I do have one particularly vivid lab
lesson that I participated in during a biology class one day. Using microscopes, we were supposed to view
the cellular structure of onions. Sounds
incredibly boring, and it could have been.
The cool part came when you picked your onion. You didn’t need a whole
onion, or even a section. You simply
needed to peel one layer off in order to get a good specimen for your
slide. It’s not as easy as it sounds;
the layer of an onion is extremely thin – thinner than tissue paper or the
one-ply joke of toilet paper in most public restrooms. It is virtually see-thru. But even in that one layer, you can see all
of the elements of the cellular structure of the onion.
This is not so with human beings. Most of us would rather pile on as many
layers as possible and not let people get more than a glimpse of who we
are. It’s too dangerous to let others
see us – all of us. I mean, we live in a
world of “reality TV” where I’ve never seen Kim Kardashian or Theresa Caputo
without full makeup, hair and wardrobe in perfect place. How can we compete with that? The truth is that we can’t. And we shouldn’t try. But it’s that infamous f-word that gets in
the way: FEAR (get your mind out of the gutter already). The mind-numbing thought of showing any sign
of vulnerability terrifies most of us to our very core.
But here’s an eye-opening thought about
that:
It’s true, isn’t it?
We’ve got it all available on instant playback in our heads – every
victory, milestone, and every proud moment sitting right alongside every second
guess, every doubt, and every single scrap we would chose to leave in the dark on
the cutting room floor. Now I am
learning to do better about this as I blog about both the good and the bad that
has been happening lately, but it still takes a village. I have several fierce friends on Facebook who
write shockingly honest posts and share revealing pictures that expose it all –
figuratively speaking. Whether that is sharing
how frustrating it is to have a baby that is not sleeping much, or showing off
a new outfit that came together at the thrift store, or being brutally honest
about the struggles of going thru a divorce/custody issues, they are courageous
enough to reveal their thoughts and feelings and allow themselves to be
vulnerable to compliments and criticisms alike.
Now I think I have said this before, but this is why I
blog. I hope that by sharing my own
thoughts and experiences that I can help others in some way. Whether that is through finding a common
experience, or acting as a cautionary tale of what not to do. Either way, I’m going to continue to put
myself out there. This means that from
time to time you are going to see more than my highlight reel, and that’s fine
with me.
In other words, if you’re expecting me to sit quietly on
the sidelines, you have picked the wrong girl.
Since I am not concerned about what other people think, I am going to
live my life large and loud. I would
rather be known for speaking out and standing up for something than for going
with the flow. Although I do hope that
when God plays my highlight reel at the pearly gates that he will leave out the
time when I…oh never mind. I don’t want
to spoil it J
In conclusion, if you’re looking for some inspiration, here’s
a little ditty I love from a gal named Katy who feels the same way I do. Theme Song #35 : Roar – Katy Perry (burlesque tap dance performance) http://youtu.be/so0J90qEdq0
But for some extra bonus points, I picked a great
performance by a dancer who “gets the message” she’s sending. I think this version is even better than Katy’s
video because it is raw and honest and didn’t take place on a Hollywood sound
stage. (And yes, burlesque means just
that. You have been given fair warning.) Let it rip – and let it roar!!
I will not be de-clawed,
Selina
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