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Myth Of The Real World: Search For Identity Part II

28 January 2013 / / One comment

I shared the story yesterday about how much I’m fascinated with the concept of identity.

In 2006, my communication studies student Johanna-Joy asked me to make a presentation to the undergraduate honor society for which she was an officer.

I ended up giving a presentation titled “The Myth of the Real World: Searching for Identity During and After College.” I debunked myths and perceptions of real world versus college world.

 

honor society event.

Here are the last five points I made to the students:

6. What you know and what you do not know— Many of my public speaking business students would complain that their ages of 19, 20, or 21 were causing managers to pass them by for promotions. “I know way more than her. Why wasn’t I promoted? It must be because of age discrimination.” Remember to look outside your tunnel. You might be passed over because you’ve been working someplace for just one month.
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Tales From Sip And Go Girl: “Vitaly”

28 January 2013 / / One comment

I met Vitaly in a coffee shop, of course. He is part of another Tale From Sip and Go Girl. These are my real stories about dates and fellas I’ve met in my life.

The Starbucks in which we met is one of my regular stores. I’m there every Sunday morning, almost without fail. I told Vitaly this, in fact, while we were there.

He was very quiet and said very little. Vitaly had a strong Russian accent and was shy. Those are big reasons he was so quiet.

Toward the end of our time at Starbucks, he suddenly told me, “I live close to here. Very close. I have many fine wines. Red wines. You like red wine?”
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Bonked Him On The Side Of The Head

27 January 2013 / / Comments Off on Bonked Him On The Side Of The Head

I rode a school bus from 3rd grade until midway through 11th grade. Sometimes the bus was noisy, hot, or crowded but it was never bad except for a few weeks during 7th grade.

I was a painfully shy 12-year-old. I often had to sit next to one boy whose name I actually don’t remember. I’ll call him Harold.

After maybe the second time we sat next to each other, Harold started making mean little comments. Once he told me I smelled funny and then said it loudly enough for others to hear. I actually smelled the odor too that day, but I know it wasn’t me. I was still embarrassed though.

As the days went on, he started making rude and sort of lewd comments about me being a girl. I would just sit there, frozen. I didn’t say anything and tried to ignore him.
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50 Ways To Leave Your Lover

22 January 2013 / / One comment

I was talking to my friend Gary via text message and told him I was writing for my website.

Me: Need topic for article. Thoughts?

Gary: How to get out of a relationship.

Me: Well ok. But kind of broad. Narrow?

Gary: Without hurting your partner?

Me: Hmmmm. Ok. Give me one way.

Gary: You can’t. That’s my point. That’s the end of your piece.

He makes an astute observation that’s alluded the rest of the world.
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Myth Of The Real World: Search For Identity Part I

21 January 2013 / / Comments Off on Myth Of The Real World: Search For Identity Part I

I’ve been fascinated with the concept of identity for most of my life.

When I was in my early teenage years, I saved quizzes from magazines that would ask the reader “What’s Your Decorating Style” or “Are You A Romantic.”

I’ve been into astrology since those years too, and studied the characteristics of my astrological sign trying to figure out the validity of the traits.

In 2006, one of my communication studies students asked me to make a presentation to the undergraduate honor society for which she was an officer.

When Johanna-Joy asked what job title to call me for that night’s event publicity, I really didn’t know.

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Catfishing: The Football Player And His Fake Girlfriend

20 January 2013 / / 4 comments

Not since angst-ridden middle daughter Jan Brady manufactured an imaginary boyfriend named George Glass has there been such a hub bub over the mysterious dating habits of another.

Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o had been very publically talking about his California-based girlfriend Lennay Kekua. The Heisman Trophy runner-up was dating the woman through a serious car crash and her diagnosis with leukemia. She died last autumn. Her life and spirit helped the athlete through the football season, he says. He soared through the season and sports insiders say the linebacker will be a first-round pick in the NFL draft this spring.

The catch?

New reports have found that the long-suffering and now dead girlfriend does not exist. She never did.
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High Hopes And Choices For 2013

19 January 2013 / / Comments Off on High Hopes And Choices For 2013

2013 is here and many decisions and actions we take in the next few days will be a precursor to how this year is going to unfold.

I will choose to be helpful, gentle, and kind with my words intentionally.
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One Of The Hardest Things To Do

18 January 2013 / / Comments Off on One Of The Hardest Things To Do

One of the hardest things you will have to do in your life is walk away.

Friends, lovers, and business associates can all drain you of your positive energy like a cookie absorbs milk. The ability to identify a problem that isn’t going away and take the steps to remove it from your life not only will serve you in your pursuit of a cleaner mental headspace, but it will allow you to put yourself in positions to find better and more stable people.

I was a part of a collective of artists and we often collaborated on projects together. We were well known in our art scene and the bar scene in downtown Tucson, Arizona.
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The Car, The Man, The Myth

17 January 2013 / / One comment

I walked outside Macy’s at the mall and headed to my car. I started to step off the sidewalk as a sleek, candy apple red Corvette with shiny wheels and dual exhaust drives by me.

I watched the Chevy turn down the 50 yard line parking row and pull into a space midway back and away from the pack of parked cars closest to the store. It made sense because a car like that shouldn’t be near anyone who is going to bang doors or shopping carts into it.

My imagination begins to take over and I see things in slow motion. Bright sunlight is shining directly on the car, like a spotlight on stage. I hear faint dramatic music playing in the background as the door opens.

A jet black combat boot with thick soles steps out onto the ground. As the door opens more, I can see black framed sunglasses and a black leather jacket. The tight white t-shirt slides across the tightly ripped abs as he stands and turns to close the door behind him.
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Post-Date Hecklers

15 January 2013 / / Comments Off on Post-Date Hecklers

One of the challenges I face as creator, editor, and primary writer for a website about relationships is making sure I also stay true to my journalist roots. This means that while I might tell a seemingly far-fetched story about a person, place, or thing, the story is true and I tell it without embellishment.  Thus, you won’t see a sentence like this:

“And he very stupidly took the door handle and, like a big imbecile, decided that…”

My goal is not to mock. It’s to learn, teach, and share.

Nevertheless, there is the possibility that someone somewhere is going to read an article in which his name is used and feel sad or angry that I’m talking about him. One of the ways I also try to get around hurt feelings is by allowing some time to pass between the date or experience and when I publish the article.
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