Lesson, something learned by study or experience as defined by the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. This was actually easy for me..the whole looking for the lesson in every situation. In a strange way, I became almost robotic with it. Using my optimism like some iPhone App. Believe me, I am not complaining about this. I will always see that proverbial glass as half full. But, on February 20, 2010, my world was turned topsy-turvy. My thought process was challenged. I was asked to stretch, rethink, go back to the drawing board, rewrite the script and change the lens. You know like the picture of the bunny and duck which sort of shift as you tilt your head. Same image, different perspective. I remember the date because I was sitting on the left hand side of the bed in one of the guest bedrooms at my sister girlfriend's house on a cul de sac in Northern California. Sister girlfriend was sitting at the end of the bed near my feet and my Road Dawg for life was sitting to my right. The room is filled with feminine energy and the bonds of sisterhood formed from shared experiences, memories and time.
Here, with these beautiful souls, I could be vulnerable, raw and real. You see, they cried with me during those moments when I was stuck between a rock and a hard place and they accompanied me back to Cal for the first time after 17 years just so I can buy a sweatshirt that says "Berkeley Alumni". As we were recapping our wonderful weekend, sister girlfriend says something to me which could be interpreted as "Jodi, you may just have to kiss a few more frogs". OMG, for really real? That's what my inner voice said as I rolled my eyes. I try to quickly reel in all that emotion so I cover it up by saying (this is not verbatim mind you more like a grossly negligent paraphrase) "Okay, so what could possibly be my lesson in kissing more frogs"? As I say this, I was sitting on the left hand side of this bed literally racking my brain trying to figure out what grand qualities I would acquire through these experiences. So I say that, to my little self-help squad..."what is the lesson in that"? That's when sister girlfriend lays a bombshell on me!
"Jodi, the frogs aren't lessons honey they are tools"! The record scratches. Pump the brakes. Back it on up. Or as Arnold would say "What 'chu talkin' 'bout Willis?". She advises me to change my perspective. In order to see them as tools, I have to change my position. Now let me clarify for you. I understood immediately because I know the heart of sister girl. She did not mean for me to use people but rather to absolutely have fun with my femininty. She was referring to the meaning of tool which closely resembles the word "implement" (noun not verb). Here is a quick lesson..a tool is defined as something that helps gain an end. An implement, more specifically, suggests a device designed for a specific job that may require some skill on the users part. Well, this just changes everything. After much thought, I realized that I just became empowered. I am in the driver's seat. So as not to disappoint, the lesson is that I am to use all of my head knowledge (the books and blogs presented in my last post) and apply them. How liberating is this?!
"I mean I didn't even know frogs had lips. How 'bout a nice firm handshake?"
~ Princess Tiana
You are so insightful; if this means as a women that your are in control of your body, destiny, emotions and the results thereafter then you are exactly right. Therefore compromise is not an option. And remaining to act and look regal is necessary. They either take it or leave it.
ReplyDeletethat's good!
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