Being a Tweener

Call me nostalgic, but lately the tug of tweenhood has been strong. For those of you unfamiliar with the term, a tweener is an adolescent, usually younger, between the ages of 11-15. The term comes from the phase between being a child and a teenager. It usually constitutes the unknown of teenage-hood, but with the innocence of childhood

During my tweenhood, I had a lot of distractions that were less than wonderful: large move from home, 3 new schools, bullies, hormones, and dying friendships and pets. It was an ugly little battlefield instead of the fun butterflies, horoscopes, and slumber party dish fests it's always made out to be.

So, since I have grown into quite the wonderful woman, I think that reliving tweenhood could be a healthy little experiment. Maybe instead of going to a club to booze it up and dance the night away, a fun party could be filling out Seventeen Magazine quizzes, trying every lip balm flavor money can buy, and then giving Bloody Mary a go at midnight. Or if the night is already full, try walking to the mall and scamming on cute boys in the food court instead of paying bills or writing papers. Letting go of all the "grown up" stuff, and embracing all the exhilarating things.

There is something magical about being a tweener that sometimes life snatches from us, before we even know it was special. Second chances aren't second rate, they just come next.

Reading Tiger Beat, WW

The Act of Being Beautiful

Today, being beautiful is more important than your IQ, your mental health, your physical health, or your qualifications. I'm sure a thousand people can argue against this, but let's face the music: Beauty is always in style.

The more important question is: what is beautiful? It seems that something that is this important to all of us would be easier to define. But, to this day, we still don't quite understand the mystique of beauty. Science says it's symmetry. Poets say it's grace. Feminists say it's confidence. As a wonder woman, I say it's a little bit of mystery.

You can't really equate to anyone why one person is more handsome than the person standing next to them. They just are. And it isn't just the "beautiful" people who are beautiful. Sometimes they're uglier than a bag of chum. But it's how they are, how they act, that makes them beautiful. And honestly, I don't know what is. But I know it when I see it. And I bet you do too.

Beauty is something. It's just not something that you can put in a box or the cover of a magazine and tell millions of women to "be" it. You have to discover the act of being beautiful. And don't ask this wonder woman how to discover it. That's like asking where the holy grail is, or who really shot JFK. The secret's out there, but it's better left a secret.

Being beautiful,WW

Relaxation

Sometimes it's necessary to simply close your eyes...and listen to the wind whisper.

It has stories to tell. If we are patient, we will hear them. If we are worthy, we will understand.

Music Diaries

Music is one of the few things that we all have in common. We all know the hit song playing on the radio as much as the stranger standing next to us. Whether you like it or not is a matter of opinion, but it's listened to. It's heard. Some people claim they can be whisked back in time just by hearing a song from a point in their life. A little time capsule sealed in song.

I think that all wonder women should keep a music diary. It's relatively easy, especially in this day in age. All you have to do is turn into the radio, listen, chart, and playlist. I myself have four running music diaries. Each one has a special significance. One is for songs that have special meaning for things happening in my life, listed chronologically. Another is just popular songs from the calendar year. Another is just free music I somehow came upon. Yours can be anything you like. I've even heard of music diaries going so far as being autobiographies, each song a symbol of each point in a person's life.

Imagine when you're 98 years old, and able to travel back to younger days just by a playlist? You can remember the good old days, and even share with your grandkids what a cool cat you were. You have the music to prove it. Suddenly saying "I was into them before they got popular" can be proven. "See, it's on the 2008 playlist. They didn't make it till 2009, 2010 easy."

Music has power, soul, and beauty. What better way to identify your life?

Tunzin', WW

Wonder Woman and Adventures with Emergency Situtations

Last time I was in Wonderland, I didn't leave in the usual fashion. I left in an emergency vehicle. No sirens, but plastic gloves, EMT kits and IV's were administered, used, and followed through. Instead of driving away into the sunset in my own vehicle, heading to my own humble abode, I was whisked away to a hospital with lots of wires, tubes, and gauze.

Blood was taken, tests, interviews, health insurance, and I was released in a few hours. But still, such an afternoon as this is set apart from others. It was decided that this wonder woman's kryptonite was a pinched nerve caused by sitting and then standing too quickly, blocking oxygen to the brain and causing a short black out episode. Keen.

And what kind of kindness does Wonderland bestow on this white rabbit? Their humble little middle man? A call to see what the fuss was all about, and then asked to come in early on my next shift to take a conference call. No bows. No ribbons. No hugs and kisses. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. After all, this is Wonderland, not a kid's story.

Reality checked, WW

Wonder Woman and Adventures in Oddjobs

Because of the bleak prospects in Wonderland, this wonder woman had to take the bull by the horns and make some mad money. But does a wonder woman put on her resume ALL of her past positions? Do employers want to know even your most strange and odd jobs?

Nanny/Child Professional-
Have a kid needs tending? Even the rowdy, grouchy, screaming, tyrant children aren't too much to handle. Have money ready by end of session. Will drive if gas is provided. Television is never on the play agenda.

Grader-
Attention Teachers! Don't have any spare time for yourself? Hand over a sample graded paper and leave it to me! Works by the hour. Will mark your way, their way, any way, but only in purple ink.

Composter-
Have the compost but no time to use it? This amateur gardener will shovel your crap anywhere you want it to go. Experience in composting, shoveling, making trash, and lovin' the great outdoors. Sunscreen and ice tea would be appreciated. No payment necessary for short jobs.

Merry Maid-
Houses are my speciality. I can get them ship shape, top to bottom. Bathrooms, windows, floors, kitchens, bedrooms are all done, and done right. Nothing is left but the sweet smell of a job well done. Pay by the hour, tips are not necessary.

Dog Walker-
All dogs love the wind in their face and the smells of their brethren around them. I'm just the woman to give them what they love and love doing it. I'll take them around the block, or up a mountain if they want it. Poo bags necessary, payment not.

Wonder Woman and Adventures in The Workforce (Part VII)

My days in Wonderland are numbered.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me explain...

Part of the great divide in this wonder woman's life is Wonderland. It's getting to be a veritable war zone down there. The jabberwock is loose and everyone is out for number one. People are fighting to stay alive. They are disappearing every day. Only the few and the brave are surviving. One of the good Wonderlanders was hacked off the chopping block just this last week, and one of its esteemed queens was shipped off to Neverland the week before that. It's not looking good.

Cue in me. Barely with my citizenship and striving to make a name for myself in Wonderland, I work hard and smile big. (It's the best way to get a queen's attention, when you smile big when you want to scream out loud.) I've become quite the white rabbit. Running around, busy as a bee, making appointments, keeping up with all the Wonderlanders. But even a white rabbit is expendable, especially if a jabberwock is hungry for rabbit stew...

My time in Wonderland is limited. I know it is. The Red Queen is only letting the few and proud old established Wonderlanders pass through the pearly gates. I'm only allowed to peak through the bushes of the croquet court, when I'm allowed at all. Times are hard in Wonderland. Very, very, hard. I can feel the breath of the jabberwock on my neck wonder women, I can smell it's breath. It's coming for me. It's waiting for the time when I'm late for a very important date, and that's when I'll smell it for the last time....

Running to the mercy of a pocket watch, WW