Fabulous Friday Five (On a Saturday!)

(Er…succulent Saturday Six?)

Just a collection of 5 cool things I’m mulling around in my head right now, or currently having an impact on my life…

A Re-dedication. Let me start by saying that the return of the “Fabulous Friday Five” was inspired by my spiritual return to my coven-group generally, and by one member in particular. Hey, I’m happy if anyone cares or is reading this at all, and I am glad beyond measure to feel like I can be of service. I’m back.

Book Progress. Book progress. Book progress! It seems that my spiritual life and my writing life are deeply intertwined, and that both have to be up and running properly for either of them to function at all. I don’t know. All I know is…I can write again, and I’m hopeful about it, and that’s good.

A re-examination of gender. I suppose that I never really “got” the importance of drag to some boys. I like to think that I am up on gender and gender issues, but I RuPaul’s Drag Race has taught me even more. A couple of people at work got me into watching it, and I am hooked! It’s a lot more than fantastic wigs, fabulous outfits and impeccable runway walking though. Some of the contestants are strictly performers. But for some, this has been a defining part of who they are for most of their lives. The show highlights the very constructed nature of gender roles, and how much of one’s appearance is determined by the wearer. Seemingly ordinary-looking men can morph into the most stunning women. (Quite often with enviable legs!) Heck, it even forces me to reconcile the fact that there’s a huge difference between me with no makeup on, and any old outfit, and me when I’ve taken 2 hours to get ready. It’s a performance. It’s all a performance. As RuPaul says, “You’re born naked. Everything else is drag.”

Re-discovering silence. I like to have noise around me almost all the time. There is usually something playing in the background. I have been guilty of using it to soothe me and keep me company. But, noise is not where creativity comes from, and as much as it pains me to admit it, I do sometimes have to force myself to turn the music off and let my mind wander. I making more of an effort to reclaim silence when I can. The results have been reminding me of why it’s so valuable to the creative process.

Learning to be a better listener. I’m lucky. I may not have a perfect life, but it’s pretty darn great, and emotionally, I think that I’m doing ok. I have no need to sit around and wallow in my “problems.” They’re not that bad. That’s good, because that frees me up my mental real estate to take in what others are saying, and to consciously avoid making the conversation all about me. It’s all about knowing when to shut up. I am not the best at doing this, but I HAVE noticed that I’ve been a sounding board for a couple of people lately, and that’s awesome, because I really felt that in those cases the person felt better afterward. I don’t mind if people vent to me, especially if it makes them feel better. I just have to be sure to not hang on to the energy afterward!

Published by