to be so much more
attractive and alluring. A great example is Gabriella Reese. How
cool is she? She's educated, athletic, and has a fabulous career in
the limelight; and she's muscular. not skinny.
So my taste in who I want to be is changing. The skinny toothpick,
who knows just what to wear to attract the boys and just what to say
to get asked out, no longer lives here.
Today, I strive to be complete in ways that I choose. So here's my
new commitment. I will not diet any longer because being skinny
just isn't worth starving over. I will, and have already started to,
work out both cardiovascularly and with weights to build a strong
body. A body that will carry me into old age and prevent me from
having to ask someone else to take down the sugar from the top shelf.
I will not wear uncomfortable clothes or shoes just to impress,
because I've done that and it stinks to be uncomfortable. I will buy
clothes that I feel good in and that allow me to bend over without
showing my buns, stretch without showing my midriff, and walk without
creating calluses and bunions. And I will never, ever let a boy "win"
just to save his ego; and I hope he will do the same for me. I will
participate in conversations that challenge me mentally and
spiritually. I will appreciate the woman under this skin.
This week, I challenge you to review who you are today. What do you
want to change? What do you do because someone else once put value on
it? MAKE YOURSELF INTO WHO YOU ARE; because frankly, THERE'S NO ONE
ELSE TO BE!
About the Author:
Jenette Zubero is a Strategist and Coach for professional women. To
Learn More, go to Focused Lives. Stop by and receive your FREE Strategy Map WORKBOOK! (C) 2000 And Figure Out WHAT you
want from life and HOW to get it.
it!
SeptemberLady "Born and have lived in Southern MD most of my life. My husband and I just finished building a new home on the family farm, where I hope to retire in the near future.
My interests: Doll collecting, cookbook collector (especially old ones), antiques, family/friend get-togethers, cooking/baking, flower and vegetable gardening, bird-watching."
Memorial Day: Backyard Grilling Memorial Day signals the start of barbecue season. Everyone wants to light that fire and charcoal that first meal. A few tips might pre- vent your entree from becoming a "Burnt Offering."
Read these tips for plenty of grilling ideas, make this year's barbecue perfect!
Growing and Using Garlic Chives Garlic chives, Allium tuberosum, is a hardy perennial (Zones 3-9) that will grow to about 12 inches high. The stems are skinnier and flat, instead of hollow as are regular chives, with greenish white blooms that are about an inch wide and not as rounded. They bloom in the summer rather than spring. The bloom stalks grow much taller than the leaves, sometimes up to 30 inches.
The stems and blooms are both edible and have a mild garlic onion taste. I've noticed many writers will list this as primarily as an Asian herb, as they are also known as Chinese chives, Chinese leeks, ku chai (China) or Nira (Japan), but it has many other uses as well!
The Perfect Porch Swing Perhaps it is the soothing rhythm or the reassuring creak of the porch swing that attracts us. Perhaps it is the companionable silence or quiet conversation. Or maybe swings simply remind us of more genteel times.
Although porch swings can be purchased in a wide range of materials, the most common are wicker and wood. You can also make your own porch swing from one of the myriad of woodworking patterns available at garden centers, hardware stores, or on the Internet.