Wise Words From Readers: On looking into the future…

The future can be a scary thing — and an exciting thing at the same time. It’s at once unpredictable and limitless in possibilities. It’s daunting and a clean slate all at once. We can’t help but think about our own future — sometimes more than we’d care to admit. Maybe we’re curious. Maybe we’re trying to plan our future and all the things we’d like to accomplish. Maybe we’d just like to daydream for awhile. Whatever the reason, you all had quite the opinion when it came to your own futures this week, specifically, your future five years from now…

*Either in Kenosha, Wisconsin, or in some place warm in the winter! Teaching, of course!

*Wishes or reality?

*I see myself in the same place I am now, and instead of feeling discouraged by this, I feel happy because I am finally at a place where I am content to be, after the chaos of the last 13 years!

*I see us selling our house and moving to a home where the yard is taken care of.

*I’m pretty happy in my day-to-day life…just so grateful for good health right now.

*I may be living overseas. I am looking into it as we speak. I thought of Italy first — Amsterdam second. We’ll see. France is a possibility too. Or Grand Cayman — loved it down there! Or British Virgin Islands. Loved that too.

*Hopefully in a suburb of a large city with lots of museums and fun stuff to do! I hate crowds and traffic, but want to be close enough to take my kids to plays, museums, festivals, etc.

*Just hope I am alive, which would mean I beat the odds.

*I hope in five years to have accomplished: finally completing school so I can teach, have another baby and to buy our own home!

For me, five years ago, in 2009, seems like a lifetime in the past. I’ve changed so much since then, and yet, the core of who I am has remained the same. In five years, I’d like to have finally started writing that book I’ve been thinking about forever, but perhaps more importantly, I’d just like to still be as happy as I am right now. It’s the simple things, isn’t it? Anyway, here’s next week’s question…

Describe your dream vacation — what would you do? Where would you go? What would you see? Who would you like to go with you?

Visit So About What I Said on Facebook and Twitter to share your smarts — and don’t forget to use hashtag #WiseWordsFromReaders. See you there, friends! :)

[Photos via We Heart It]

Wise Words From Readers: On becoming an adult…

The road to adulthood. It’s an interesting one, isn’t it? One minute we’re wide-eyed young things and the next minute….BAM. We’re staring straight at adulthood. A part of us feels more than prepared for this new phase in life, but the other part? Well, maybe it desperately wants to call our parents for advice. Whichever part wins out, there’s no denying that first “adult moment.” You know, that first time where it fully sinks in that you’re an adult. We’ve all experienced it, and your tales were quite eye-opening this week…

*When I had my own cat and took her to the vet myself.

*What’s adulthood?

*Still not an adult, but if I had to pick a date, it would be July 16th, 1985. The date I went into the army.

*Just call me Peter Pan.

*When I had to pay my own car insurance.

*Paying my own bills. Reminds me of that great line: “Don’t grow up, it’s a trap!”

*I guess an honest answer is really one night when I was crying to my mom and she said to me, “I’m sorry, honey. I can’t fix it for you. No can make it better but you” in regard to a discussion about my mental illness and chronic pain and taking care of myself. I was away at college, and I realized that I had to make my own doctor appointments and find a therapist and be proactive in my own healthcare, or I was never going to live the life I wanted for myself. It was the scariest moment for me up to that point, but it was a really important lesson I had to learn.

My big, grand moment? It was probably when a young cashier called me “ma’am” for the very first time. I can still remember the moment as vividly as if it happened yesterday. I’m thinking the fact that my quarter-life crisis occurred shortly thereafter is just a coincidence…right? Here’s next week’s question…

Where do you see yourself in five years? Where will you be living? What will you be doing?

Visit So About What I Said on Facebook and Twitter to share your smarts — and don’t forget to use hashtag #WiseWordsFromReaders. See you there, friends! :)

[Photos via We Heart It]

Wise Words From Readers: On life theme songs…

You all know how close music and I are. We’re besties. In fact, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that I’m kind of obsessed — I mean, all these lyrics are sort of an indication, right? I have songs I dance to and songs I belt out as if I were the star in my own Broadway musical. I even have my list of guilty pleasure songs, just like you — and don’t try to deny it because I know you do! But what about an overarching theme song to your life? What song do you hear and scream, “Yes! They’re talking about my life! “? I loved all the variety in this week’s song choices…

*Country Music because it’s my favorite.

*”I Will Wait” by Mumford & Sons. Two reasons why it’s my go-to song these days. One is when my husband is away on storms and I don’t see him for days. Two is when I’m having a down day dealing with infertility. It always puts me in a better mood.

*”Walkin’ on Sunshine” because I always try to “walk on sunshine” every day.

*”If” by Bread. Deep love that transcends the earthly existence.

*”Kick Start My Heart” by Motley Crue because I want to live life as hard as I can.

*Can’t decide…either “Octopus’s Garden” or “Groovy Kind Of Love.”

As for me, well, I’ve talked about my many, many, many theme songs over the years. It seems like new ones are always popping up, but one that’s stayed with me. Can you guess? Good, ahead, take a guess…”It’s Over” by Boz Scaggs because, you know, I have a hard time with letting things go sometimes (certain boys *coughcough* certain boys…). But I like to think we’re all like that. We are, right? Right? Anyway, here’s next week’s question…

When did you first feel like you were officially an adult? Was it a specific event? A feeling? How did it feel to enter this new stage in your life?



Visit So About What I Said on Facebook and Twitter to share your smarts — and don’t forget to use hashtag #WiseWordsFromReaders. See you there, friends! :)

[Photos via We Heart It]

Wise Words From Readers: On back-to-school memories…

Ahhh, the back-to-school season! It’s become almost holiday-like, hasn’t it? The mad rush to the store for all the essentials. The making of multiple to-do lists and checking them twice. The sleepless night before the best day. The excited butterflies on the morning of the first day. Yes, even years later, those emotions and memories stay with you — long after you’ve put your lunchbox and pencil case away and closed your textbook for the last time. We all have a classic back-to-school memory that stands out in our minds, one that towers high above the others as the quintessential school moment. We all have them, and you weren’t shy about sharing yours, friends…

*The smell of the school supplies and meeting my new teacher!

*Seeing my friends.

*The crisp mornings followed by the warm afternoons of early autumn.

*Smelling the clean school, fresh crayons. Wearing new clothes. Finding out who us in my class and meeting the teacher. Also, arranging supplies in my lift-top desk and lunch with friends.

*My mom got us fun clothes, but by far, our best memory was picking out our lunch boxes! We would take forever picking just the right one to represent us all school year long.

*Going downtown with my mom to buy new penny loafers. They smelled wonderful!

*This may sound weird: I still can remember a scotch plaid skirt and white see-through blouse that I bought new for school. Not sure which grade — 5th, I think. The skirt was worn with a cinch belt. I LOVED that outfit. And saddle shoes. Brand new ones. Black and white.

*The smells…like a new box of crayons, construction paper and the good old-fashioned jar of paste!

*I was new and 16 in St. Louis. I wore overalls. They all wore Bobbie Brooks pantsuits. Me: glasses. They: contacts. Alien much?

These memories make me want to relive those first days of school all over again. I was a big fan of organizing all my supplies well in advance. And I can’t be the only one who color coordinated their notebooks and folders. You did that too? Whew, glad I’m not the only one! Anyway, here’s next week’s question…

What’s the theme song to your life and why?



Visit So About What I Said on Facebook and Twitter to share your smarts — and don’t forget to use hashtag #WiseWordsFromReaders. See you there, friends! :)

[Photos via We Heart It]

Wise Words From Readers: On our four-legged friends…

I’ll be honest here: Before we got Harry and Stella, I never really understood the power of pets. Really, I thought it was all a bit silly that people got so obsessed with and attached to those little furry creatures. I mean, it’s not like said creatures were humans, right? I guess I just didn’t get it. And then those two cats strutted into our lives, and as they say, the rest is history. Now that I’m a certified Cat Lady, I can’t seem to get enough of pet stories, and lucky for me, you love telling them…

*We have two dogs. Favorite memory is a poodle named Duffy who would go walking with me.

*I have had pets all my life. Loved all of them, but my present dog, Lucy, is my favorite. We truly have a close connection. My favorite memory will always be the times we snuggle in the mornings before we start our day.

*I had pets until I found out my son’s asthma was worse because of our cat. My favorite memory is going to pick out our cat, Maynard. We were going to get an orange tabby cat, but Maynard, a gray little guy, jumped into my arms when they opened the cage of kittens. How could I not take him home? He was a wonderful cat! Sometimes I still think he is sleeping at my feet.

*Has to be my bloodhound, Lola. We used to live next to where they would line up for the 4th of July parade. Before it would start, one of the guys would sing with National Anthem through the speaker of the firetruck with a sound track of a brass band. Lola would jump all along the fence with her big old paws, baying at the top of her lungs with her nose in the air. The next year, we had about 50 people line up in front of our place to watch Lola. Miss that girl.

*Has to be Harry! We got him the year after Brian died, and he helped me heal by rocking with me every night for hours in a darkened living room.

Oh, yes, these stories just warm your heart, don’t they? It looks like pets save our lives just as much as we save theirs. Anyway, here’s next week’s question…

What is your favorite back-to-school memory?



Visit So About What I Said on Facebook and Twitter to share your smarts — and don’t forget to use hashtag #WiseWordsFromReaders. See you there, friends! :)


[Top photo of Harry and Stella; Bottom photo via We Heart It]