Absent

I know I have not written in sometime. Life got busy. Between the kids, house work, and work-work  I'm not finding a lot of time to sit and write. I'm missing it and feeling an itching to do so....
Of course today I am already running out of time!!! So I post this song that has been a great comfort as of late.









I'm learning to tear the walls down....turn the gun away from myself (meaning stopping the beating-myself-up-for-every-little-mistake mindset).


Until I have time to write again......


Don't let your soul get lonely, child..
it's only time; it will go by.
Don't look for love in faces, places —
it's in you; that's where you'll find kindness.

Signed,

Annie

Judgement

Allow your judgments their own undisturbed development, which, like any unfolding, must come from within and can by nothing be forced or hastened. Everything is gestation and then birth. To allow each impression and each embryo of a feeling to complete itself in the dark, in the unsayable, the not-knowing, beyond the reach of one's own understanding, and humbly and patiently to await the dawning of a new clarity: that alone is the way of the artist—in understanding as in creating.

~ Rainer Maria Rilke

Viareggio, April 23, 1903

Letters to a Young Poet

I've shared of this poet, Rainer Maria Rilke, before and again his words move me. I read this and froze with the quiet peace that comes from understanding. That kind of understanding that you already knew somewhere in your soul but had yet to put words to. 

It is funny because just yesterday I was speaking with a friend about judgement, righteous anger, opinion, and the process of finding who you are. No conclusion was discovered in that conversation other than it is a process to self  and other acceptance. Then  when reading what Rilke had to say especially here:"...allow each impression and each embryo of a feeling to complete itself in the dark, in the unsayable, the not-knowing, beyond reach of one's own understanding..." To allow ones self this slow process of understanding; like the way an embryo slowly takes 9 months to grow to a baby that is then birthed with pain into LIFE drew deep and meaningful imagery for me. (difficult to explain in words, but easily felt as a mother)

Then again he prods us to "patiently await the dawning of a new clarity..." This habit of patience is to be practiced and valued above the harshness that we are shown and taught from this a young age. In this aggressive and fast-paced world of competition, dark judgement, and self rejection it is a challenge to slow to the quiet patience Rilke speaks of. To suspend judgement and let it form in you quietly, this is what I want to practice.

Slowing to understanding and creating,

Annie

Look

When I decided to change my hair, I had no idea how much it would actually alter my appearance and my feelings of self. We as woman are always thinking of our look. Clothes, make-up but mostly HAIR. It is our "crown of glory"that can alter our appearance most dramatically I think. A week ago I took a brave step and got my hair straightened...the Brazilian blowout. Nervous, I was not sure what to expect. My long curly locks might withstand the chemical treatment and I could end up looking like a frizzy chia-pet. Or would I hate the straight locks and cry over the loss of my signature curls? Would everyone look at me in horror? Did I care what anyone thought? No, not really. I was doing this for myself. I had landed a new job, was making my own money and I wanted a treat. I had given up going to a real salon for 4 years. I had stopped pampering myself in this way, partly because of money, but more of a way of self punishment. Self-sacrafice that I thought was necessary to be the unfussy demure woman. All it did was make me feel like shit. I stopped feeling sexy, stylish, and cute. So there I was getting my "hair-did" and I really didn't care how it turned out I was embracing the process and excited for the results.

 Here I am the day of! I couldn't stop smiling. I looked in the mirror and saw someone different....I saw the diva within.

Everything felt new...my clothes, my glasses, my make-up....ME. I felt fresh and free! This was LIBERATING. Who would have thought that getting rid of the curls would feel so damn good!?

It seems now that letting go of the old Annie hairstyle was fitting....it represented letting go of the old Annie too.  These past two years have been tumultuous..a growing time for me. An evolution of me. Now I slowly and tentatively walk into my new self.

Let's see where it leads....

Signed,

Annie

Twitter and Rilke

I've started tweeting. It began for work and now it has become a past-time verging on an addicting activity for me. Though much of it has been fun musings and interactions I have also come across some great information....even inspiring....

One thing I started doing was "following" artist/writers/poets/film makers/musicians. I believe I do this in an effort to surround myself with these people that are compelled to create. I don't fancy myself as any of the above or to be the creative type. I am insecure about my artistic sensibilities. What I do know is that I want to learn about this creative-process. I want to enmesh myself around creativity. I want to see and feel it my bones.

I came across this blog "A Year with Rilke" and this poem. Over the past 2 days I have left it open on my computer and have read it over and over again. It has invaded me. Each time I'm seeing and feeling something new in its words and stanzas. In the darkness of the reality there is such beauty and hope.

Posted from "A Year with Rilke"

Want the change. Be inspired by the flame
where everything shines as it disappears.
The artist, when sketching, loves nothing so much
as the curve of a body as it turns away.

What locks itself in sameness has congealed.
Is it safer to be gray and numb?
What turns hard becomes rigid
and is easily shattered.

Pour yourself out like a fountain.
Flow into the knowledge that what you are seeking
finishes often at the start, and, with ending, begins.

Every happiness is the child of a separation
it did not think it could survive. And Daphne, becoming a laurel,
dares you to become the wind.

Sonnets to Orpheus II, 12


Signed,

 Annie

Living with Women

I read an opinion piece the other day about Lesbian households. The writer argued that Lesbians tend to be happier couples because the distribution of work comes pretty close to even. 


"studies have shown time and time again that no matter how progressive and feminist and smart and supportive a husband is, it’s still very statistically likely that he does less than 50% of household chores, regardless of the division of labor outside the home between he and his wife. But the upshot of that is that most American women have developed a pretty insane skill set as far as balancing demanding jobs out of the home as well as the demanding job of doing all the work inside the home, on top of caring for a family. When both heads of the household are women, that’s a lot of skills being brought to bear."


Truth! Whenever my sister is over or my mother comes to stay things get done. Dishes cleaned, floors get swept, trash taken out, laundry folded and put away, kids dressed, hair combed. It all gets done without a plea having to be sent out or even a word uttered. 


Maybe I am going to start living with women? It's a thought. At least I will be living with someone who comes with some of the same ideas and perspectives on life. For instance she wouldn't walk over toys 100 times and still NEVER put them away. I wouldn't have to have an emotional breakdown every time I become overwhelmed with the burden of caring for the family. Why, because she would be right by my side doing it all with me. 


I do joke here, I am not going to live with women, but it is a thought to be considered, like I stated in the last post.....Why do we allow these men to get away with doing 50% less than us? SERIOUSLY!


Signed,
I wish my husband was a woman,
Annie

Equality?

Are we as women truly treated equally? I am serious here. Take a moment and think about it? Does society treat us fairly? Do we treat each other fairly?

I have written before about ROLES and I have ranted about them too. As I write this I don't rage or rant rather I ask the serious question if we as women are doing ourselves a disservice when we take on the majority of the work load for our families. I see this played out all the time. I know there are exceptions to the rules, and I love seeing those, but mostly I see us women working our asses off to please our men, care for our children, ourselves, and our friends. We do it all! Once we were the 50's housewife. Now we are that AND some!



Here is my inventory:


I organize (5 peoples LIVES and SHIT)
I clothe 5 people
I research my interest
I manage the social, medical, and work calendars
I am the party planner
I am the family photographer
I discipline
I listen to music
I manage 3 children's schedules
I manage the household nutrition (menu plan, shop, cook)
I am the family finance manager
I work
I keep us connected to friends
I veg out on TV
I file
I educate

And I am sure much more. You see that we as women juggle a tremendous amount in our lives. Even without children we juggle a lot. ALL while having washed hair, a little rouge on, and fashionable attire. We make concerted efforts to connect with our friends and family. We are constantly feeling and doing. We don't shut down often, because if we do our worlds would fail. And what has this done? What have we really accomplished? Have we just perpetuated the inequality in society? We have forced everyone to be reliant on us; children, men, friends, family.

I like to think of myself as liberated yet I see I am not. I don't allow equality to enter my life. I WANT TO DO IT MYSELF. I like the punishment maybe? I certainly like the control!

I can't anymore. I refuse to DO IT ALL. I refuse to become the martyr. Today I demand of myself no longer an A+ lifestyle or the I-can-do-it-all woman. I accept B-. I do what is needed and let the rest go. (NOT going to be easy for me, but I have to. I have to force equality this way. I have to find a balance. I accept my responsibilities but will not take on more than that. Or more than I can handle).

Let's see how it goes.

Signed,
Searching for equality Annie

Raging Storm

The rain pours down hard. The sky lost its blue beauty and rushed to grey all to quickly, I didn't even have time to say goodbye. I started to feel a bit reflective...

Lately I've been forced to confront the central issue of what this blog has become: Life Does Not Turn Out Like You Planned. We all grow up with dreams and hopes. Constructing visions of what our lives will be like. Some of which are created from desire, but at the same time greatly influenced by what society tells us we 'should' desire. Then we move forward and make choices. We follow a path laid before us. And then LIFE....boom...we are living it.  We are on a path built out of part choice. I say part, because do we REALLY truly choose our lives or are they chosen for us? (Well at least up to a certain point. Meaning I didn't choose to have a divorced family. I didn't choose my religious upbringing, etc. You get where I am going.) How do you reconcile when the life you lead does not match up to the life you imagined and created in your dreams? Isn't that one of the big questions we all have? Isn't that where the tension of life lies? For me it is, and maybe for you too.

What do we do with that tension? I have no idea.
What I do know is this. I choose to start taking control of my life choices. I choose to find happiness where ever I can. I realize I must work through my past in the present. I cannot live in the 'what if', regret, or in the promises of the future. I must grasp the moment I am in. I must embrace who I was and who I have become. The truth is that I would not be ME without the past and the present.

As the storm rages on outside my window and I meditate under the glow of this computer screen, I take joy in knowing the storm inside me just might be calming.

Signed
Annie