October 9, 2008

Does Highschool Ever End?

I just got together with some old Friends from high school. Now I don't want to completely date myself, but I graduated before "Al Gore's Internet" (as my step father in law comically refers to it) was easily accessed from every home in America...so needless to say life has changed a bit since high school. We are all married and most of us have children( plural...that seems crazy). Oddly enough, the dynamics are not that different than they were "x" number of years ago.

Of course this got me thinking about how life is really an exaggerated form of high school. This is not an original notion for a reason-because it rings so true for almost everyone. There are still bullies, cool kids, athletes, drama queens, freaks (and the older I get the more I am convinced that to human is to be a bit freaky deaky) but some wear their freak flags on their chests...anyway.. dorks, eccentrics,...you name it...

And years later, we still care what our friends think. New friends , old friends, would be friends...haha HOPEFULLY what has changed is that we have a stronger sense of who we are and do not reinvent ourselves continuously to become what we think others expect us to be. To be honest though, we still make slight modifications to our SELF to best fit with the company we keep...Smart Self,Competant Self, Business Self, Sexy Self, Sassy Self, Super Mommy Self, Fascinating Self, Good Wife Self...(we will keep the Naughty Selves in the closet for now to be taken out at a later date). A bit of randomness here...because of these little adjustments we make, when different groups that require a different "Self" come together...I call it worlds colliding (thank you Jerry Seinfeld)...but that is my proof for the high school theory...Worlds Colliding always causes me a brief and minor identity crisis.

Anyway, I like most people (I think) I both loved and hated high school. It had a lot of the drama and intrigue I require for living. I was somewhere in the middle of the heap. Not the tip top, nor the bottom...and that is sort of where I still am. ..that seems kind of pathetic...although I have experienced rises and falls within that spectrum.

Really though...I have more or less come to terms with the high school me, that I still am in some ways. I am not a genius or an over-achiever...I make my mistakes regularly and (hopefully) learn from them . Try to always strive to be a kinder, better person...and I have outgrown some of my high school flaws...but some of them just magnified when "real" life set in...still feel as if I am trying to find my way. The issues are modified and the stakes are higher, but the feelings are basically the same-just with new upgraded twists.

Reminiscing I remember how eager I was to get out of high school, little did I know that I never really would.

October 2, 2008

Over Oprah...?

Okay. So let me preface this one by stating that I am American and a woman. One who happens to be in her early thirties, which is part of Oprah's target audience. That is a bit of a joke-just wanted to confirm before I go on...should you have any doubt.;0)

In the past year, I have come to the conclusion that I just MAY be Over Oprah.

Respect Oprah's success. Like Madonna, she is a marketing genius...and she doesn't even have to reinvent herself. Every single thing she touches turns to gold. Oprah is iconic. I cannot think of a single person in my lifetime that has had the authority, the grace, the power that Oprah has over the specific (female) population. She has literally been on television almost as far back as I can remember.There is however, a chink in the armor...or stilettos what have you...

Oprah catches criminals, she gets people to read, helps school female youth in Africa. She gives away cars-makes careers, raises money for hurricane victims. Oprah is seemingly flawless. As I see it, to make women love you as a fellow woman-is nearly miraculous. Still with power comes responsibility.

In recent times, Oprah has become much more outspoken on her political, personal and religious views. Tastefully and modestly, almost slyly she has snuck in bits of what she really believes, a glimpse at who she really is. From her first public stance on her show backing Obama...to her discussions on "A New Earth"and "The Secret" as well as her refusal to have Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin on her show...she even commented that she believes marriage to one person for life is an antiquated notion, Not about agreeing, or disagreeing with her views. But resenting her abuse of influence. She has always maintained a bit of distance from her guests even though she has the final creative say. No longer.

I have never been a fan of the parade of mindless celebrities who are constantly making public spectacles of themselves. It is amazing that they don't fall on their pretty little faces given the rapid nature with which they leap from one bandwagon to the next. Haha...I am not really that angry...just-how does making out on screen and being self obsessed make a person a political expert? Or an Environmentalist?To me, the equivalent would be for me, someone with a background in English- to give a Biology lecture at Harvard...simply ridiculous. Anyway, for the most part...Oprah has remained above the fray. Has used her power for good.

So many woman blindly follow anything and everything Oprah says. She tells us what to read, who to wear, what to buy, who to listen to, what movies to see. Women take relationship advise, health advise...you name it, from Oprah. Who else has such power over us?

For this reason, it seems deliberate and irresponsible to me that Oprah is presenting her agenda. I personally am not threatened as I am confident in my own ability to maintain my beliefs and decide for myself what to think. I am not that confident that women young and old will step out of their Oprah coma long enough to realize that what Oprah presents is based on her opinion and agenda.

Seems to me that perhaps this new, uninhibited Oprah may be preparing for retirement and therefore is telling it as she believes it to be.

Oprah IS an amazing woman...

She is a thinking woman's resource...to the rest, her word is the only word . I find that disconcerting. Even disturbing.

This is the reason that I just MAY be OVER Oprah.