Who Do You Think You Are

For a while now, I have been tuning into TLC’s “Who Do You Think You Are?” where celebrities explore their family history and background. If you have not seen it, it is really intriguing and I highly suggest that you tune in for an episode or two. Although it is rather amazing what the experts on the show come to find about past relatives, it made me wonder if this information could we easily uncovered by an everyday person. Since I am not quite famous yet, my chances of getting on that show are rather slim so I decided after seeing the many endorsements of ancestry.com, I would give it a whirl.

Let me just say that history has always been exciting to me. If I had to go back and change my career path, I would probably be a history teacher because I enjoy it so much. Once I logged onto ancestry.com, I was immediately hooked and found myself wanting to go further and further back into my family history. Everything from the old census to photographs to my great grandfather’s citizenship card were things I probably would not be able to view without the help of the website. Although all are very interesting, it made me feel sad that I am not able to share these newly found documents with my grandparents. My grandmother passed away in 2005, which now seems like a lifetime ago. Exploring where she and her ancestors came from (we were not really clear on my grandmother’s heritage), really makes me regret not spending more time with her. Her husband, my grandfather, passed away in 2009 and we were very close. I even wrote a few papers about him and his life in Ireland when I was in college but being able to view the journey of his family, makes my heart feel heavy.

If anything, all of this has shown me the importance of not only knowing where you came from but who your family really is. I’m Italian, Irish, and may possibly have a hint of English pumping through my veins and I’m proud of that. I feel lucky to have come from a line of people that made the journey across the Atlantic and settled in Boston. I hope I do enough in my life to leave a mark or at least some sort of impression on the next generation.

A Drink Is A Drink Is A Drink

The weather is just starting to change and you know what that means boots, balls, and bruskies. Ah, wait. I don’t drink beer. To be honest, I rarely drink any alcohol at all. It’s more of a personal decision that I made a while ago not because I am against it, but I just don’t really have any desire to. Being that I identify as a pretty social 20 something year old, the thought that I prefer to sip water over cocktails during a night out has presented some interesting scenarios. It’s almost comical that the spotlight burns brightly on the person that is not drinking rather than on the drunken fool making an ass out of themselves. I’ve never been a bar girl; I have no desire to try to have conversations in loud, congested settings where people are spilling drinks and rubbing up against you. But if a friend wants to go out to a bar for their birthday, hey I’m a team player and I’ll definitely be there! Now just imagine all those faces of those in the party group when you say that “you’re good” when it comes to ordering a drink. It almost becomes a game for those around you. “Just have a drink,” “I want to see you drunk.” Even when you let them know that you are driving home that night or have an early day, it’s a challenge presented to them and they are foaming at the mouth to accomplish it.

Where did all this pressure come from for not drinking? I never really felt the magnitude of this decision in my high school and college years, granted I didn’t have such a strong stance on drinking and drank if I wanted to. Why now as a responsible adult do I have to encounter this? I really don’t have a taste for alcohol or a desire to get blacked out and wake up with a horrendous hangover. If you’ve read any of my other postings, you’ll know that I’m really enthused about health and fitness and it would be difficult to achieve those goals with Bud Light sloshing around in my stomach. Why can’t no just be no and that be the end of it?

What is the point of this rant? Well unless you start off your morning with Mimosa, you know that you don’t need alcohol to get through your day. I can actually enjoy myself in social settings without any drink in hand. I often wonder if my not drinking makes those who are a little self-conscience. Why would they care if I’m not drinking? You do what makes you happy and I’ll do the same. I’d rather be chugging water once I cross the finish line at my next race, not puking in the bushes a half mile in. So cheers to those who will engage in Thirsty Thursday tomorrow. That choice is yours and I’ll be making mine.

Why Summer Doesn’t Feel Like Summer

DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince made it all sound simple:

“Give me a soft subtle mix
And if ain’t broke then don’t try to fix it
And think of the summers of the past
Adjust the base and let the alpine blast
Pop in my CD and let me run a rhyme
And put your car on cruise and lay back cause this is summertime.”

 

Sure, I can play Pandora at my desk and get whisked away in fantasies of sitting on the beach with the sun hitting my face and a good book on my lap but it isn’t the same. Although visiting the ocean and playing some upbeat tunes has come true a few times this summer, the thought of taking it easy like Jazzy Jeff and Will Smith argh,um,The Fresh Prince vocalize seems to be long gone.

Was it ever a reality?

The First Years

Sure! When I was a kid (below the standard working age) summer was a crucial break from school and the constant structure of scheduling. My days were spent hanging out on playgrounds with friends, going away on vacation, or even getting pumped up over sleep away soccer camp. What was there to stress about? Maybe your mother calling you in for dinner before the street lights came on and you were about to miss a critical game of kickball!

Sweet 16

“You want to drive, you better get a job.” Words spoken so many times by my father that I’m sure somewhere on Google he is cited as saying them. In a blink of an eye, simple summers were over and parents assumed you were an adult and had to live like one. Don’t get me wrong, I had no issues making my own money but those once relaxing summers turned into scrubbing plates in a dish room at the hospital. First job memories……frightening to say the least!

Present

The innocence of summer breaks is gone and as most of us know, it’s just another three months of working but just in hotter temperatures. I will say, at least for me, summer is my chance to come up for air and loosen up the shackles that have kept me close to my desk all year long. Obviously the dynamic has changed and instead of checking out for some much needed vacation time, we are very much still plugged in. Is it me or does work send you even MORE emails when you are out of the office? How will I overcome my summertime sadness (see what I did there 🙂 )?

I’m going to plan.

I’m going to figure out what my next moves are and what risks are worth taking. I’m going to get more organized and get my financial life in order. I’m going to see friends more because the weather gives you more flexibility to do new things. I’m going to go back to the beach with a new book and soak up what I have earned all year, time for myself.

“And this is the Fresh Prince’s my new definition of summer madness”