Forgiveness

Forgiveness can be a powerful thing.

It can provide relief, a way out, hope for a better life.

Forgiveness is kindness. Forgiveness is empowering. Forgiveness is humbling.

Forgiveness is not a sign of weakness - it's the ultimate strength. To forgive someone their shortcomings, their faults, their dishonorable acts is to say that you understand human frailty, and that you won't let it keep you down.

It can also provide the forgiver with a path back to love. Whether it's with the person they are forgiving or with someone new, it lays out a clear and freeing way towards a better day.

It's a terrible thing to be wronged by someone. It makes you question your judgement, your worth. Being wronged was usually not done on purpose - it's a crack in the other person's character, and has everything to do with them and nothing to do with you. But in those hellish hours and days of pain, you can't see past the hurt to realize it's them and not you.

At first you want to hurt back - make them pay. That's a natural reaction, and not entirely a bad one. It's part of the healing process. But dwelling here isn't good for anyone. Keep going, and get this stage behind you.

To move forward with a positive mindset is the result of forgiveness. To open yourself up to the good is the result of forgiveness.

To be able to forgive someone who has wronged you is difficult - it tests your resolve. It's an admittance that you put trust in an individual, in people, and that trust was broken, but that you will be open to trust again.

Forgiveness is the first step in moving on and moving forward.

Forgiveness is a good thing, if you can get there.

Weekend

This weekend - fun fun fun.

Movie with my bruder tonight. Soulard & Tower Grove farmer's marketing, a pot'o'chili for lunch with friends, then on to a blogging seminar and fashion event on Saturday.

Sunday? As always, reserved for studying, spinning and football. Oh, and that luscious, heavenly sleeping in.

I am always upgrading my bed to make sure it's a toasty and cuddle-worthy. I now own the fluffiest pillows known to man. And they are covered in flannel.

Beat that!

We interrupt this program...

My midterm went swimmingly, but my presentation hit a speedbump.

I was on a roll. Doing well. I was feeling pretty darn good, considering I had written the three page presentation and prepared in less than 2 hours (because I plum forgot).

And then....my prof interrupts me.

I answered her question, but COULD NOT recover.

What the dell?

I am not bad at presentations - I just don't like them. But this was a new development - not being able to pick up where I left off.

I guess the interruption was so jarring, it rattled my brain but good. Enough to make me lose my place, and skip DIRECTLY to the conclusion.

I walked back to my seat and proceeded to beat myself up (and my prof a bit) in my head for the next hour.

I guess it showed on my face, because my professor came over after class and apologized and told me what a great presentation it was. She interrupted me because she had missed something I said earlier about the psychosocial level, and she needed that information in order to grade the rest of the presentation.

It happens. I felt a little better after the apology, but not much. Actually cried tears of frustration all the way home.

I woke up at 11:30 last night to my phone dinging me, telling me I had an email. I checked it out, and it was another apology from my professor. Not needed at this point, but it was nice to get.

I feel better today, but at some point I need to review how I got so discombobulated and figure out a way to prevent that from happening again.

Rockin the 80's 'do

I remember feathered hair.

It was so much fun to do.

Flip back the brush while you were blowdrying. Achieve the perfect "feathered" look.

Spritz. Shake. Hold. Done.

Midterm purgatory

This is where I live at the moment.

Yes, it's by choice. And yes, I'm glad I have the opportunity to further my education.

But I just want to lay in my toasty bed of flannel sheets (thanks again mom), fluffy pillows and fantastic down comforter and watch a movie - preferably something spooky/funny, such as Evil Dead 2 or Horror House (one of the worst British 1960's horror movies ever made...so bad it's good).

But, I cannot partake in the loveliness that is my bed, as I am relegated to this computer until my essays are completed.

However, I will be a happy girl come Monday at 10:00, as this will end my stay in purgatory and I can move on to preparing for my weekend of wine, woodland creatures and win-free Rams.

Oh, and of late, I have embraced the art of sleeping in. I am getting really, really good at it. Double-digit good. I figure I deserve lazy Sunday mornings, especially after getting up at 4:30 a.m. during the week.

Word to ya mother.

Tude

Yo beeches...I'm back.

Have been so bogged down as of late, but that's not really a viable excuse for not writing. I've found time to see some good movies, some really bad movies, and some really, really good bad movies. And shop. And hang with friends. And check out new music.

So, I've basically been a slagger (blog slacker).

That said, here are a few morsels to get me going again.

- went shopping last weekend with my friend Cin. We started off by having lunch at Cooperella in Maplewood (delish), and then hit up a few boutiques on the main Manchester drag. We spent a good 10 minutes perusing the jewelry section of a tiny little shop (no, not Femme, but close). I found a little necklace that was Cin's style, she loved it, and even better, loved the price tag ($4). Now, most of the jewelry was around $35-$75, but there were some clearance items so we had every right to assume that the necklace was priced correctly.

Sadly this was not the case, as we found out when Cin was checking out.

But what was even more sad was the ATTITUDE (capitalized because it was total 'tude) that was spewed in Cin's direction when she went to pay for the necklace. The exchange goes something like this...

Stuck-up Shop Owner (SUSO): "Are you ready to go?"

Cin: "Yes, I'll take this."

SUSO: "Alright." (Takes the necklace, fumbles around for the price tag, keys it in, looks puzzled. Frowns.)

SUSO: "Honey? Can you come over here for a minute? Something doesn't look right." (She calls over her daughter, who works at/owns the store...daughter walks over, stares at the tag)

Daughter of SUSO (DOSUSO): "Oh, I marked it wrong. Ha ha." (ditz)

SUSO: (Turning to my friend Cin) "You do know this is $40, right? Nothing from this designer would ever sell below $40." (SAID WITH COMPLETE ATTITUDE)

Cin: "Um, know, I didn't know it was $40, because it's marked as $4."

SUSO: "Well, would you still like it?"

Cin: "Well, no. Not if it's $40."

In my opinion, they should have cut her a deal. The necklace wasn't expert craftmanship, it was more kitchsy than anything - not worth $40 in my opinion. But to speak to Cin like that, as if she should have KNOWN that it was $40. Seriously. I will not be shopping there again.

I am surprised they are still in business. I was in the shop 3 weeks ago with a different friend, and I didn't see that much inventory had moved since then.

Concerts of interest

Jim Rose/Revolting Cocks - Firebird tonight: Get up close and personal at this cozy venue

Neko Case - Pageant 11/5: Songbird, sing to me

Son Volt - Pageant 11/6: Takes me back to my college years

Rob Zombie - Pageant 11/15: Love his movies, like his music

Headlights - Firebird 11/21: Nice little pop outfit, they rocked it at Pygmalion

Swell Season - Pageant 12/4: Once, I would like to see Glenn Hansard play live