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Tuesday, December 22, 2020

Happy Holidays 2020: What a Year

Happy holidaysHappy holidays, friends!

I’m going to be honest right from the beginning here. I actually debated whether or not to include the word “happy” in the title of this blog post and even now, I’m still a bit uneasy about it. It’s the end of 2020 and we’re saying goodbye to arguably the worst year of our lives — more than 300K people have died from COVID in less than a year, we’re seeing DAILY record-high numbers of new cases and deaths, people are unemployed and struggling and…well, I could go on and on and on!

So, naturally, it can be hard to see a lot of good right now. I personally have days where I’m extremely pessimistic and can’t see anything good or even redeeming about this year. Maybe you feel the same?

That’s OK if you do. In fact, I’d be surprised if you didn’t feel all this gloom and doom. It can get to be pretty overwhelming sometimes, right? Happy holidays it most definitely is not.

I went into 2020 with such a strong sense of optimism. I was going to continue to grow my career and social media platform and maybe even start seriously thinking about that book I’ve always daydreamed about — ahhh, yes, the possibilities were endless, boundless and ripe for the taking.

It was going to be MY YEAR. But — spoiler alert! — it wasn’t my year and I suspect it wasn’t your year either. Maybe that’s why posting about the “happy” holidays just doesn’t really feel right this year — almost insensitive even! Because the truth is, our lives are never going to be the same; we can pretend that everything is “normal” and just fine, but nothing has been even remotely fine for almost an entire year.

As I began reflecting on my writing career and just life in general in 2020, I started getting down on myself for not publishing as many pieces as last year and generally not being nearly as productive — or motivated. Then again, we weren’t in a pandemic last year! So here’s a Year-In-Review for the year I’m so happy to see ending soon…

Happy holidaysI blogged about love and relationships, like how disabled women are hot, an open letter to my sister for her 35th birthday, missing my father, conversations with my mom and what life in quarantine is like.

Happy holidaysDisability posts, such as why I spent a year posting selfies, why the 2020 election mattered so much, the 30th anniversary of the ADA, why I WANT you to see my wheelchair in photos and, of course, TROLLS.

Happy holidaysTons of pop culture tidbits, like my love of Frozen 2’s Kristoff, Little Women, The Baby-Sitters Club reboot, an ode to Peppermint Patty (the best Peanuts character), Chuck E. Cheese and 20 years after “Oops!… I Did It Again”!! Oh, and I also became obsessed with the Dolly Parton Challenge!

Happy holidaysAnd you all know I got deeply political too, with posts like what Trump’s Donna Reed comments reveal about misogyny, Trump’s mantrum at the Lincoln Memorial, thank you, Elizabeth Warren, the trap of Female Electability and Nancy Pelosi and that Revolutionary Rip. And of course, I had a message for Karen.

Happy holidaysI also published 17 freelance pieces this year for publications like Stylist, Travel and Leisure, SheKnows, Rooted in Rights, DAME, Washington Post and CNN Opinion. I truly loved writing about my favorite topics like disabilities, pop culture and political and social commentary. My absolute favorite, though, was getting to interview THE Bradley Whitford for my political dramas piece! As you can probably imagine, I almost died because The West Wing is just the greatest TV show on the planet! He was so nice and kind!

(Also, I still have some bylines from 2020 that I haven’t shared on the blog yet, so look for those in January!)

Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t end this holiday post with a very important reminder:

You might not know because it’s not trending anymore, but the United States has reached 322K deaths from COVID. 322K people have died in just 10 months! This virus isn’t some intangible thing and I’m going to keep repeating this: If you’re still making holiday travel plans, JUST STOP. We’re in the middle of a pandemic. Stop trying to make normal happen…

Here I am at the local university library. It’s one of my favorite haunts, a place I loved going to for the quiet hours of writing and to get lots of work done. I took this photo on March 4th and haven’t been back there since. In fact, I’ve only left my neighborhood twice in the last nine months and those two times were for medical appointments.

We all have places we miss because of the pandemic and it’s OK to feel that sadness sometimes! But what’s not OK is being reckless and dangerous. Wear your damn mask, practice social distancing and for all that is holy, JUST STAY HOME this year!! Please. People keep saying that this pandemic is going to give us a whole new perspective and we’re all going to be changed people.

I’m over here like: Ummm, based on the shenanigans I’m seeing, y’all haven’t learned a damn thing. People being selfish and reckless. People doing whatever they want as if they’re adult toddlers. People not wearing masks.

Seriously, y’all need to GET IT TOGETHER.

Well, there you are…2020. The year that was and wasn’t in so many different ways. I don’t know about you, but I desperately need a long break!! And that’s exactly what I’m going to do! I’ll be taking my annual holiday break, enjoying time with my mom and sister and just generally getting my chill on after this wretched, wretched year. Look for new posts starting on Monday, January 11th, 2021.

Thank you so much for coming along on this journey with me this year, friends!! I’m still so shocked and grateful that people actually read my little old blog and I love you all so much! Go rest, relax and recharge and I’ll see you back here next year! May it be a better year than 2020 was!

Happy holidays — as happy as we can be right now! xoxo

And as always, feel free to connect with me on Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Bloglovin! See you there!!

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5 Comments Filed Under: Coronavirus, family, holidays

Friday, November 20, 2020

Thanksgiving Is Different This Year. And It Should Be.

ThanksgivingI had big plans for this week, friends!! I was going to blog every day, send some pitches out and check things off my to-do list right and left. Well, here we are — it’s Friday and this is my first blog post of the week. So you can pretty much guess how I did with those other goals…or, actually, didn’t do. But this week did get me thinking about Thanksgiving and the upcoming holiday season.

This Thanksgiving is going to be different. There’s no denying that, no getting around it, no pretending COVID doesn’t exist, no going on about our lives as if things were normal.

Because our lives? They’re not normal and they haven’t been for months. Nothing is normal. It’s been EIGHT MONTHS since I first wrote about COVID. Doesn’t that seem like a lifetime ago now? Eight months and, honestly, I sometimes feel like nothing has changed, especially when it comes to how people are living. People are brazen at best and unashamed at worst — proudly defying mask wearing and social distancing mandates in the name of their “freedom” while constantly putting others at risk.

I can’t with this nonsense anymore. And when I think about the holiday season, I just get even more afraid. Thanksgiving is less than a week away. There are now 252K people who will never get to spend another holiday — or ANY day — with their loved ones.

The least y’all could do is not be selfish with your holiday gatherings! What I’m seeing right now is a whole bunch of reckless and irresponsible.

Suffice it to say, I’m not looking forward to watching these irresponsible holiday shenanigans unfold on social media; I don’t want to see photos of your raucous family wearing ugly Christmas sweaters and huddled all close together around the tree. I promise, everyone will be OK without your secret-recipe pumpkin pie for one year, Aunt Karen!

ThanksgivingIf I sound a bit angry, well, it’s because I am. And I’m frustrated beyond belief. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen people say “people should be able to decide what they want to do without judgment.”

But here’s the thing: No one is an island. What you do — and the germs you carry — impact other people! We need to start acting like a global community and actually care about the well-being of those around us.

The pandemic isn’t over just because you want life to be “normal” again.

We can still enjoy Thanksgiving this year, though! Create a family meeting on Zoom or do a FaceTime dessert time. Our lives may not be normal right now, but that doesn’t mean we can’t create new, safe traditions and enjoy ourselves!!

Just know that if you’re feeling like you’re running on empty, I see you and I’m right there with you! I’m taking the next week off to rest and recharge and I hope you can take some time for you too!

I’ll be back to regular posting on Monday, November 30th — and I’ve got an exciting collaboration coming up in early December that I’m so excited about.

Please, please stay safe, friends!! Have a lovely, happy, distant Thanksgiving!! xoxo

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6 Comments Filed Under: Coronavirus, family, holidays

Friday, July 3, 2020

Let the Fourth of July Be a Reminder — and a Reckoning

Fourth of JulyWell, here we are, friends. Another Fourth of July. Can you sense my very, very low level of enthusiasm?? It practically doesn’t even register on the Enthusiasm Scale because, honestly, I’m not feeling in the “American spirit” at all. I’m sure many of you share my thoughts…

It’s no secret that I’ve been feeling, umm, a bit jaded. And this isn’t the first year I’ve felt this way either. You might remember the op-ed I wrote last year for The Independent, in which I coined one of my catchphrases.

“Lady Liberty is weeping,” I wrote.

But if the last six months alone have showed us anything, it’s that Lady Liberty isn’t the only one weeping. Nor should she be. I can’t help but think that along with the grand Statue, the tears are flowing…

The Founding Fathers are weeping

The Constitution is weeping

The American flag is weeping

We all should be weeping

So the last six months? That’s all of 2020 — hasn’t exactly been a banner year, has it? All of us should be weeping at the state of this country. From nearly 130K deaths from COVID to the repeated unjust killing of the Black community to the constant maligning of peaceful protesters, America is in chaos.

And speaking of protesters, I find it incredibly rich that so many have seemingly forgotten this tenet of our democracy. To see people chastise and deride those who engage in their First Amendment right to peaceful protest is some next-level hypocrisy and, frankly, it’s chilling. Downright bone-chilling. Y’all obviously weren’t paying attention in history class and it shows! Bigly!

Maybe you’ve forgotten a little thing known as the Revolutionary War?? You know, that series of events that won us our freedom and independence from British tyranny?

Spoiler alert: The Founding Fathers protested during the Revolution. Yes, the Founding Fathers were also protesters (see the Boston Tea Party, for example…), but we don’t also call them rioters and looters and thugs. I wonder if their skin color has something to do with that?

Fourth of JulyThe truth is, we wouldn’t have an Independence Day at all if it hadn’t been for protesters, so to those that say protesting is un-American, I say this: Protesting is about the most patriotic thing you can do. It’s literally how this country was founded. It’s been the bedrock of our democracy since 1776 — that’s 244 years!!

It’s kind of our thing. Or at least, it should be, even though it doesn’t feel like it lately. A quick perusal of the daily headlines and you’ll see that the ideals of the flag have not held up for everyone. So if you really want to show your sense of pride and patriotism this year, please, do it in a way that truly honors America’s origin story. That starts with one simple thing. It’s so easy, but apparently, the majority of the country needs reminding, so allow me…

WEAR YOUR DAMN MASK.

The Founding Fathers didn’t risk their lives so you could live it up on the Fourth of July all reckless and irresponsible and inconsiderate. The Founding Fathers didn’t risk their lives for freedom just so you could risk someone’s life in the name of your freedom. Again, wear your damn mask!

When we went to NYC last summer, the only souvenir I wanted was a Statue of Liberty figure. Not because I’m proud of where we are as a country right now (I’m not, clearly!), but because I wanted a constant reminder of what we should strive for. Let’s remember that Lady Liberty is worth fighting for. Our democracy is worth fighting for.

Fourth of JulyI’m taking my summer break next week — don’t worry, I’m not even going to leave my house! I’ll be celebrating the Fourth of July and my vacation by binge-watching The Baby-Sitters Club reboot.

I’ll be back to regular posting on Monday, July 20th and I’m sure I’ll have plenty of stories to share. Hope you have some sunny summer days ahead, friends!! Safely and responsibly masked, of course… xoxo

[First photo via Unsplash]

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5 Comments Filed Under: Coronavirus, Health, holidays

Wednesday, January 8, 2020

Family Photos: Our Christmas Adventure…at Home

Christmas ChristmasHello, friends, and welcome back!! How was your holiday?? I can’t believe that this is my first post of 2020, but I’m excited to be back! Although, it is pretty tough to get back in the swing of the work routine, isn’t it? I mean, today is the first time I’ve been out of the house in TWO WEEKS, so you can probably imagine how I’m doing right now. The shock! The sights! The sounds! When did the world get so bright?? It’s certainly a lot to take in and it has me thinking about our grand Christmas adventure — at home, of course! Because, really, that’s the best place to be for the holidays, if you ask me!

I thought I’d share some of those photos today! Think good family, fun games and delicious food (spoiler alert: A huge pizza is involved!)…

ChristmasWe kicked off the festive season with a family get-together! And when you have a family party and order a pizza called The Hurricane…you quickly realize that a photo can’t possibly capture said pizza’s size! Talk about huge!! And delicious!!

Christmas ChristmasThis year, it finally hit me: We’ve started a new family tradition! Every year, usually a few days before Christmas, I get my hair cut because, you know, you got to look fresh and fabulous for the Big Day! We then meet for lunch (this year, we went to a great Mexican restaurant AND we got Janelle to be in the photo!) and afterward, I, umm, do my Christmas shopping. I know. I’m that person.

And, yes, I’m also that person who doesn’t wrap her presents until the evening of Christmas Eve. Picture this: It’s almost 7 p.m. and there is a mountain of gifts and wrapping paper all over my bed. I’m furiously cutting, wrapping, taping (repeat!) as my mom shouts “Your dinner is getting cold; do you want to get food poisoning?” over and over. Suffice it to say, I got all my presents wrapped — and narrowly escaped a bout of food poisoning!

Speaking of food, we usually have a huge breakfast on Christmas morning and this year was quite possibly the most scrumptious, most delicious, most EVERYTHING I’ve ever had. My cousin Mona sent us a pancake gift set with pancake mix and syrup made in Vermont. Friends, you’ve never lived until you’ve taste the sweet taste of syrup from Vermont. It’s a transcendent experience like no other!

ChristmasLook what I got for my mom! I dare you to look at this photo and not immediately declare me the Best Gift Giver of all time!! Go ahead. I give myself 5/5 saxophones!

ChristmasHow cool is the theme in my mom’s gifts to me?? WOMEN RULE — and rule the world, right?? Well, we’re still working on the latter, but I know we’ll get there someday!

Christmas ChristmasStella and Whitney are usually notorious frenemies. But, they cuddled together and sat under the tree together!! It’s a Christmas miracle!!

ChristmasAlso, Whitney on Christmas morning is exactly how I’ve felt for much of 2019 — watching what’s happening and giving the world so much side-eye…

It may have been 55 degrees outside on Christmas Day, but I still had a “Frozen” Christmas!! What wonderful gifts from my mom and sister!!

After having a leisurely morning, we went to the movies! I never thought I’d be snapping a selfie with my movie popcorn, but here we are…

Anyway, we saw Little Women! Have you seen it?? I’ll be doing a separate blog post on the film next week, but in the meantime, here’s my capsule review: I knew I’d like Little Women, but I’m here to tell y’all that I LOVED IT. Jo March is everything!! She’s fierce and tough and completely unapologetic about it all. Such a relevant character to women’s lives in 2019…

A+
10/10
ALL THE THINGS

We had such a fun afternoon decorating cookies with friends!!! Big thanks to my mom for making her famous almond cookies!! The recipe was passed down from my grandmother and these cookies remind me of all things family and love.

Plus, did I mention that they’re delicious?!? So. Good.

And, of course, it wouldn’t be Christmas in 2019 without a festive holiday photo filter…or two!! As usual, Snapchat was on its game with the filters this year, so I couldn’t help but capture the magic!

I hope everyone had an equally magical holiday and New Year!! Speaking of New Year, look for a post tomorrow about my mantra for 2020. And let me know how you spent your holiday!! I want to hear about it all, so be sure to leave a comment with all your stories!! xoxo

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9 Comments Filed Under: family, family photos, holidays

Monday, December 23, 2019

That Was a Time: My 2019 Year-In-Review

2019 Year-In-ReviewHappy Holidays, friends!!! You know how I’m always saying “that was a time“?? Yes, sometimes I say it just to be overly dramatic because, let’s face it, I’ve been known to be a bit extra about things — can you blame me? But when I say (errr, write!), that phrase in the context of my ever-so-official and exciting 2019 Year-In-Review???

Well, that’s the absolute truth with a capital T — no filter, no pretense, no hyperbole. Just honest truth about a year that was certainly one for the record books. Was your year like that too? I sometimes dread looking back at the year every December and sometimes, the whole ordeal can start to feel a bit cringe-worthy with cliche phrases and all that looking-back banter. I still like to do it, though, because just going through the motion of reminiscing about one year is a great way to prepare for the upcoming year; it helps to put things in perspective and you all know how much I love putting things in perspective and analyzing until my heart’s content.

And like I said, 2019 was quite the year to remember, so I’m pretty sure that this 2019 Year-In-Review is going to be quite something as well.

In fact, there’s SO MUCH to remember that I’ve been worried that I’ll forget to include important and memorable moments — my apologies if I do, so feel free to remind me in the comments!! Like I said last year, BUCKLE UP, friends, because this is going to be epic, if you ask me! So without further ado, here are the highlights of my life online and offline for the last 12 months. Let’s get to this 2019 Year-In-Review…

2019 Year-In-ReviewI blogged about all things love and relationships, like Ms. Bear and the Fake Plant, surviving the Polar Vortex, an ode to Conversation Hearts, entitled Dude Bros on The Bachelorette and more thoughts on my father’s suicide.

2019 Year-In-ReviewDisability posts, such as ways to support disabled people, why I love talking about my disability, Mr. Rogers, the importance of disability representation and my date with the DMV.

2019 Year-In-ReviewFantastic fashion moments, like Harry Styles at the Met Gala, this pink opal ring, unicorn love and more Etsy finds!

2019 Year-In-ReviewFun Family Photos, including our big trip to the Big County Fair, our Christmas Trees, my 38th birthday, the Polar Vortex and our TRIP TO NYC.

2019 Year-In-Review(As a side note, I just have to say, again, HOW FUN our trip to the Big Apple was!! Central Park!! Broadway!! The View!! Meeting my amazing editors!! Tons of family time!! I still can’t believe we got to go and I’m so grateful to my mom and cousin for making it happen!! They’re aces, aren’t they??)

2019 Year-In-ReviewPontificating on pop culture, like Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga, the adorable Royal Baby, The Big Bang Theory finale (spoiler alert: I wasn’t a fan!), Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello, how I’m a huge Shawn Mendes fan girl, Sharpay Evans and High School Musical, Taylor Swift and how 1999 was really the best year in pop culture!

2019 Year-In-ReviewAnd, just like in 2018, I wrote lots of social and political commentary posts because now is not the time to be silent: The culture of women apologizing, challenging toxic masculinity, why I didn’t support the Women’s March, Nick Sandmann and dangerous teens, Joe Biden and consent, women sharing successes and the Alabama abortion ban and women’s body autonomy.

Plus, I also gave my VERY FIRST speech at a political event! Oh, wow, I was so nervous, but I think it went well. And it really pumped me up!

Aside from blogging, my freelance writing career continued to grow in 2019, as you can see from this cute photo spread I made!! I wrote about my favorite (and not-so-favorite) things in the areas of relationships, disabilities and pop culture for publications like Cosmo, Glamour, The Fix and The Week and The Washington Post. Plus, my op-ed game was strong — I wrote 10 pieces for CNN Opinion!

I also broke into new publications such as The Independent, Adweek, The Daily Dot, Family Minded, Rooted In Rights, Health, HuffPost Personal, Local Love and The Riveter!

Now, I saved the best for last!! The biggest, most surprising, most unexpected, most surreal, most exciting and most thrilling thing to happen…

MY TWEET WENT VIRAL.

Can you believe it?? I still can’t, honestly! I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately and it’s funny because that viral tweet is something I never worked for and something that I didn’t plan. I plan and plot every single aspect of my blog and freelance writing, but this viral tweet came out of nowhere! Needless to say, I’m still processing it all. But I’m so grateful that people responded to it! I just hope I didn’t sound too awkward in my interviews with USA Today, Good Morning America, The BBC, The Chicago Tribune and PEOPLE — not to mention the handful of live interviews I did. Oh, man, that was a time, indeed!

Whew! Whew! Whew!

Still with me, friends??

Good. Because seeing my entire year all written out like this is just a bit overwhelming!! I mean, when we’re living it and going through the year, we don’t really think about how massive it all will seem at the end, do we? We live each day and take it one step at a time. We focus on one thing at a time. The next item on our to-do list. And the next item after that. Until, well, it all adds up to 365 days of memories — good ones, bad ones, memorable ones and even ones we’d like to forget.

But then comes that moment in late December when you take everything as one big collective whole. You look at everything that happened throughout the past year and you realize, maybe for the very first time, “Wow! I did all that, didn’t I…?”

Whether it was good or bad, you survived the year! And that is something to be proud of! And, of course, something to celebrate!!

My idea of the perfect celebration? Taking some much-needed time off for the holidays!! I’m excited to kick back, relax and spend quality time with my mom and Janelle. The holidays can be hard and emotional for so many reasons. If you’re struggling this year, please know that you’re not alone. Be kind to yourself…you deserve it!

I hope you’re able to get in the festive spirit in whatever way brings you joy and peace!! I’ll be back to regular posting on Wednesday, January 8th!! Look for posts about our Christmas adventures, some new bylines and odes to one of my favorite shows of 2019 and…Peppermint Patty! Yes, the blog fun will continue in 2020. Also, feel free to send me your thoughts and ideas any time — just email me at mellow1422@aol.com!!! I always love hearing from you!! And I hope you enjoyed this 2019 year-in-review!

And as always, feel free to connect with me on Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Bloglovin! See you there!!

I love you, friends!! And I’m so glad I got to meet so many new friends this year who found my blog after my viral tweet. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you’ll continue on this journey with me in the new year!! I’d love to see your own 2019 Year-In-Review too! xoxo

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So About What I Said is a daily blog that covers relationships, disabilities, lifestyle and pop culture. I love to laugh and have been known to overshare. I also have an unabashed obsession with pop music, polo shirts, and PEZ dispensers. Read more...

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