Being Oprah Rich and Independence Day

Most Monday mornings, when the alarm goes off, I think of Oprah Winfrey.
According to Forbes Magazine, Oprah Winfrey was worth 2.7 billion dollars near the beginning of 2012. 
And she didn't even make the list of the top 20 richest women in the world for this year. Poor Oprah.
Oprah never has to work another day in her life if she so chooses. And she pretty much has access to anything or anyone, including the President of the most powerful nation on the planet. But that is another post.
Now I have read enough about lottery winners and the very rich to know mega money has its challenges.
I know; someone reading this is already saying give me those challenges, I would be happy to deal with them.
But to be fair, if you were Oprah rich it would be very hard to know who your real friends are. People would constantly be trying to work their way into your inner circle. And not because they love and care about you but because they are hoping you will write them a couple of checks.
I heard Oprah tell a story once about how she got an "emergency" phone call in the middle of taping a show. When she got to the phone it was a family member asking her to talk to the Mercedes dealership because they had the dire need to drive away in a new car on her dime.
I happen to believe in most cliches and I am sure it is very lonely at the top.
Being mega rich would also take incredible self control.
Besides working out and a couple of things in regard to your personal hygiene, you could pretty much hire someone to do anything and everything else.
I have to wonder if I would forget how to cook, do my own makeup and hair, clean, and drive.
Would you even sign birthday cards and purchase gifts or would someone else do that for you?
I am afraid I might end up like Jabba the Hut or the people in the movie Wall E.
I have also decided I would never want to be rich due to celebrity. Too much exposure and too many cameras.
I think the character in the movie About a Boy is the kind of rich I would like to be.
He is living off the royalties from a Christmas song his Dad wrote.
He is comfortable enough to have a lot of freedom and access but not so rich he has scammers and paparrazi camped outside his door.
I don't have to drive too far to find people who appear to be living in more prosperous circumstances. I also don't have to drive too far to find people who are not. I see them downtown everyday.
Someday when this life is over, there are things I will miss.
Paying bills and trying to figure out how to get my finite resources to stretch will not be one of those things.
But even more I thank the Supreme Being that I live in America. A country where a woman can own a home and get an education.
I know there are women in this world that only dream of having the freedom and opportunity I enjoy.
I feel I have been able to live the American Dream. I think Oprah would say the same.
Next Monday, when my alarm goes off, I might wish again I was Oprah Winfrey and I could decide whether I wanted to continue to work or not.
But later in the morning, when I say my prayers, I will thank God I live in America.
Happy Independence Day. 

Honesty

I have been thinking a lot about honesty. I believe honesty requires courage.
Before I go further let me clarify. I have known some people in my life that have prided themselves on being honest but actually they were just blunt.
Honesty does not have to be harsh, and the Chelsea Handler version is not what I am talking about.
Sometimes it is better not to tell someone you don't like their new haircut, outfit, or spouse.
How does that type of honesty serve anyone?
I am talking about the kind of honesty that serves someone else and usually not yourself.
Like the person that backs into someone's car and leaves a note even though no one was watching.
Breathtaking honesty.
And I think it is one of the hottest attributes a person can have.
I immediately fell in love with a boy in the 2nd grade because he turned in some money he found on the playground.
Even at that young age I recognized this small act was unselfish, courageous, and kind of heroic.
I lost touch with this boy but I am sure he has grown into an unselfish, courageous man.
Some of the best conversations I have had in my life have been with people willing to tell the truth about their feelings, things they have learned, or their own mistakes.

One of my favorite fictional characters in literature is Valjean from Les Miserables. After stealing from a great man he decides to live a more honest life. Some could argue he continues to live a lie but I think he becomes a man of integrity which leads to a life of courageous service to others.
Masters of small things become masters of great things.
I hope to find more breathtaking honesty in the world.
I hope to find more breathtaking honesty in myself.
And to be honest, I had a crush on that boy in the 2nd grade not only because he was honest, he was pretty cute too.



 

The Ideal Birthday

It is the eve of the anniversary of my birth. Again.
I decided I wanted to share an example of what a perfect birthday would be like for me.
I wake up at 6 a.m. in Disneyworld. I put on my princess costume and jog on over to the Magic Kingdom and run the Princess Half Marathon in 2 hours.
I jog back to my room, not worn out but energized, and shower. Then I meet the whole extended family at the Crystal Palace for breakfast. Yep, they are all there. Every last one of them. I get my picture taken with Tigger.
We ride the bus over to Disney Studios (still with extended family) and ride the Tower of Terror, Soarin, and the Rockin Rollercoaster numerous times. Of course, Steve Tyler is there so I ride a few times with him. Man, he screams loud!
It just so happens my BFF, Sally Miller, and her family are at Disney Studios as well so I meet them for lunch at the Sci Fi Drive In.
Now I am kind of tired so time stands still for 3 hours while I read a book, have a nap, and help the gardeners plant some flowers.
I go hang out with the family until dinner time.
Then I meet Matthew Crawley from Downton Abbey for a quiet dinner.
Time stands still again.
We go watch Fantasmic together and he buys me a glow stick.
We meet up with the family at the Magic Kingdom for more rides and fireworks.
The End

Hey, it's a birthday wish which is nothing like an everyday wish and it can defy the laws of nature.
Happy Birthday to me.

Sleeping on the Train

People may wonder why I talk about the train so much.
I spend 40 minutes a day on the train so I do talk about it a little.
One thing that stresses me out is when people sleep on the train.
I am not talking about snoozing. I am talking about full on drooling, snoring, head nodding slumber.
Of course, I have been known to snooze on the train from time to time.
I just make sure I don't get too comfortable.
I can never forget I am in close quarters with a bunch of strangers.
Who knows? Someone could steal my bag or worse yet, draw a mustache on me or something.
So, there is the personal safety issue.
But that is not my biggest concern.
You can blame my real source of stress on the Kingston Trio.
When I was a kid my parents used to listen to their greatest hits on a regular basis.
One of the songs was about a guy who could not get off the train.
Some of the lyrics went something like "no, he never returned. No, he never returned and his fate is still unlearned. He will ride forever through the streets of London. He is the man who never returned".
Horrifying.
Now to be fair, in this case the man was not sleeping. He could not pay his fare to get off the train.
I often wondered why he didn't just jump out the window when the train stopped at a station or something.
Hey, I was a kid. I didn't know you don't usually pay your fare when you get off the train.
Now perhaps you can see why I am afraid sleeping passengers are going to end up like this guy.
I know no one is going to spend their life on the train but they could sleep through a couple of stops.
Then they might miss an appointment, or be late for work, or have some other issue which could cause a serious amount of inconvenience. It stresses me out.
I once sat across from a woman who was so out of it I wondered if she was in a coma. I started to tense out when we got close to downtown and she wasn't waking up. There is pretty much no one on the train after the City Center stop.
I wasn't sure what train etiquette was.
Should I wake her? Would she be irritated or grateful?
Maybe she was having some sort of medical emergency.
In the end, I decided to mind my own business.
I was a little relieved when I was stepping off the train and I saw she was starting to stir.
I am a train veteran now so I don't stress quite as much as I used to.
I am better at recognizing it's a free country and my fellow passengers can sleep on the train if they like. Worrying about their stop is not my responsibility but I still have my limits.
I will wake a sleeper if someone tries to steal their bag.
But I probably won't bother them if someone tries to draw them a new mustache.

My Subway Date

I mentioned my "Subway Date" on an FB post so I thought I would blog about it.
A few years ago, after some comments from people in regard to their horror over the length of my singleness, I decided to try on-line dating. I posted a profile, got a bite, and proceeded to exchange email and phone calls with a person I will call Dan. After exchanging some phone calls with "Dan" he asked me out to dinner and a movie of my choice. Remember the wording of this offer because it will be important later. Dan was from Utah County so we decided to meet at a halfway point which we determined was VF Factory Outlet in Sandy.
I arrived at the date feeling I had kept some first date rules; I made an effort, but was not overdressed or under dressed. And I was on time. I had described my car to Dan previously.
The meeting time was 7 pm; no Dan. 7:05, no Dan. 7:10, no Dan. 7:15, no Dan. I had made arrangements to call my mom periodically during the evening to check in. I called her at 7:15 and let her know Dan had not arrived and if he did not arrive by 7:20, I was leaving.
At 7:19 pm, I see a guy walking toward my car. He looked like he had just got done mowing lawns. He had a baseball hat on backward, shorts, and a knock off polo shirt. I rolled down my window and asked him if his name was Dan. Now in retrospect, I see I should have kept my window up and just driven away....
Anyway, I asked Dan where his car was parked and offered to drive him over. He said, "We don't need to get my car. You can drive." I was so surprised I didn't know what to say so I let him get in.
Now remember, the offer was for dinner and a movie of my choice.
So I said, "Should we go to Ruby Tuesdays since it is right here in the same parking lot?"
Again, keeping the first date rule of sticking to moderation.
To which he responded, "I was thinking more like Subway."
I thought he was kidding for a good 90 seconds but when he didn't crack a smile I knew it was going to be a long night.
I am not really familiar with Sandy so I asked Dan where a Subway was and he said, "just drive around. We're bound to find one." Sure, Dan. It was my tank of gas.
We eventually did find a Subway and we went in. The sandwich artist asked me what I wanted. I proceeded to order a 6 inch turkey on wheat. I could see where things were going so I did order onions. Dan ordered himself a 6 inch sandwich as well.
I was getting ready to tell the clerk what chips and soda I wanted when he asked Dan if our order was together. When Dan replied, "I guess", I figured anything beyond the sandwich was out of the question. This was verified when Dan neglected to order a drink or chips for himself.
Dan and I sat down and choked down our sandwiches while he proceeded to tell me what was wrong with each of his sister-in-laws. I decided perhaps Dan was not a big fan of women in general.
Now don't get me wrong. I am not trying to villainize Dan. There is a slight possibility he is making some woman very happy right now.
Anyway, I suggested we go to Jordan Commons to see what movies were playing. He wanted to go to the movie theaters at South Town Mall. On the way, he mentioned he was thirsty. Really? I guess that is what happens when you order a sandwich and no drink. At least an offer to get us some water would have been nice...
We looked at the movie choices. I told him what I wanted to see. He told me he wanted to see something else. Clearly, we were going to dinner and a movie of Dan's choice.
When we went to buy our movie tickets, he asked me if I was buying his.
I told him I would get my own.
I just wanted to get the movie over with and go home to my comfortable house.
I think something happened when Dan watched me purchase my own ticket because when we sat down in the movie theater he tried to turn on the charm and snuggle up to me. Yikes.
When the movie was over we started walking to my car.
Dan proceeded to ask me what we were doing next.
I told him I was driving him to VF Factory Outlet to get his car.
He said the night was young and he wanted to hang out some more.
I told Dan I had to get up early for study group.
He started to pout.
When we pulled up to Dan's car he began telling me what I great catch I was.
I told Dan I had to go.
Dan proceeded to walk around the front of my car, open my car door, grab my hand, and pull me out. Then he started hugging me.
AWKWARD.
I gave Dan a nudge, thanked him, got in my car, locked all the doors, and drove away.
I tried to sort it out with God the whole drive home.
The next morning I got up and went to the gym. When I got home I checked my email before I went to study group to see if there were any change in plans.
Dan had already sent me an email.
It basically read, "I really like you. I know your kids will be gone again in two weeks and I would like to take you out again".
I wanted to tell him I didn't think I could afford to date him. Instead I told him I didn't think we were a good match. Both true.
When I got home from study group I discovered he had emailed me again.
This one said "Guess what? You have to see me again because I left my cell phone under the passenger seat of your car".
I fedexed the phone to him. It cost me 20 bucks.
In all the date cost me $27 plus gas. But the story is priceless.
And here is the moral of the story in my opinion. Always make an effort when you go on a date. You never know if you may decide at some point you might want a second one.