A life full of opportunities, building, and being smart

Posted by random olio

I want to talk about this. I want to talk about this poignant acceptance speech by Ashton Kutcher flying around the Internet and Facebook. You have probably already seen it. I want to say a few things about his speech. Ashton is twice as old as many of the teens watching the Teen Choice Awards. He is also a midwest boy (Iowa) and went through a lot as a kid with his sick twin brother, his parents divorce, and the trouble he got in as a teenager. He is not just Hollywood fluff. He has lived.

I loved what he told teens in 2013. Teens that might be obsessed with those that have money and power. He did not talk about that. Not about all the glam, money, and fame that he has had in his life, but about working hard. That life does not just come to us, that we have to work for it, show up, grow into our next phase. My favorite part is when he said the sexiest thing is being smart. I hope that those teenagers watching understand what he means. Here are a few excerpts, but be sure to also watch the video below:

Opportunities:

“And I’ve never had a job in my life that I was better than. I was always just lucky to have a job. And every job I had was a stepping stone to my next job, and I never quit my job until I had my next job. And so opportunities look a lot like work.”

Being Sexy:

“The sexiest thing in the entire world is being really smart, and being thoughtful, and being generous. Everything else is crap. I promise you…it’s just crap that people try to sell to you to make you feel like less. So don’t buy it. So be smart, be thoughtful, and be generous.”

Build a life:

“Everything around us that we call life, was made up by people that are no smarter than you. You can build your own life that other people can live in. So build a life, don’t live one.”

Unexpected tears

Posted by random olio

I have said quite a few times on this blog that I am not a crier. I do not cry over normal things — a rough day or when I have been mistreated. No, for those days I rant. I stand up for myself, and I do what I can to make it better. When I do cry, the tears flow for what I cannot control. For moments that are no longer possible. I cry when I witness the human yearning for the physical touch between two people that is no longer possible, or for the experiences in my life that are no longer possible.

Yesterday someone at work asked the question of what recent movie or television show made us cry. It got me thinking.

My initial answer was the television show: Parenthood. I could not remember the most recent TV show or movie, and that was the first show that came to mind. There was an episode a few months ago, where the daughter from one family was going off to college. When her parents said goodbye at the airport, she acted like it was no big deal that she was leaving them, and walked off towards her gate. A few moments later she walks back and embraces her parents, and the moment I see them embrace I am bawling. It is a random moment of sobbing that I never expected, and the thought that comes to me: I never experienced my parents sending me off to college. My tears are from an experience I never had.

After thinking about all that, I remembered the exact show I most recently watched. It was a Showtime series that just ended called: The Big C. Yes, the show was about cancer. The main actress in the show is Laura Linney and because I like her so much I watched her show, even though it was about her having cancer. Yes, it was depressing at times, and yes the final few shows were very depressing, and yes I cried. I got to thinking though, in some ways the show is brilliant. Why you might ask? Because it was about reality. How many shows actually talk to you about what it might be like to go through having cancer?

For this show, Laura’s character has a son and she struggles with what it will be like for him if she dies. She struggles so much that she rents a storage unit and buys him a present for all his future birthdays (a car for his 21st, and many other great gifts for his other birthdays) and if she dies she wants him to have a key to the storage unit. Then one day near the end of the series she decides that she wants to see his face open each gift. She wants to experience each of those birthdays with him. So, yes, she takes them to the storage unit and they open his gifts together, laughing and crying together.

I cried, and cried, and cried watching that episode. I cried for the birthdays I did not have with my parents, I cried for my friends and coworkers who have lost their family and friends to cancer. I cried for the longing of losing someone. I cried for someone nearing death pondering what they will miss out on. And, I wonder, did others cry like I did when they watched this episode?

I am the unexpected crier. I cry at the strangest times, when emotion hits me strong, and I often do not cry when most might expect it. We are all wired differently and our deep triggers move something inside that open the flood gates and we are never the same.

Four-year-old inspires

Posted by random olio

For a few years now, I have been watching “So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD).” I am not a fan of musicals, sitcoms that have singing, and most dancing shows (you can never get me to watch Dancing with the Stars), but I am a die-hard fan of “SYTYCD.” Why? There are a variety of genres of dance throughout the show. You might see hip hop, modern, tap, salsa, crump, you name it. The contestants are crazy talented, because they have to be able to pick up and learn any style of dance at anytime, and still do it amazingly each week. Not an easy feat. Many professional dancers may only do ballet their entire life, so watching these individuals each week is inspiring.

I am a bit behind on episodes, due to catching up on seasons of “The Good Wife” and “The New Girl,” but this video I want to share is timeless. A four-year-old boy is allowed to come to the auditions, and not only is his dancing and musicality off the charts for his age, so is his answers to Nigel’s questions. I could not resist sharing and hopefully it reminds you that anything is possible.

Did his parents send him to cello classes? No. He gravitated towards a previous contestant, and taught himself at four years old. Inspired?

Cheating on our DVR

Posted by random olio

We have been cheating on our DVR this past month.

Not all DVRs are created equal. Some let you record a certain number of hours of television shows. If you decide you have to watch that show in high-definition then that means fewer hours available for other shows. Our current DVR allows us to record two shows at the same time, while also watching an already recorded show. What that means for us? We often have missed out on a good series and did not even know it because we were consistently addicted to season [fill in the number] of [fill in the show name].

Many of you may be fans of Netflix. We have not yet ventured into that avenue of endless hours of shows and movies. We might one day. I tell Chris that when we catch up on our DVR, we can think about Netflix. What is the second best thing to our DVR, and those of your that are Netflix fans? My local library. Call me a dork, but who cares! They are free, and all I have to do is be patient. The time I waited has finally come to fruition, as we have spent the last month watching season One and Two of: The Good Wife. How did I ever miss out on such a great show?

There were times growing up and after college when I thought I would go to law school. Somehow it never happened and I often think I would have been doomed if I forked over the cash, mostly because I hate reading fine print. So law school would have been like the hell of a privacy policy. I wanted to be a lawyer to help, but there was a small part of me that wanted to be a lawyer to duke it out in the courtroom. Which is why I really enjoy The Good Wife. Such good story lines, great courtroom, lawyer, and judge interactions, with a little romance to top it off. I actually think I like watching the episodes back-to-back rather than having to wait a week to find out what happens. Oh, and who does not like watching Chris Noth. (I am a Mr. Big fan).

While waiting for Season Three of The Good Wife to be available at the library, we started watching: The New Girl (Season One). I am not really a Zooey Deschanel fan, so I thought this show would be cheesy. I was wrong. The show is quirky, funny, and clever. I am a fan. I wish I had known about it earlier, as I saw yesterday that Season Two just finished. Guess I will have to wait a while to see it.

We will stop cheating on our DVR…soon.

Multi-task on the pooper?

Posted by random olio

I am a blunt woman. I tell it like it is, or usually say whatever is on my mind. So, I will be direct with you today. I am a multi-tasker. Some might say that is very inefficient, but I disagree. The best place to multi-task is well…the bathroom. There are so many ways to multi-task in the bathroom. I will share a few with you. At night I often read and brush my teeth at the same time. However, I have not had luck with reading and flossing my teeth. In the morning, I often read while I dry my hair, because face it, drying your hair is BORING.

In any case, there is the most obvious of all, multi-tasking while sitting on the toilet, porcelain basin, potty, can, shitter, john, loo, pot, whatever you call it. I am a serial user. You may find me on my iPhone, laptop, or reading a book. I might be playing words with friends, reading the news, writing emails, or heaven forbid – writing a blog post. Due to my multi-tasking tendencies, I have great respect for this Saturday Night Live skit, “Bathroom Businessman” with Keenan Thompson. Take a look (click the image to view video):

You might not feel so comfortable engaging in “potty” talk, but if we are real with each other, it is part of life. I do, however, think it is crossing the line to be in a public restroom and chatting away with your friend while doing your business. If in a public restroom, go right ahead and read a book, the news, update your Facebook status to your heart’s content, but if I have to listen to you chew out your husband, then finish your shit or get off the pot.

Happy Friday!