Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Thursday Thirteen #108 -- All Good


THIRTEEN POSITIVES ABOUT
THE GAL HERSELF

The idea for this post came from Kwizgiver, who listed things she was good at. Since so many of us concentrate on our faults and flaws and weaknesses and peccadilloes, it was a refreshing read. And so I am stealing it. I encourage everyone else to steal it. Looking at yourself objectively and liking what you see is a natural high.

1) I think fast on my feet. I never freeze up. It's funny, but when I'm under pressure I see things with greater clarity and the path is clear. It's a very helpful talent to have, especially in my chosen industry -- advertising, where deadlines and pressure are the norm.

2) I'm a good public speaker. I realize that many people are afraid of making presentations but it simply has never been an issue for me. I'm not perfect -- I have a tendency to speak too quickly. But I know how to put my audience at ease and I'm usually able to see my topic from their point of view, which makes it easy to anticipate and then field questions.

3) I work quickly. I'm a writer by trade, and words come easily to me. There are many, many writers who are more talented than I am, but to be honest, I don't know of many who are both as good and as fast. In an industry where we're often on deadline and billing by the hour, that has made me valuable. (At least until now. Let's hope management here continues to value this so I won't get laid off.)

4) I'm still curious and enthusiastic. There's always something new that grabs my attention and hangs on. Recently it's been First Lady Abigail Adams and blues singer Marcia Ball. Right now it's eating better and working out. I'm glad I'm not closed off to new things.

5) I'm good with kids and critters. I don't believe the actual phrase "Bless the beasts and the children" appears in the Bible, but no matter. The impatience I suffer with adults is absent with kids and critters. Naturally, the attention and affection I lavish on them has been returned to me tenfold.

6) I'm smart. I don't have very much school (didn't even make it to my Associate Degree) but when it comes to subjects I get (mostly politics and marketing), I'm pretty sharp.

7) I'm loyal. I stick. Cub fandom is good training for that.

8) I'm independent. I enjoy my own company and require little hand holding (most of the time).

9) I have a good sense of humor. Finding just about everything funny (or absurd) in one way or another protects me from ever really going under.

10) I believe. As Anne Frank said "Despite everything, I believe that people are really good at heart." My faith in God and my fellow man, like my sense of humor, stops me from making Stoney End my permanent address.

11) I'm easy to talk to. I don't know why, really. I tend to interrupt a lot and talk over people in conversation. Yet it seems I'm often singled out as the "go to girl" when people are in trouble, personally or professionally.

12) Many things make me happy. Watching my cat Joey power nap. Singing with the oldies in the shower. Settling in for an I Love Lucy marathon. The world is filled with little joys just waiting for me to enjoy them.

13) I give good gift. I am very imaginative when it comes to gifting. When an old friend wanted to know what she and her sister could do to honor their father on the anniversary of his death, I came up with a list of ideas (the first being scathingly brilliant) in less than half an hour.

To participate yourself, or to look up more TT participants,
visit the new hub (thursday-13.com).

Baby, Take a Bow

Look what I received from Mimi, Queen of Bloggingham and author of Mimi Writes. She said that I "write from the heart" and my musings have made her life richer. That's a compliment any way you look at it. To receive it from Mimi makes it especially special. For she's a fearless blogger and a very good writer herself who has shared much with her readers -- as touching as she is funny, and her words stay with us.

Me and more than 20,000 close friends

We were all "Working on a Dream" last night. Yes, we were at that famous traveling rock revival meeting hosted by BROOOOOOCE!

For a man who turns 60 this year, Bruce Springsteen is in great shape. Oh, hell! What am I saying? If he was a man who turns 30 this year, Bruce would still be simply delicious. As my fellow fangirl Snarkela might say, Bruce deserves to be commended on delivering primo arm porn.

And he rocked. I miss hearing rock and roll, and The Boss had the cure for what ails me. He opened with "Badlands," for Christ's sake! But of course, he was more than that. With "The Rising," which always reminds me of how we pulled together after 9/11, "Land of Hope and Dreams," "American Land" and more, he reminded us of our responsibility to one another. Because we're all Americans, and that's big and it's special and it means something.

So he touched on it all: love, lust, redemption, longing and patriotism. There was so much JOY & HOPE in the United Center last night. The Gal was definitely in her element.

Above left is my fantabulous new Bruce t-shirt. (Such a deal! Only $20!) And now, here's last night's set list:

May 12, 2009
Chicago, Illinois
United Center

Badlands
Spirit In The Night
Outlaw Pete
She's The One
Working On A Dream
Seeds
Johnny 99
The Ghost Of Tom Joad
Raise Your Hand
Trapped
Candy's Room
Mony Mony
Waiting On A Sunny Day
The Promised Land
The Wrestler
Kingdom Of Days
Radio Nowhere
Lonesome Day
The Rising
Born To Run

(Encores)
Hard Times
Jungleland
Land Of Hope And Dreams
American Land
Dancing In The Dark
Rosalita