i’ve fallen into challenge and i can’t get up

FeetRootsNHollywood.jpg

a snap of tree roots growing in north hollywood, california that look like feet to me. guess it’s all in how you look at things.

just writing this post proves a challenge of the first order as i try to get it from becoming a flat-out pity party.

other top contenders include:

* we moved this year.
* the holidays: overspending.
* the holidays: feeling melancholy instead of the generally preferred (by others) festive.
* the holidays: decorating followed by the dreaded un.
* the holidays: greetings, as in continuing to wish folks a “happy, happy” when around here, anyway, using anything but “merry christmas” can draw blood.
* a to do list that’s about to implode and involve collateral damage.
* settling the estate of a precious, much-loved, childless 97 year-old great-aunt who had two not-really-so-dear-but-just-as-childless-and-tenaciously-long-lived predeceased sisters (a.k.a. you never saw so much stuff).
* learning del.icio.us (the “damn” is implied).
* creating digital social faux pas’es. (which is the way i think you indicate plural, as in a few more than several).
* not sounding too eager when digitally meeting new people.
* not sounding too lackadaisical when digitally meeting new people.
* my weight.
* those little critical, naysaying voices.
* juggling what i need to do with what i want – and vice versa.

i have written this post several times now. the first draft was a clever little ditty about the boot camp i just finished. (or would have had my back not gotten all messed up). the 2nd draft was a wordy wrangle about how the challenge of how much a private girl like me should actually reveal and why opening yourself up is always risky. the edit stage of that version is when i realized my real challenge was how not to appear/feel like a poor-little-me girl. and just now, as i was polishing this off, comes a text message from a friend who underwent surgery for a hernia today telling me they found cancer. and right on the heels of that a call from my brother telling me that his stepson’s face and neck came in direct contact with a full-charged and running drill motor, requiring some 67 stitches on the outside and i-don’t-know-how many on the inside.

so.

now i realize 2 things:
1) in the best interest of myself and everybody else, i HAVE to get this challenge piece posted and move on

and

2) i don’t really have any challenges worthy of note. (but thanks for listening.)

#best09

~~~

the story is mine, but credit for the kindling goes to gwen bell and her best of 2009 blog challenge.
~~~

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Second helpin's:

  1. 2009, the year of grappling
  2. resolutions, schmezolutions
  3. paperholics anonymous
  4. best web tool 2009: the envelope please
  5. this blog changed my life in less than a week. i’m not kidding.
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  1. emma says:

    I find this post utterly delightful, and hope your 2010 turns all those alluded to frowns upside down :)

    And that tree absolutely has feet!

  2. Kate T.W. says:

    They look like Big Bird’s feet to me. I like to be cheerful, and holidays can have me absolutely maudlin. Every time someone acknowledges holiday malaise I think it makes it a bit easier for the rest of us to have compassion for our own bah hum-bug moments.

    Thanks for the post!

    • jeanne says:

      you know, kate, this is the first year i’ve come right out and mentioned my holiday melancholy. sure makes me feel better (not festive, but better) to own it. and i do always feel relieved when someone else at least has a bag humbug moment and tells about it.

  3. Ahhhh….wild, i’m late here, so I”m offering nothing new — what Kate T.W. said – Big Bird’s feet – yep…and what she said about the malaise..yea..and what emma said – about hoping your 2010 turns the frowns upside down – hell, yea!!

    Don’t know about you, but i get the spirit the day AFTER all the holiday hooha..what is up with THAT?

    Jeanne…the do-overs of your post — can’t tell you how many times what I end with is NOT what I started with – odd, like life…

    So glad you shared this, and here’s to a sweet resolution to all the “contenders” in the list!!

  4. Lisa says:

    I’m glad you shared this …. along with all that you share. I can SO relate. Thank you ….

  5. whollyjeanne says:

    thanks, lisa. i’m headed over to your place to catch-up.

  6. Stacie says:

    Just found your blogs and been reading through. You are awesome, love your writing and your attitude!

    Funny how life turns around some times and you see things in a different way. Been there myself, often. While bad things happen to others and make your problems seem small, your problems are still important too :)

    I wish you a wonderful New Year’s Eve and that 2010 brings you much joy and happiness!

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