I thought when I started my 50-day blog challenge, it would be really hard because, honestly, I’m a pretty open book. There’s not much I haven’t already shared my two cents about.
But along the way, it seems there’s always been something to write about. Then, tonight, my blogging community leader threw out our monthly challenge — to write about a story we’ve never told anyone before.
So of course now I’m stuck. Really. Thanks to social media and this blog, anyone who knows me knows:
- I almost killed my family with 15-year-old bouillon cubes used in meatball stew.
- Despite these attempts, I still have three kids and a husband I love very much.
- I like to embarrass my kids by singing Styx while driving them to school.
- Special needs parenting is a bitch sometimes.
- I lost my mind when Trump won and adopted a dog.
- A day-old pair of underwear fell out of my pants leg on the sidelines of a soccer game.
- I’ve been dryer riding.
- I love my feet.
- I’ve walked several blocks in downtown Chicago with my skirt accidentally tucked into the back of my underwear.
The only stories I haven’t told yet are the ones I am not quite ready to. The ones that belong in large part to someone else. Or just need more time. Or a different place. It’s beyond frustrating to spend these past days listening to men dismiss stories of women when you know how hard it is for them to come forward and share. Just because it took them years to find a voice doesn’t make the tales any less true. Watching this drama unfold is disheartening, to say the least, to people who have long struggled with trauma. More of their stories may wait a little longer.
On the flip side, in this age of oversharing, there’s something to be said about keeping a few things to yourself. I don’t need Kim Kardashian’s butt selfies, for example. More power to her, but I’m going to give that click a hard pass when I’m scrolling through Facebook. Or Chrissy Teigen’s admission to sex on a first date with her husband. OK for her to tell, but I am choosing to save the brain space for something else.
Sharing untold stories can be incredibly powerful. This last 40 days (with 10 to go) has been a truly insightful learning experience. And someday, there will be more of my soul to bare. When the story is ready, it’ll find a voice.
Day 1: 50 Days, 50 Thoughts, 50 Books. Book recommendation: The Bitch is Back
Day 2: There Aren’t Any Do-Overs, Are There? Book Recommendation: A Place for Us
Day 3: Is Pop Culture Circling the Drain? Book recommendation: Live from New York
Day 4: Perimenopause in the Age of Trump Book Recommendation: Where’d You Go, Bernadette
Day 5: Take A Knee at the Altar of Common Sense Book Recommendation: How Not to Be a Dick
Day 6: Perspective is the Gift That Keeps on Giving Book Recommendation: A Fine Balance
Day 7: The Accidental Editor Book Recommendation: Theft by Finding: Diaries (1977 – 2002)
Day 8: The First Last of the Firsts Book Recommendation: The Little Book of Hygge
Day 9: All Kinds of Tired Book Recommendation: Believer
Day 10: Overthinking is Anxiety’s Bitchy Best Friend Book Recommendation: Let’s Pretend This Never Happened
Day 11: Where Would You go with a Wayback Machine? Book Recommendation: A Little Life
Day 12: Fall in my Favorite Chicago
Day 13: On Having It All Book Recommendation: Lean In
Day 14: Where Were You When … Book Recommendation: The Nix
Day 15: 5 Things to Purge Before you Turn 50 Book Recommendation: The Art of Tidying Up
Day 16: A Labor Day Salute to Bad Bosses Everywhere Book Recommendation: Steve Jobs
Day 17: Do You Validate? Book Recommendation: Less
Day 18: Identity Crisis Code Purple Book Recommendation: Amp’d
Day 19: Character Really Does Count Book Recommendation: Believer
Day 20: Death Before Public Speaking Book Recommendation: The Gifts of Imperfection
Day 21: 15 Things You Should Do Before You Turn 50 Book Recommendation: Drop Dead Healthy
Day 22: Calling BS on “Sticks and Stones” Book Recommendation: Love Warrior
Day 23: My Feet Are My Favorite Part of Me Book Recommendation: Born to Run
Day 24: Self-Help Books Aren’t Half Bad Book Recommendation: The Book of Joy
Day 25: Going for Gratitude Book Recommendation: The Gratitude Diaries
Day 26: Past Self Meets Future Self Book Recommendation: A Wrinkle in Time
Day 27: The Book is Always Better Book Recommendation: Big Little Lies
Day 28: Three Cheers for Volunteers Book Recommendation: A Secret Gift
Day 29: The Social Network Book Recommendation: The Circle
Day 30: 50 People Who Can Text Me Before Trump Does Book Recommendation: Purity
Day 31: I’ll Take My Joy Where I Can Find It Book Recommendation: The Book of Joy
Day 32: Humor is My Sixth Sense Book Recommendation: Sick in the Head
Day 33: Anger Comes Second Book Recommendation: The Leftovers
Day 34: Hypocrisy, Much? Book Recommendation: The Favorite Sister
Day 35: Girl Power Book Recommendation:Girls
Day 36: The Kids are All Right Book Recommendation: Ohio
Day 37: Banned Books Week Book Recommendation: the Banned Books list
Day 38: An Open Letter to Congress Book Recommendation: The Ocean at the End of the Lane
Day 39: The Importance of Guilty Pleasures Book Recommendation: The Actress
Today’s recommendation: When it comes to storytelling, it doesn’t get much better than Michael Hainey’s Chicago childhood memoir, After Visiting Friends
I blather about books. If you’d like my reviews to hit your in-box, you can sign up here. I also promise a spam-free experience —too busy reading to write and email you every day (hahaha except for right now, but we’re getting closer to the end). I am also on Facebook, trolling for friends. Because we all need more friends. More, more, more.
Filed under: mumbo jumbo
