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The Tree of E

So here we are a day before Christmas Eve…and I’m finally getting around to sharing a pic of my tree.

The E Tree.
The Tree of E.

It’s a simple quiet tree. Bought on the streets of New York City for $50. (Yes, you’re paying alot…but there is no leg work – except for wrangling it back to your apartment.) And wrangle it I did.

I bought some white lights, a box of glitter ball ornaments, a few strings of bright pink beads, and a silver E ornament. That’s it. Nothing fancy. But it’s beautiful.

Her tree top needed a crown. I spied my stuffed pink-and-green sequined letter E and tucked it in the branches – like a name card holder at a fancy dinner. And thus, the E Tree, or more appropriately in harmony with this blog, The Tree of E, was born.

It has no ornaments from Christmas’ past or momentos of my travels, but it has spirit….and heart. I feel, in a way, a kinship with my tree….a rawness, a freshness…that it is perfect in its imperfection. I love her best when the lights are out, and I just watch The Tree of E glow. It warms me from within.

Happy Holidays….Merry Christmas to all.

HK

Back in 4th grade, in an English textbook, I read about Helen Keller.

I was amazed.

It was the first time I had heard of her and her story. This child born healthy contracted a disease which left her deaf and blind by the age of 19 months. What chance did she have for a normal life? None by most of our standards. And yet she persevered.

Here was a woman…a child really, that fought through adversity…with every strike in the book against her, and grew into a successful author, lecturer and political activist. She graduated from Radcliffe of all places – becoming the first deaf and blind person to receive a Bachelor of Arts degree.

The movie The Miracle Worker, was a wonderful portrayal to me of the darkness Helen endured. It was beyond my young mind’s comprehension. I was perhaps 10 years old and had no reference for such a human plight. I didn’t know anyone who was blind or deaf…and if I had, I’m sure I would’ve been afraid of them, as so many of us are by things we don’t quite understand.

What was it like to live in darkness? Without sound? It was, in my imagination, the worst kind of prison. How does one communicate? Or feel inside? I hadn’t a clue.

I had at one point when discussing Helen Keller back then, said that she was my idol. I suspect I didn’t really understand what I was saying…I certainly didn’t want to “be like her”…but I respected her courage and her rise above it all…and I was awe struck by it. It blew my young mind that this was possible…that people could beat that which held them down, that they could create a good life out of the ashes of illness and darkness. It still causes me to shake my head in wonder.

She is known for many wonderful, inspiring quotes….the beginning of the following is well known and one of my personal favorites.

Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. Security does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than exposure.

It speaks to what I believe to be true about life….it is either daring or it is nothing. Life is not secure – and believing it is so is nothing short of delusion. I would like to be as brave as Helen – although I suspect none of us ever know how brave we can be until we are met with adversity. She has been gone for awhile now, but I hope her story lives on in other 4th grade textbooks for today’s children to read about with appreciation for the gift of health and blue skies.

It’s No Secret

There’s no secret about The 2010 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show – it makes men weak and women weep.

Come on everyone – really? Do we need to see gorgeous models with bodies we can only dream of and will never have because our genetics only allowed us to be 5’3″ with some junk in the trunk (um, well that would be me)….but because our DNA did not match up, some chromosomes forgetting I wanted more height and more lean (maybe mom smoked some extra cigarettes that day during her pregnancy, no offense mom, women were smoking back then without question)….but because of these natural misfires, do I need to be subjected to hours of catwalking beauties?

I guess so.

Ok – I’m jealous. I want that to be me. I want to slither down a catwalk with huge angel wings strapped to my back, in a thong and lacy bra, bejewelled, hair blowing in the breeze. I want to feel what it’s like to be 6′ tall. I want to be that dream girl.

I understand why men drool at this….it’s damn sexy. And we women can see it even through our envious eyes. But boy, can it make trying on swimsuits and lingerie intimidating.

AND YET – I will say this…as we all know this perfection parade is just that….a parade. Theatrical, amped up…pushed up. These beauties are few and far between…and even they have bad hair days. It is ultimately in how a woman works with what she has – and how she feels about herself and her body that exudes sexiness. Confidence is sexy.

So although this annual ritual strikes fear in the female heart, maybe we can learn a thing or two about how to strut our own stuff. If you feel sexy, you are sexy….regardless of your panties or cup size.

Wear it, walk it, be it.

It’s My Life

I saw Bon Jovi at the Best Buy Theatre last night…randomly…last minute with a friend that had an extra ticket. It’s a small venue by MSG standards…intimate…but packed. It was streamed live on YouTube with a live broadcast on WPLJ. A sign of the times.

They sang one of my favorite songs – It’s My Life. And not because it’s necessarily one of their better songs but because it’s uplifting, driving, and speaks to me. And so many others. The lyrics “I just wanna live while I’m alive” is spot on. Simple but strong. If not now, when?

This ain’t a song for the brokenhearted
No silent prayer for the faith departed
And I ain’t gonna be just a face in the crowd
You’re gonna hear my voice when I shout it out loud

It’s my life
It’s now or never
I ain’t gonna live forever
I just wanna live while I’m alive

(It’s my life)
My heart is like an open highway
Like Frankie said, “I did it my way”
I just wanna live while I’m alive
‘Cause it’s my life

This is for the ones who stood their ground
For Tommy and Gina who never backed down
Tomorrow’s getting harder, make no mistake
Luck ain’t even lucky, gotta make your own breaks

It’s my life
And it’s now or never
I ain’t gonna live forever
I just wanna live while I’m alive

(It’s my life)
My heart is like an open highway
Like Frankie said, “I did it my way”
I just wanna live while I’m alive
‘Cause it’s my life

You better stand tall
When they’re calling you out
Don’t bend, don’t break
Baby, don’t back down

It’s my life
It’s now or never
‘Cause I ain’t gonna live forever
I just wanna live while I’m alive

(It’s my life)
My heart is like an open highway
Like Frankie said, “I did it my way”
I just wanna live while I’m alive

(It’s my life)
And it’s now or never
I ain’t gonna live forever
I just wanna live while I’m alive

(It’s my life)
My heart is like an open highway
Like Frankie said, “I did it my way”
I just wanna live while I’m alive
‘Cause it’s my life!