I watched the red carpet arrivals before the Academy Awards. The dresses were amazing. I guess it’s a good thing I’m not an actress, because I would NOT do well with having to get all “gussied up” for various functions. That’s just not me. One thing I do like about events like the Oscars is that it gives the attendees a chance to really express themselves through their clothing choices. Let’s get real. I hear so much lately about being true to yourself, finding your authentic self. What is the authentic self? I’m going to look up the definition.

Authentic is defined as:
“not false or copied; genuine; real. Representing one’s true nature or beliefs; true to oneself or to the person identified.”

One thing I know about myself is that I want to be comfortable. I’m not going to give up comfort for beauty, fashion, or any of society’s expectations. I wear makeup most days, but just the basics. Every weekday morning as soon as I brush my teeth I put on foundation, eyeliner, mascara, and a little bit of nude lipstick. That’s it. I usually wear no makeup on weekends. Last week I went to a meeting first thing in the morning, and a co-worker said “Wow, you’re actually wearing makeup today”. Thanks a lot. I wear makeup every day. Either I’m just great at making it look natural, or it does me no good anyway because nobody thinks I wear it. :). That’s okay. It is who I am. My daughter in law spends hours on her makeup and rarely leaves home without it, and she’s being true to herself.  She’s a “girly girl “. I am not.

I don’t wear jewelry. I wear my wedding ring, and every once in a great while I’ll wear a necklace. That’s it. I used to try wearing more jewelry, but long ago I decided it wasn’t worth the hassle. As I said, I’m all about comfort. Jewelry is uncomfortable to me.

I can’t stand dressing up. I wear a dress on RARE occasions. I NEVER wear high heels. If I can’t find a good comfortable pair of flats to wear with my dress, it is not beyond me to go without shoes or put the old sneakers on. Seriously. At my son’s wedding my shoes were very uncomfortable, so I put my sneakers back on. I forgot I had them on during the mother-son dance, which was a bit embarrassing in pictures..but that’s just me!

My husband and I went on a cruise a few years back, which was fantastic. Guess what we skipped? We skipped fancy dress up dinner night, because neither one of us had any desire to dress up, be uncomfortable, and pretend to be something we are not. People were shocked when we came back and I told them we skipped it. Who cares? We had a hot tub all to ourselves while the other passengers were busy being fancy. 🙂

I am a genuine person. I try to be a good person, and I know I sometimes fail. I keep trying. If I’m your friend, I’ll be your friend forever..even if we don’t talk on a regular basis. I care about people. I care about animals. I worry too much, but I’m getting better.  I think little kids are amazing, and I truly love to hear people tell stories about their kids. I’m proud of my kids and grandkids, unconditionally. I post about them on social media, and I will never stop. Sorry, not sorry.

Yep, I’m a “Fanilow” !

I adore Barry Manilow. Anybody that really knows me, knows this. If anybody reading this happens to have a Manilow connection, meeting him is still and will always be on my bucket list!  😊 I also love other music, music from just about every genre. I love musical theater as well. Soon my sister and I plan on attending a show by a band called Godzillionaire because her (practically) son-in-law is their drummer. I’ve heard it might be a bit louder than I’m used to hearing, but I’m up for the challenge. My opinion is that ALL music is good in its own way.

Speaking of music, I love to sing. I sing with the radio, I sing by myself. I sound terrible, but I sing..and I don’t care.  Sometimes I remind myself of Melissa McCarthy’s character in some movie (can’t remember the name) where she is singing loudly with every single song that comes on the radio…annoying her companion.  That’s me, all the time.

I’m a bit socially awkward. People that don’t know me think I’m shy. People that do know me think that’s a crazy notion. I like to spend time with friends and family, but I treasure time alone. I need that alone time. I think we all do.

I’m weird, and I embrace it. I have a pretty warped sense of humor. I love weird people. I often laugh at very inappropriate things. I’m going to blame my father and oldest sister for that. 😂

I hate conflict, it stresses me out.  I don’t get mad easily, but when I do..I get REALLY mad! What pisses me off? People that think they are better than others. People that treat others like crap. People that treat animals like crap. People that constantly find something negative in every situation. People that spread false rumors. People that make assumptions without finding out the truth behind situations. People that pretend to be something they are not, just to fit in or impress others.

Dr. Seuss had the right idea (and don’t forget to wish him a Happy Birthday this week)..

Here’s hoping that you all can find the courage to always be your true self, and NEVER let anybody tell you (or make you feel) that you’re not good enough!

My challenge to you :  Think about where you are in your life today.  Its actually fun and interesting to take a step back and examine things. Are you allowing yourself to be your true self?  If not, we are never too old to make some changes.

Life is precious, life is short..do what YOU want to do!