Women Unite: The Pad is Back

Pulling a new shirt out of the bag, I unfolded it gently and laid it on the bed. I hadn't tried the emerald green beauty on before I made the purchase. As I reviewed my fantastic find, I noticed a slight bulge at the shoulder. Slowly, I lifted the shirt closer to examine it. The horror! Hiding in my shirt, one in each arm, were... SHOULDER PADS.

WHY would anyone put shoulder pads in a shirt? We have done this before. Do we not remember what it looked like? Well, THIS is what it looked like:

She looks angry. Doesn't she? I am not sure who introduced shoulder pads to women's clothing the first time but it was wrong. What is attractive about a woman with the shoulders of a linebacker? It is clear that these sneaky designers are doing it again. They are slipping bulky chunks of foam into the sleeves of our shirts, ladies. We cannot let this go on. We must ban together to ban the shoulder pads. WOMEN UNITE!

Reflective & True

I have a short list of legendary musicians who I'd like to see perform live in my lifetime. The list includes Billy Joel, Phil Collins, Madonna, James Taylor, Carole King and many more. Last night I was fortunate to kill two birds with one stone by seeing James Taylor and Carole King in concert together.

Their music is so reflective and true. From the time I was about 12 years old, I loved it. It brought a peacefulness to my world. I like to say that for every season of your life, there is a James Taylor song to provide the tune. And never has that been more true for me than right now.

This video is not from last night but it's a gentle demonstration of what I mean. Some of the lyrics follow.



So close your eyes
You can close your eyes, it's all right
I don't know no love songs
And I can't sing the blues anymore
But I can sing this song
And you can sing this song
When I'm gone
It won't be long before another day
We gonna have a good time
And no one's gonna take that time away
You can stay as long as you like

Hiatus Ending

Over the last few months, blogging lost a bit of its luster. When I first started this thing, people questioned the openness with which I wrote but I have long said I live my life like an open book, with nothing to hide and so much to share. So I typed away every month, offering my opinions and beliefs and ideas to the world.

When life is infused with strong emotions or excitement or drama, it's easy to blog. When you can make light of the not-so-great moments or make lemonade from your harvest of lemons, the words seem to flow from your fingertips. And it's fun. It's a release. Often times, it's therapy.

Then there came a time last month when it all suddenly seemed deeply personal. I could not share what was going on in my head and my heart with the people around me, much less blog.

But the hiatus is ending, my faithful readers. Today, I type. And again tomorrow. As I get back in the swing of things, my writing is either going to prove to be brilliant or it will completely suck. But I'm glad you're here and I will do my best to get my blogging tail in gear.