Trying Something New...

There is this teenage girl in our neighborhood who rides skateboards. She has long blond hair that blows in the wind behind her as she rides down my street wearing shorts and sneakers.

I want to be her.

I don't want her hair or her youth (who would want to be a teenager again! Ugh!), but I do want to glide ever so smoothly, weaving back and forth down the streets of my neighborhood.

And so I've decided that one of the things I want to try this year is skateboarding. I want to be a skater chick. Minus the grunge, of course. You know my style--I can't pull off grunge.

In my opinion, the best part about trying something new is that it pushes me out of my comfort zone in a relatively harmless way. Because let's face it--we get pushed out of our comfort zones a lot for all sorts of things that are usually unpleasant. Like an unexpected layoff. Or a new baby. Or a sudden illness.


My theory is that trying new things on purpose--like skateboarding and knitting and learning the butterfly stroke (I still can't get my legs and arms to work together!)--gives us practice handling the unexpected, and overcoming steep learning curves. When I'm whizzing down the street on a skateboard with my husband running after me yelling "Bail! Bail!," I'm building character.

And wearing a helmet.


To put it simply, trying new things keeps us from getting too comfortable doing the same-old, same-old. We learn flexibility, which is a crucial skill for living life.

And of course we might pick up a few new hobbies in the process. And some scraped knees.

What would you like to try this year? Share your comment below!

Glossary of skateboard items, all from handmade sellers on Etsy.com:
1. early fall skateboard deck by amy ruppel
2. skateboarder 1 by stephen edward graphic
3. skate notecard set by little korboose
4. crawl walk skateboard onesie by kool kidz
5. recycled skateboard bangle by all deck'd out

Breaking out of the Mold, and how I discovered I like sauerkraut

I didn’t plan to break out of the mold on that hot summer day three years ago. We had just finished grilling some brats, and had cracked open a few beers, when suddenly it occurred to me that perhaps sauerkraut would be a tasty addition to our meal (have I mentioned that I have a little German blood in me?).



Now it is important to understand that prior to this summer day I used to cringe at the sight of sauerkraut. Pickled cabbage? Come on--who would want to eat such a thing? Pickling is for one thing and one thing only: pickles. Nothing else good could come from soaking things in vinegar and spice until they ferment. Right?

Such were my thoughts until I piled a little onto my bratwurst and took a bite. It was like the gates of heaven opened and the birds began to sing. Okay--maybe it wasn’t quite like that...I might be exaggerating. But it was good, and I’ve been a sauerkraut devotee ever since.



Why am I telling you a story about fermented cabbage, you ask? Because it illustrates--albeit rather superficially--the theme for this week. You see, Being an Original, at least for me, has a lot to do with breaking the mold. And I’m not talking about society’s molds or our culture’s molds or the molds those scary Spanx undergarments make. I’m talking about the molds we create for ourselves. Otherwise known as the limitations we adopt, usually because we’re ignorant, self conscious, and/or too comfy for change.

For instance, in the case of the sauerkraut aversion, I was a) ignorant of the wonderful flavor of pickled cabbage, and b) too comfy with my usual brat fix'ns (that’s a little Texas slang for y’all) to try something new. That mold needed to be broken. Oh yes, it needed it.



Pickled cabbage aside, we are going to spend the week talking about the virtue of trying new things and learning new things. And perhaps eating new things too. I’m looking forward to it!

And I promise pickled cabbage won't come up again.

Hope you have a good Monday!

Extra-Curricular

Since it is officially time for back-to-school, I thought that I should sign up for some extra-curricular activities.

Like sports.

Or art.


Or ballet. Adult beginner ballet to be more exact.

Last night I had my first class. And after a full hour performing a series of moves with French names that I can't recall, I can honestly claim that I DID NOT look like this:


Or this:
Nor did I get to wear a tutu like this:

Or a costume like this:

And it is safe to say that I would cry and perhaps break a leg if I tried to do this:

Because frankly I can't even touch my toes like this:


In fact, I probably looked more like this:


Or even this:

My legs were awkward, and I did not bend my neck gracefully in line with my arms. I did not bend much of anything gracefully for that matter.

But I did have a fantastic time, and am so excited for more extra-curricular dancing next week.

And maybe this time I'll be more prepared. Like, say, showing up in this:


Are you doing any extra-curricular activities this season? Share about them by posting your comment here!

Previous Silly Posts:
Ode to Pillows
Dear Sewing Machine...
Oh Cruel Coupons: a soliloquy