Scars

This month at church, several of our congregation have lead sermons on courage.  Some have talked about the courage to step out of their comfort zone and speak in public, some have discussed the courage to turn the page and move forward in your life and others have discussed the courage it takes to take a stand as a Christian.  They have had some very inspirational discussions that have lead me to think about them throughout the week.

When I think of courage, I think of scars.  Scars are badges of courage.  It might be a scar you have on your knee from learning how to ride a bike when you were young and fell and hit the pavement.  You called on your courage to get back up and try again.  Maybe a scar from a surgery where you called on your courage to overcome the pain and fought to come back through rehabilitation.  Perhaps a scar from having a child by Cesarean, just having children in this crazy world calls for courage.  The courage to give them stability in an unstable world.  Each scar on your body represents a memory or a reality in your world that gave you a physical validation of what made you who you are. 

Scars can be on the inside as well.  Perhaps you have been treated badly by a trusted person in your life and it took your courage to over come it.  Maybe you have had physical abuse or verbal abuse by a relative that have scarred you internally.  Your courage is what brought you through to the other side and made you stronger.  Sometimes it takes courage just to get up and go to work or school and face a person who torments you and bullies you.   You have earned each scar as a badge of courage, use them to inspire you to be a better, kinder, empathetic human being. 

Be  BRAVE!

What?! No Way!

Well the last two months have been pretty crazy in the Kidd house.  We have seen Peyton and Hayden in an awesome play at church with a little write up in the newspaper.  I have been in a wreck, had my car totaled, bought a new car and turned 40. (Kev turned 41, the only thing worst than turning 40)  We had a great birthday party for Hayden with a video game truck.  To top it all off, I got a call Monday on Martin Luther King day asking me to appear in a commercial for the local car dealership I bought my vehicle from.  What?! No Way!

Here is the scoop on how the whole thing went down.  My initial answer was no, visions of being immortalized on a car commercial and over analyzing everything about myself every time it came on did not sound so good.  "Does my eyebrows look even?"  "Why did I wear that?"  "Do I really sound like that big of a hick?"  I got off the phone & told my kids and they were so excited, I called Kevin, "You should do it."   Every one thought I should do it.  What the heck, you only live once, might as well try something new.

Today was the commercial shoot.  I went to the lot at 1:15.  First had to sign a release so they could use my image.  I was to be second after another lady who had recently bought a car.  I was instructed to listen to her and see how it is done.  She told them "No close ups, I do not want every one to see my wrinkles."  They had the camera set at a distance on a stand.  At this point I am already broke out in a big red blotchy spots on my neck.  Is it getting warm in here?  What is she saying? I can't hear her very well.  The more she talked, the dryer my mouth became. 

My turn.  They got me to set on a high chair in front of a
yellow corvette.  I was instructed they would interview me and I would need to answer questions with full name of dealership as well as full name of vehicle because I would be the only one with a mic and it would not make sense.  Got a mic put on, the box is set in chair on my back.  That's uncomfortable.  Will that make me look like I am setting weird?  Interview begins.  What did I say?  Did I use full names?  O my goodness, the camera guy is taking camera off stand and coming really close!  How big are my pores going to look that close?  Now they would like me to do the tag line with the companies name in it.
Man my mouth is dry.  Do it again, this time we will shoot from right side.  Do I have a good side? Is my right side my good side?  Please do it again and look at camera.  Lips are now sticking to teeth every time I smile, I am sure of it.  One more time and look at me.  Hold the smile.........pretty sure my lip is quivering.  Is it hot in here to you?  I am done!!!

Headed out to my car, look at the clock, 15 minutes!  Now I truly know what it means  to be on the hot seat.  It seemed like an eternity.  So if I don't end up on the cutting room floor, you and I will find out what I said when it is shown on tv because I only remember bits and pieces.  I think I am going to add "Make a Commercial" to my bucket list and check it off.  I have not convinced Kevin to put a star on my door yet.  If this is how 2011 has begun, I can only imagine what adventures are to come.

In Search of Perfection

Finding perfection in this world is an exception not the norm.  It is our little quirks that make us who we are.  However, there are a few things that I will forever be searching for perfection.  Here's the list:

1.  The perfect shoe - A shoe can be perfect for a number
                                    of reasons--it could be perfect for
                                    an outfit or maybe it is so

                                    comfortable that it feels perfect.

2.  The perfect purse - Pockets are important here as is

                                      pocket placement.  You gotta

                                      have a phone pocket, a zipper

                                      pocket.  You have to be able to

                                      see what's in it easily.  How it

                                      rides on the shoulder, how it

                                      stands up on it's own.  Slouchy

                                      purses are sometimes hard.

3.  The perfect coat -  Pocket placement is important

                                     with this as well.  It can't feel

                                     bulky or heavy.  You have to be

                                     able to lift your arms.  Also, like in

                                     Christmas story, you have to be

                                     able to lower your arms too.

5.  The perfect pet name - They say a good test for a
                                            child's name is if you can
                                            stand on your back porch and
                                            call out to them and it sounds
                                            good.  The same is true of a
                                            pet's name.  My dog's name is 
                                            is Pauly Walnuts, it fits him
                                            because he is a little nuts.  It
                                            came from The Soprano's.
6.  The perfect underwear - Pockets placement is not 
                                              important here!  Comfort is
                                              important. How they ride is
                                              important!

Some people search for perfection in their food, some in their hair, some in their jeans.  I would love for you to share with me what your quest for perfection is for?

The closest to perfection a person ever comes is when he fills out a job application form.  ~Stanley J. Randall

Unrealized Potential

I am not a big fan of New Year's resolutions, I think you are setting your self up for failure.  My New Year's resolution last year was, "Whatever I attempt to do I will do my best and put 100% into it."  That is attainable.  You hear resolutions to lose weight, to exercise more, to stop smoking, to pay off credit card debt, etc... I know the holidays can be depressing for some people, maybe they didn't accomplish their resolution or feel strained by money and family.  With my birthday being in between Christmas and New Year, even I get a little melancholy in the fact that another year has come and gone and what did I accomplish and do with it. 

What it all boils down to is unrealized potential.  The things that we list as resolutions are all attainable with commitment, that's right, we all have the POTENTIAL to accomplish ALL of our resolutions.  For whatever reason, we do not reach our full potential for that particular goal we have set forth for that year.  Did I volunteer enough last year?  Did I work as hard as I possibly could?  Did I commit enough time to my children and their activities?  Did I make a change in a positive way to affect my life?  Did I make a change in a positive way to affect someone else's life?  Maybe our resolutions should not focus so much on the specific task, but instead focus on our lack of commitment to follow through and see something reach it's full potential. 

 The ability and potential are there, but is the commitment?