25

I turn twenty-five a week from tomorrow. Ack!! That's halfway to 50 and halfway in between 20 and 30. Yikes!!

I always thought 25 was so old. I don't feel old now though, I feel like my life is just starting. I am so blessed in so many ways, grateful and humbled by how kind life has been and how many things I shouldn't take for granted: good health, a man I love that loves me, my family, my amazing friends, a job I feel fulfilled in and that gives me a glimpse of what a true career is, and enough money to live comfortably and travel every now and then...I am humbled because I know it's not the same for many, many people I share this planet with. Every now and then I have to remember not to take it all for granted...it's easy to let life pass you by without stopping to appreciate it.

The other day, for example, there was an accident on Canal Road on my way home from work. It wasn't moving at all so I decided to turn around and park near Lock 6 by the river. I had my yoga clothes (a tank and a pair of sweatpants) with me and changed into those in the car, but I had no tennis shoes - although I did have a pair of big blue slippers still in the backseat from my last trip back home to NC. So I went walking down to the river to watch the sun over the water. People on the trails were looking at me like I was bonkers: I was wearing workout clothes with blue slippers. But I could care less. It was better than wearing my black pointy-toed work shoes. I sat next to the water and just enjoyed the scenery and let all of the other drivers back on Canal Road fight traffic.

Tuesday evening MF and I had dinner with our friend G who is an amazing cook: she made curry salmon (the homemade kind where you add each individual spice yourself and let it simmer). And then we watched the movie Kinky Boots: I highly recommend it. It's like the Full Monty - British humor, cross-dressers and bad teeth. It's the story of this little shoe factory in a sleepy town in England that is going belly up, so the owner decides to start making kinky boots for drag queens (basically, patent leather stilettos that are tough enough to hold a man's weight) and hires one as his shoe designer. It's funny but also endearing - especially in terms of social acceptance, identity and open-mindedness. One of the lines that sticks with me is "Change your mind about someone." I'll leave it at that - you should see it.