Spectacular

Yesterday I did something that I haven't done in awhile - I took the day off from the dance studio and I went to get my hair colored and nails done.  My hair is currently four colors - my "normal" black, purple, blue and wild orchid - and I think it's a lot of fun.  After I got my hair colored, I went and got my nails done - I had artificial nails put on and they are painted blue topped with colored glitter.  It's been eight weeks since the last time I got my hair colored and I don't even know the last time that I got my nails done but yesterday was the day to do things for me.

I was reminded of a quote this past week from the movie Jack; "make your life spectacular."  It has caused me to question if/how I am making my own life to be spectacular.  There are different aspects of my life where I've noticed that I have allowed myself to enter a rut rather than bringing sparkle and muchness into my life and I don't like it.  I know in my head that it is up to me to change things around but I don't know how.  I think one of the things that would help in turning things in a different direction would be me to stop feeling the need to explain myself or hide myself away out of fear of people not understanding/getting me.  I'm weird and different - so what?!  Why am I constantly trying to hide that away?

Even as I'm writing this now, I'm struggling a bit.  I have written this a couple of different ways and have deleted it for whatever reason.  I don't know if it's the "people pleaser" in me and the fact I know that pushing the envelope isn't always so readily accepted but I can't keep hiding myself away just because it's easier than trying to explain it.

Today, the church that I attend, inducted a new pastor.  I opted to make the day off partly because of tension between the old pastor and myself and partly because of just wanting a day off since the dance troupe is in a parade tomorrow and I wanted to rest.  There is a small street fair happening after the parade tomorrow and the church has a food booth; some of the members of the church have asked me to stop by, in costume, to say hi.  If the new pastor is there, I might as well introduce him to the "real" me right from the start and not try to explain myself away.

While I was running errands today, I was pushing my cart and paying attention to what I was looking for in a particular aisle, when a man approached me and said, "I really like your jacket and hair; they are very colorful and pretty and it makes me smile."  Now this gentleman obviously had some sort of a delay (sorry, comes from working with all sorts of people over the years) but I admired him for his courage to say something and I told him so.  I also told him that by him telling me that, it brought a smile to my face - that made his smile even bigger as he walked away.  It was one of those out of the blue interactions that make being different/weird worth it.  I had a similar interaction this past week in a drive-thru; I was at the window and the worker said that they liked my sparkly glasses and wished they could get away with wearing glitter at work but couldn't; I recommended that she wear glitter nail polish on her toes so she would at least know she was wearing it - she told me that she never had thought of that and the idea made her day.  Sometimes it's just the little things but they are important.  Plus, neither interaction really cost me anything and it made both parties involved feel good.

Well, my dear readers, I am going to take these two interactions and work towards making my life spectacular - I hope you find ways to do the same.  I know, for me personally, making my life spectacular is going to involve muchness and weirdness.  Thank you for joining me along this journey!  =)