Me First, Titles Last

Hey guys. Hope you’ve been having a stellar week!

Mine has been nothing less than hectic since the weekend. Although I’ve been running around like mad, it was exactly what I needed. Somewhere between the beach trips, the hysterical conversations, the heart-to-hearts, the huge projects at work and the Medusa’s head of errands, I realized one thing: despite all the labels I’m striving for – best friend, perfect employee, responsible puppy momma, supportive significant other, witty blogger, musical guru, domestic goddess…sometimes I have to let go of the titles and just be me.

Sometimes, I make stacks of white-flour pancakes from a box to feed the three college friends that crashed at my apartment on Saturday night, despite the blogger in me telling me to whip up gourmet free-range omlettes, market-fresh fruit parfaits and stone-ground whole-grain toast.

Sometimes, I spend Friday nights catching up on loads of laundry the size of a compact car instead of going out an being a social butterfly.

Sometimes, I opt to go makeup-free and messy-haired instead of transforming myself into a fashion plate. Mascara runs when you go to the beach anyways.

And yes, sometimes I do laugh so hard I look like I’m scrunching my entire face into a grimace. Better yet, sometimes I love the memory of the giggle so much that I don’t care how ridiculous I look.

Sometimes, I drop $2 on a snack bar instead of being a financially-prudent young woman.

 

Sometimes, I stay up until 4 am laughing like a little girl with the people I love instead of being mindful of my 9 am big-girl job.

Sometimes, I listen to the same 4 songs on Grooveshark for three hours instead of letting my playlist roll all the way through. Had I not been on a massive Yellowcard bender this afternoon, I would not have realized that Lights and Sounds is a 3:29 anthem about loving life and living in the moment.

Sometimes, I go to Fuddruckers, Sweet Tomatoes and a Chinese buffet within a single weekend and pay more attention to the kickass company than the nutritional content or photogenic quality of my meals.

Sometimes, shutting up and living life is more important than narrating it, explaining it or justifying it. At the end of the day, you have to do the things that make you feel good, regardless of what personal labels they do or do not coincide with.

And with that, dear readers, sometimes I need to turn off my computer, take a long hot shower, and crash.

---