Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Best Advice: "Wear Sunscreen"

My cousin Reesa posted this on her blog Live imperfectly with great delight.  I loved it so much I wanted to share it with you.  I was curious where it came from, when I Googled it, I found that it was from a speech made in '99 to the Graduating Class of MIT...or at least that's what a couple of links told me. 

At any rate, I hope you enjoy it!

Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of 99…Wear Sunscreen

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience, I will dispense this advice now.Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh nevermind; you will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded. But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked.You’re not as fat as you imagine.

Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.Do one thing everyday that scares you

Sing

Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss

Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind, the race is long, and in the end, it’s only with yourself.Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch

Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life, the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year olds know still don’t.Get plenty of calcium.

Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone.Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll have children, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary, what ever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either, your choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s. Enjoy your body, use it every way you can, don’t be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own..

Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.

Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.

Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for good.

Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go,but for the precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography in lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

Travel

Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.Respect your elders.

Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out. Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time it’s 40, it will look 85.Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen…

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

I'm Still Here

Hello? 

Anybody there?

 I wouldn't be surprised if the answer was no because it has been quite a while since I've posted anything...and I do apologize for that.  The computer is still not hooked up at the interim house...not sure why I keep putting it off because I need/use the computer more than I thought I did.  I'd also like to tell you that we are completely settled at the interim house but we're not, or maybe I'm not?  Still piles of stuff everywhere and I have actually boxed up more stuff.  Since its the interim house, I see no need to unpack everything and too, there is some of daddy's stuff in the house we can use.  But it also makes me feel so completely disorganized.  I don't know about you but when my house is cluttered and disorganized, my brain is the same way.  Drives me crazy.  But my kids are happy!!  My washer is sometimes working, more times not.  Had a guy come out almost 4 weeks ago.  Told me he would need to order a new switch.  Apparently that switch was on backorder but he thought I didn't need to know that.  I'm guessing since he didn't pay me a visit last week, its still on backorder.  I spent all day yesterday trying to get just one load of laundry washed.  Finally succeeded about 9:00 last night.  I'm not saying I love to do laundry but it'd be nice to be able to do a load when I needed to without the hassle.  In case you haven't noticed, its HOT outside.  I love to sit outside in the evenings while the kids play but I'll be honest, I haven't really wanted to do that these last couple of weeks.  I'm a wimp when it comes to the heat.   Which makes me look forward to the beach house even more!  2 weeks and counting!!  Can't wait...and maybe, just maybe I might get a little color on me.  Not everybody tans as easily as my sister Alex Rubio.  My beloved brother-in-law gives me grief about my fair skin all the time.  I'm fine with it, but a little color this time of year would be nice.  The babies are growing and changing so much.  They spent this past weekend with their daddy.  I enjoyed my time but I missed them so much.  Was very happy to see them yesterday.  I think they both grew while they were gone the little stinkers.  Looked so big when they walked in the door.  The 4th was a good day.  Food and family...can't get any better than that.  Well unless we were poolside!  ha!  And now I am drinking coffee, listening to King George, trying desperately to wake up.  I'm too old to be single again and going out.