May 23rd

I turn 30 years old today. This morning I had to trod up 5 steep Seattle city blocks and thought I would never make it. I had one drink last night and today I feel hung over. I think I might have found a gray hair last week. And the other day I returned a skirt I had just bought at Nordstrom because the reality is, I can't wear skirts like that anymore-- it's just not appropriate for someone my age.

10 years ago I was 20 years old and in college. I was partying, studying for tests, wearing 20- year-old clothes and making all kinds of stupid mistakes. You know what? It was fun then, but today is beautiful. I've learned and grown from my mistakes, I have a career I am proud of, a wonderful partner, a mother I adore and my friends are my family. I've had a wonderful life, and I'm looking forward to the next 30 years!

Lesson learned: 30 ain't no big thing!

Submitted by: Claudia

Work it, Girl

Every job I ever had I did exactly what I was told. Got there when they told me, left when they told me, ate when they told me. One day I went to lunch at 2p. When I got back at 3p my boss said, "You need to take lunch at 12p. You can't be out of the office all day." That's dumb I thought. I didn't start until 10a. Why would I take lunch 2 hours later? Whatever, I didn't argue. I did what I was told. I never got promoted and 2 years before I left they stopped giving raises - of any kind. After 7 years at that job I decided enough was enough.

I made a decision. My next job was going to work for me not the other way around. I walked in to the interview asked for exactly the amount of money I wanted. Told them I was not a morning person and couldn't possibly be at work before 9am. I even named my own title. And you know what, they agreed.

Needless to say I hated the job and left after 6 months. However, I decided from that point on that if I had to spend 9 hours at a job I should at least get some of my own terms in return. Because I'm a great catch and I'm worth it!

Lesson Learned: Work the job don't let it work you.

Submitted by: Nicole

The rule is still golden

I was in a meeting this past week with a colleague. He made a comment during our conversation that really stuck with me. We were talking about what it takes to motivate people, and he said, "In business, people are only motivated by two things: your attituide and your money". I didn't want to agree with him, because on the surface it sounded like such a "capitalist" statement. But the more I thought about it, the more I had to agree. Just like anything else, your attitude and your money are a reflection of yourself. Having one or the other is OK. But its what you do with them that makes all the difference.

Lesson learned: Treat people the way you want to be treated, and pay people the way you want to be paid.

Purple Rain

In the 9th grade, my then best friend Angela got me tickets to the Purple Rain concert for my birthday. My parents decided that, although they knew I loved Prince more than life itself, he was too risque for a 14 year old to see live. I was devastated, heart broken, crushed. I thought I would never recover from the pain.

To this day I remember the anguish that I felt when Angela and Andrea (who she took to the concert instead of me) brought me a t-shirt the day after the show. I recently told my mother that she stunted my growth, ruined my life and that the decision she made to keep me away from Prince was the worst thing that has ever happened to me in my whole life.

Her response: If that's the worst thing that's ever happened to you then you've had a pretty good life. Lesson Learned.

Submitted by: Nicole

"Patches"

When I was kid I used to play so hard on the playground that I constantly wore holes into the knees of all my pants. My mom got so tired of it that she started sewing industrial strength knee patches on my pants. The problem was, she never used patches that matched my pants! Gray patches on black pants. Brown patches on green pants. I walked around all day looking like a baseball catcher. It got so bad that kids at school started calling me "patches". But I didn't care, I kept right on playing.

Lesson learned: No price is too great as long as you're doing what you love.

The hills are alive

The last few weeks I have been getting up on Saturday mornings and taking walks on a hiking trail that meanders through a very wooded park along the Root River here in Racine, WI. It amazes me how much my heart and soul cries out to be in nature. It reminded me of a story I heard on NPR about a 3rd graders home work where the goal was to match two pictures with either the word need or want. First example was a New Bike or Food. New Bike = Want & Food = Need The last one was a man reading or flowers. I think sometimes we under estimate how much we NEED flowers!

Submitted by: Ancient Path

Age ain't nuthin but a number

Last year my family had a huge party for my grandmother's 95th birthday. I was over to her house making mixed cd's for the party. I asked my grandmother what she'd like to hear. She said, "Louis Armstrong, Sara Vaughn, Josh Groban and Angie Stone." What kind of playlist is that! How does my 95 year old grandmother know Angie Stone?

Lesson Learned: You're never to old to get your groove on.

Submitted by: Nicole

Shopaholic

My mother, aside from being a sci-fi geek, is also a shopaholic. She is all about the outfit. She won't go and buy a simple pair of pants. She has to buy the pants and at least 2 matching tops, the skirt if it happens to be a set... and in every color! She's seriously the only person that I know who owns and rocks yellow pants. The other funny thing is she will spend $100 on a pair of shoes, but will refuse to buy the matching purse if it cost more than $20.

Lesson Learned: My mother is a fashionista!

Submitted by: Nicole

What's with people getting pregnant before marriage?

At a recent wedding shower... needless to say for a dude, my friend Chris told us about his proposal to his girlfriend who was three months pregnant. He proposed to her at a hot dog stand in Santa Barbara. When he asked her: "Will you marry me?" Being traditional and Catholic, she said: "Of course. I have to." I was cracking up when I heard that.

Lesson Learned: Use contraception.

Submitted by: Anonymous

Beam me up!

You know all those shows you see on TV and you wonder 'who in the world watches that?' Those are the shows my mom LOVES! Xena Warrior Princess, Stargate SG1, Beastmaster, Ghost Whisperer, the list goes on and on. It's almost like she has a tacky TV radar that has no off-switch. It's hilarious.

Lesson learned: Sci-fi geeks come in all shapes and sizes.

Carpe

I got some really cool advice yesterday that really hit home. Enjoy:

"Life doesn't get any easier as time passes, so if you think you don't have time to do something today, you probably won't have time to do it tomorrow either. "

Lesson learned: Don't put off living.

Hardcore

My sister hipped me to this show on Discovery Channel called "Man vs. Wild". HIGHLY recommend it. Each week this guy gets dropped out of a helicopter into the middle of nowhere, and has to find his way to civilization with nothing more than a hunitng knife and a cantine. Dude is nuts! But somehow he gets it done week after week. I've seen him make his way out of the Arctic, the Sahara, the Costa Rican rainforest and a deserted island! Bananas.

Lesson learned: The term rock star has officially been re-defined.

My Filipino Proverb

It was a cold, winter weekend and I was visiting my best friend in New Jersey. Her family is traditionally Filipino, which meant lots of food and unyielding hospitality. In other words, I couldn't pass the kitchen without my friend's cheerful dad asking me, "Are you hungry?" Each time I'd answer, "No thank you, Tito." And then my stomach would grumble. Then he'd ask, "Are you cold? You want the heat turned up?" I'd just shiver and respond, "No, I'm just fine." Finally, he realized I was just trying to be overly polite and said, "Don't be shy. You know what they say about shy people. They are cold and hungry."

Lesson learned: My favorite words of wisdom came from a Filipino man in New Jersey.

Submitted by: CG

Unraveling the mystery

I wanted 1-ply. She had to have 2-ply.
I found a good deal on generics. She said only Charmin would do.
I thought the 6-pack would suffice. She wouldn't accept anything less than the super-24.

If it's just going to get flushed, what's the big deal????

Lesson learned: I know there are many differences between men and women, but toilet paper is the one I have yet to figure out.

Reality is perception

Last night I watched "Wheel of Fortune", then "Run's House", then "Flavor of Love Girls: Charm School", then "American Idol", and then "Real World".

Am I addicted to reality TV? Or is that all that's on anymore?

Lesson learned: I miss Seinfeld.

Prep school memories

Yesterday I got my annual high school "communique"-- a publication that provides annual updates about what our graduating classmates are up to these days. I went to a small, all- girls prep school for 12 years (hey! stop that! I know what you're thinking!), with forest green uniforms and a martian for a school mascot (don't ask).

Sometimes when I look back at those years all I can remember are heavy workloads, academic pressure to succeed at all costs, and unholy competitiveness between us girls from everything ranging to boys, grades, weight, sports, and where you got into college. I sometimes wonder about how badly I missed out on a "true" high school experience and question my parents' wisdom in sending me there. Plus, it would have been nice to have gone to school with at least one other Latina.

But after reading my classmates' updates-- so many of I knew for the entire length of my K-12 education- I could only admire how far we all had come. Many of us have excelled in our chosen fields (from fashion designers to doctors to authors to street- pounding journalists), broken away from our high school molds and used our respective skills to become the best possible versions of ourselves.

It's possible that this array of 30 - year- old women would have been as successful as they are even if we had not all attended this one particular school. But when reading about all the fascinating things my classmates have been up to this year, I felt a sense of comfort in knowing that I shared the most formative years of my life with these women. I'm glad that the network of our alums retains a palpable sense of vibrancy, and that after so many years, these women are the closest thing to my extended American family.

Lesson Learned: Never underestimate the ties that bind people who've known each other since first grade, through puberty, and into adulthood.

Submitted by: Claudia

Thin Line

The other day I was walking down the street and there was a guy in a wheelchair coming towards me. The street had a long incline and it looked like he was struggling a little bit. As we neared each other I simply asked him, "You alright?". He replied just as simply, "Yeah, I'm good." That was it and we both went on our separate ways. Later I wondered to myself-- would I have offered him the same help if he was walking? I hope so.

Lesson learned: There's a thin line between compassion and pity-- it's important to know the difference.

Falling Apples

I prefer a home-cooked meal over eating out. I cut my own hair instead of going to the barber shop. I'll eat anything in the refrigerator. And I can whistle any song on-key.

Lesson learned: My sister was right.....I'm turning in to my dad.

2nd grade

I think the most significant moment in my life happened in 2nd grade. I was in elementary school, at the blackboard trying to learn long subtraction (e.g., 342 - 289). I was standing in front of the entire class with everyone looking at me and I just couldn't understand it. I was almost in tears from embarrassment and self-doubt. Just as I was ready to turn around and give up, my teacher (Mrs. Brown) said to me, "Oh no you don't! I am not going to let you give up. You stay up there and work thru it. Just take your time and work thru it." I stayed up there, and you know what....I got it! In that one instance everyting clicked, and to this day I still believe there is nothing I can't do.

Lesson learned: There's that one moment in life when every kid needs a "Mrs. Brown".

"My future's so bright....."

One time I was in the mall shopping with my mom and I was looking for a pair of sunglasses. As I perused the sunglass stand looking for a $20 pair like I always do, my mom said to me in frustration, "You're getting to the age where its OK for you to spend $100 for a nice pair of sunglasses. Stop being so cheap."

Lesson learned: Getting older is expensive.