Pursuit of Happiness

Last night, one of my best friends said I’m the happiest she’s seen me in a long time.

When’s the last time anyone’s said that to you?

I should go buy her something pretty.

The pen is mightier than the heart

The other night, I was doing a little spring cleaning and a piece of folded paper fell on my lap. It was a copy of a love letter I’d written years ago to a boy who was moving away. It was beautifully composed (in my humblest opinion), with a delicate balance of emotion, honesty, vulnerability and age-appropriate cheesiness. As I read it, I was quickly transformed into my 27-year-old self who carefully penned that heartfelt tribute and even more carefully, quietly left it in a Pepperdine University envelope on the recipient’s bedside table the morning of his one-way-ticket flight. His closet was empty and there were two large moving boxes on the bedroom floor.

Anyhow, that relationship wasn’t meant to be but the words and emotion expressed on that paper are very much alive, or rather, they come to life when they’re read. The memories and bittersweet feelings of sadness, longing and acceptance all flooded back… but dissapated as soon as I refolded the letter.

Much of my life is documented in writing, from innocent childhood stories to angry adolescent poetry to the “What’s it all mean?” journal entries I keep to this very day. Most make me laugh, others cause me to cringe, some I just don’t remember… and then there are those that are still too painful to read.

Raw emotion on paper is sometimes just too real.

I don’t know what I’m going to do with it all. I’ve said that they should all be buried with me because I don’t ever want anyone to read them. At the same time, the writer in me says there’s a story in there somewhere. Until I can wrap my brain around it, the plot continues. But whenever I want to take a trip down memory lane to learn a lesson from my past or to keep things in perspective, all I have to do is pull one of those papers, notebooks or journals out of my secret hiding place and read.

Time travel is possible.

Just Say “Yes”

For two days during an amazing, random getaway to the ultra-luxurious Grand Del Mar Resort in Del Mar, California, not a single “No” was uttered to us. Top-notch customer service with a smile.

Q: “Can we surf in the less kelpy water?”
A: “Yes.”

Q: “Can we have late checkout?”
A: “Yes.”

Q: “Can we go in the pool even though it might be after hours?”
A: “Yes.”

Q: “Can we have a ride in a golf cart?”
A: “Yes – in our LUXURY golf cart.”

Q: “Can I have your crank-powered keychain light?”
A: (as he hands it over) “I’m not supposed to but I can’t stop you from taking it.”

Plus, even without asking we were so graciously given free champagne (just because they overheard us making fun of the name), free wine (because the first glass was sooooo divine) and free MAGICAL truffle oil fries.

Cue the heavenly music.

People Who Speak in Poetry

Yesterday, I caught an interview with Maya Angelou on CSPAN’s Book-TV, which I’ve never watched before. No matter what the 80-year-old author says or what subject she’s speaking about, the words flow out of her mouth like poetry. It’s mesmerizing.

I had the pleasure of seeing her speak in person earlier this year in Los Angeles and it’s even more powerful. I wish I had that gift, that kind of commandment over language and words.