View of the lake from the side porch by Bampa’s kitchen.
Last week had me dropping everything and racing up to Western Mass for a family matter. Thankfully, all turned out well but it gave me a lot of time to think about where I am and where I want to be. I took some time to reflect while staying at my family’s cottage in Connecticut.
Growing up, I spent many a weekend at the cottage and, yes, that is where Bampa’s kitchen is. It’s hard not to look at the side porch and not recall running inside to grab a corn fritter or to see what Bampa had simmering on the stove as he stood there taking a sip from his always frosty beer mug. I remember summers where my Aunt Deya would join him in the kitchen and I learned all about the goodness of a homemade warm tortilla. So many memories came rushing back. With those memories, came the realization that I have been approaching everything all wrong.
As I sat on the porch, looking out over the lake, I listened to the quiet lap of the water hitting the shore. Like a good stiletto whap to the head, I realized that life is too short to be anything but myself and we should all cherish the time we have here on earth. Why bother whining, complaining and moaning about drama when, in reality, the only one that you are affecting is yourself. I know people who totally get caught up in that high school mentality and, quite frankly, it’s exhausting.
The same goes for blogging – we are all individuals and we should celebrate that! Why bother trying to be just like Jane or Joe on the block when you can just be you. You do not have to follow some set “formula” that will give you that cookbook deal, that endorsement/sponsorship package or the keys to a TV studio. You have a unique voice – use it. That is what I want to read. I don’t want to read some imitation when I have the chance to get to know the real you.
One of my mantras is that you get what you give, threefold. These recent events have opened my eyes and I made a few realizations and, in my mantra of “putting it out there” here it goes:
From hereon out, I am going to try to make the most out of life and choose to be positive. It’s what my Bampa was 99.9% of the time. He was serious when needed but he always enjoyed life with a smile. I think if he saw what I was dealing with on the day to day, he would sit me down and say “Aly – why do you let this bother you?” He would also question my stiletto arsenal but we’ll leave that question for another day.
I think I am going to take more time for enjoy life, smell the hydrangeas (I’m more of a hydrangea girl than a rose gal) and stop focusing on the minutia.
Flowers from my aunt’s garden at the cottage – she’s got quite the green thumb!
I am also going to try to be more conscientious of how my actions affect the world around me. I am not the gal with the most “tact” but I do tell it like it is. Sometimes my bluntness gets me in trouble. I don’t sugar coat everything, but I need to think how my words will affect others before I speak. That doesn’t mean I’m not going to give it to you straight, but I’ll try to put it in a much easier way. As Bampa would say, “You catch more bees with honey than you do with vinegar.”
I’m going to try to be more authentic and live, love, laugh, cook and write in the moment. Blogging was something that I enjoy doing – to do so just for traffic, stats and numbers is just not worth it. To get caught up in the business of trademark drama, worrying over minutiae and constant blog comparison is just not worth it. To have the opportunity to write about what I love and share it with you – that’s what is important to me.
I promise to be authentic, open and honest – it’s what I would hope you would share with me.
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[...] only way I know how – virtual retail therapy from a nice air conditioned spot before I trek up to the cottage. SousPug has made it known that he wants to go on the next roadtrip and he will not do another [...]