Wednesday Ramble

But by taking the time away, getting myself off the treadmill, and just slowing down and learning, I felt I had so much more to give back. And maybe thatwas something that needed to happen for all of us.

Lindsey Buckingham

Well, here we are, half the week already over.  I took off work yesterday. I was really feeling burned out. After grabbing a few extra hours of much needed sleep, I spent part of the day glued to a "Outer Limits" marathon.  This was not the old version, but a newer version of some great psychological dramas.  Hubby's cold has turned into bronchitis, and I've not gotten a decent sleep in over a week. He coughs all night, even in his sleep.  On Sunday, he coughed so hard that he blacked out.  Now, that was scary when he went down in the hallway.  

Besides, it was dreadfully cold with light snow in the morning. I know my boss probably thinks it is the snow that scared me off because I already told him I'm scared of falling, but the fact is, the snow had nothing to do with it. I just didn't have it in me.  Used to be that nothing stopped me from going to work, but that is when I 'loved' it and my body didn't hurt so much.  Aging has slowed me down which can be a 'good' thing, especially for someone who has lived their life as a workaholic.  I never took off.  In fact, when I left my last job to come here they paid me for five weeks vacation, but I lost 56 hours vacation, two personal days, and 153 hours of sick time...all because I never took a day off.  I'm determined not to let that happen this time.

Speaking of cold weather, for the life of me, I cannot understand how these young women do it.  How can they wear ultra short skirts when it is 20 degrees or high heels on those icy days.  Instead of snow boots one sees them 'looking' pretty in those spiked heels, and the odd thing is, nothing seems to bother them...unless they are better actresses than I am. My legs get cold just by looking at them. To be honest, in my youth I, too, wanted to look pretty, but never at the expense of comfort. I've never liked being cold.

Not that I was a prude.  I've been known to wear a short skirt now and then.  After all, I came of age during the time of the mini, and although I preferred, and still do, the long flowing skirts of the hippies, I did have occasion to don an outfit that fell well above the knee.  Bet you're surprised to learn that one of my early jobs here in the city had a dress code that involved wearing a red bodysuit while tending bar.

But, that was then and this now, and I know now that 'true beauty' comes from within.  It is not dependent on how much cleavage or leg we show. True beauty comes from within and lasts forever. It is not what we look like, but it is who we are. It begins within the heart.

The difference between pretty and beautiful is-pretty is temporal-whereas beautiful is eternal.

Author Unknown