Wishing life away...

Aren't we all just wishing our lives away?  "I wish it were the weekend...I wish this event would come already...I wish it was my birthday..."  I am guilty of it.  As an event professional, I am CONSTANTLY wishing my life away.  Always wanting that next event to come and be over with, so I can cross that sucker off my list and "move on with life".  

As I get closer to what I call my scary age (30..it's looming - and yes, I know, 30 is the new 20), I am wanting to revert back to the glorious times of middle school.  No care in the world other than to do my homework, get the straight A's, and get a chance to play.  My only care was to make sure no braces fell out for fear that I would have to pay to have them replaced...I was bad, I didn't listen to the lecture of what foods not to eat.  

If only I could go back to that moment in time, knowing what I know now about life.  A time when I wasn't wishing to wear makeup and heels, where I could go to work wearing whatever I wanted. Not worrying about grown-up things like paying the mortgage or wondering how I'm going to make it through a 14-hour day.  Not worrying about my mom and how she's dealing with having two ill people to take care of.  Not worrying about a missing relationship in life or what people think of me.  

Just not worrying...now that's something I still wish for...and something I desperately want to come true. 

To Extend or Not

For those who don't know me well enough, I am never satisfied with my hair. Every opportunity I get, I change either the style, length, or cut. It's the only thing I can change about myself that will ultimately go back to being boring.... semi-wavy brown hair. UGH...how boring.

So, I got the crazy idea that I was going to get hair extensions. I am lucky that my hairstylist will go with my randomness. Yesterday we went to select the extensions. Glue or clip...10" or 14"...so many options. I opted for the clip ones, because they offer some flexibility (if I hate them, I can take them out).

She then dyed my hair and the extensions a beautiful brown. Then came the layering part. Finally, long hair. So, I have hair extensions. I am still getting used to the funny stares from co-workers and the guy at Starbucks. If only my hair would grow this long with just a blink of an eye....

The Art of the Hire

The past week I have been engaged in the fun tango dance of hiring a new employee. I was rather thrilled at the opportunity to be part of it because as much as I've "managed" events, I've never "managed" a person or been given the opportunity to have a say in the hiring process.

This time I was. It is very interesting to be on the other side of the table. I was not the one who has sweaty palms, cracking voice, clicking my pen out of nervousness. I was surprised by how much you notice people's "twitches" when they are in an uncomfortable or nervous situation. I also realized its not easy to be on the opposite side of the table. Trying to figure out if this person is for real, or are they just telling me what I want to hear.

At the end of the day, it's a total crap-shoot. You just hope you selected the right candidate so that you don't have to go back to the drawing board.

MJ

The "King of Pop".  Perhaps we may never know what happened on Thursday, June 25, 2009, but I'm sure we'll all remember where we were when Michael Jackson passed.

Coming back from a  meeting, I had come back to my desk to find out that Michael Jackson had been taken to a hospital in cardiac arrest.  News reports flying, no one really confirming information.  Interesting that TMZ was the website to actually break the story.  I couldn't believe it - no - I didn't want to believe until a news institution confirmed.  Finally CNN and the LA Times confirmed the unbelievable.  

Michael Jackson was an amazing talent and performer.  He transcended color, language, and age.  His music was infectious.  As a child of the 80's, his songs were the soundtrack of my life.  I can remember a moment connected to each of his songs.  His music will always be poignant.  Perhaps what made Michael Jackson more intriguing was the rare way he lived his life.  He never conformed to the norms of society.  My belief is that he never grew up. 

While watching the BET awards with its many tributes to MJ, I felt a deep sadness come over me.  I will never have an opportunity to see him perform live, and I think the reason so many people are so sad about his passing is that we feel, I FEEL, that a part of my childhood is gone because he is gone.  It's silly really, but I feel sad because of what could have been and because of what will be missed.  

I hope MJ finally finds the peace that he deserves as a human being and a creature of God.

  

  

What's in a name?

What's in a name? My name is common. It seems rather simple, and most of the time it's considered a nickname to the even more common name, Jennifer. It was immortalized in one of my favorite movies, Forrest Gump. I couldn't go anywhere without some one slurrying "JENNEEEYYY" in a heavy southern drawl and then following it with the ever popular, "Run Forrest Run".

Finding a name for this blog has to be one of the hardest assignments of my life. Yes, at 29, I'm assigning things to myself. If I don't, they will never get done. A friend of mine says blogging is therapeutic. I hope so. Life is chaotic right now - homeowner, full-time job and masters degree in progress. May not seem that stressful but at the moment, I would most like to crawl in a hole somewhere and never be found.

So, do you have a point Jenny? Yes, I'm getting there...for most of my life, everyone has decided to change my name to Jennifer. I think I had Jennifer on each report card, perfect attendance and honor roll certificate until the 5th grade. People, my name is not Jennifer. Just a quick look at my birth certificate will prove it...the name is Jenny. Why is it so hard for people to understand, that my name would just be Jenny...not short for anything?

So, after much deliberation on a name for my blog, I decided to keep it simple and to the point...the name is Jenny. I'm fond of my name. Beyond the "is it y or i" question, most people get it right. Hispanic family, not so much...I've seen Yenney, Yeny...you name it, I've seen it.

There you have it. I don't know where this will take me or even if I keep it up. But, at least you know not to call me Jennifer.