Day Twenty-Four: Write about a lesson you've learned the hard way.

Life is all about learning lessons whether it is a lesson taught to you in school by your teacher or whether it is an actual life lesson that you learn on your own through experiences you have faced.  No matter what, we will all learn some lessons – some will be learned the easy way and others, unfortunately, are learned the hard way.  I know I have learned my lesson countless times over whether it is something simple as “I should’ve just kept my mouth shut” or something a little more complex.  Each time, I have always learned something from it and have tried to grow from the experience.

The purpose of this blog is to discuss one lesson that you have learned the hard way.  To be honest, I’ve been dealt this card too many times over, but the topic I’ve chosen to briefly discuss is probably one that we’ve all faced at some point in our lives – learning who your true friends are.

In a world with a population of over seven billion people, you are going to encounter a variety of individuals in your lifetime.  Some of those people you’ll see only once in passing, others are your family who you are stuck with for a lifetime and then others will become your friends – some for a passing moment and others that will always stick by you.  And sadly, sometimes we learn that those people we once considered to be our true friends, really aren’t your friends to begin with. 

I have learned that some people, who claim they are your friends, in reality weren’t who I thought they were.  Sometimes they merely want you to be there for them for a season – a time when they need you.  And when they are done with you, out with the trash you go.  If it were only that simple, right?  Typically, when you are the victim of a tumultuous friendship, you would preferred to just be tossed to the side, so you can pick up yourself and move along. But oftentimes, you are left with deep scars that leave a lasting impression upon you while the other individual waltzes around acting like they are scotch-free.  I won’t go in to all the details of my lesson that I learned nearly five or six years ago, but I can tell you, when people treat you one way and then decide to start and spread rumors about you that are absolutely false, it is a very, very painful situation.  

If you are in a friendship and you feel you are being used or you feel it is a one-sided friendship, you should immediately start to reconsider your options.  Don’t fall victim to the trap that these individuals so often entrap you in.  Believe me, I was sucked in a web for several years.  I was blinded by the fact that I was being used, that I was really nothing more than a pawn. Also, be aware that your emotions may not be perceived by others the way you intend.  A small simple gesture that is harmless to you, could easily be twisted in to some false reality by someone else.  It is a sad society that we live in when you try to express yourself in small, meaningful ways, yet others come up with their own “theories” or think there is always some sort of purpose behind the way you act (ie: what’s your hidden agenda).  I’ve often wanted to say “No, quite honestly, I am just by nature a caring person with a big heart and may be it would do some good to some people to also learn to accept people for face value!”

While you can, if you are in what is perceived to be a toxic friendship, get out!  Don’t be like me and get sucked in to that web and be left with deep battle scars.  Yes, I am single (for right now!) but if it is God’s will, I would love to find a nice guy and settle down and get married and have a family.  If that is not His will, then I am quite content with that. But just because I am single and have a lot of friends (both males and females), just because I believe in showing my care for others (ie: by giving small gifts, leaving notes or saying kind things), just because I try to make people laugh and enjoy having a good time, that is just ME!  I am not in any way some “other” person.  I am ME!  I am who I am because that is how God made me.  Keep your heart open, be true to yourself and do NOT let others change you.  Only let God change you for the better.  Stay true to Him.  But always be aware that others are out there seeking to destroy you.  Keep the faith and protect yourself!   We’ll always learn lessons, I just pray the rest of my lessons are a little bit “easier” than hard.  But don’t let those lessens discourage you.  Sure, it’ll set you back for a moment, but use the lessons as a stepping stone for you to build upon and grow from.  Let it make you stronger!  In the end, you are the better person!  Don’t lose hope!

Day Twenty-Three: A Letter to Someone, Anyone

Dear Blog Readers -- all two or three of you,

This blog is for you!  

I want to briefly thank each and every one of you who have taken five seconds out of your day to fleetingly glance at my blog posts to see what crazy antics are ongoing in the mind of Meredith.  By now, you probably have come to the conclusion that you never know what you may encounter in my ever changing posts.  Obviously, I am addicted to sports, particularly women’s college basketball, I love to travel, I enjoy fashion and music is my passion.  I was raised to say “please” and “thank you” and exhibit all the proper manners that any true Southerner would appreciate (thank you, Mom for your training!).  I love to laugh and try to do what I can to make others smile, even when I may not feel like smiling myself. 

In reality, that is what this blog is truly about.  I hope to try to encourage people, but at the same time, by posting some of my extraordinarily random topics, I hope that maybe it will serve as a distraction to your mind and keep your mind preoccupied from the thoughts and worries that so often plague us on a daily basis. Some blogs that I post are part of a “theme” or a “series” that I am undertaking (ie: like the current Writing Challenge blog series), while others are merely ideas that I come up with or just a random topic that may cross my mind.  

Occasionally, I will receive a message through other forms of social media from someone who read one of my posts and had some comments.  I always find that inspiring, but it is not my whole reason for writing.  I find that writing is a good outlet – it helps you get your mind moving, get your thoughts out, and gets your mind distanced, as well. 

To those of you who read my blogs, I say thank you!  Thank you for taking the time to read and endure!  To those of you who have been touched in some way, shape or form, that is wonderful!  I do hope that each of you will be blessed by something you see or maybe get a chuckle or two out of some random things I share.  

Be brave and share your thoughts with others as it could just be what they need to make it through their day.  

Be an influence on others.  

Be proud.  

Be free.  

Be all that you can and choose to be! 

May God bless each and every one of you!

Always,

Meredith

Day Twenty-Two -- Put Your Music on Shuffle & Post the First Ten Songs

This should be interesting since my taste is music covers a wide variety of genres and musicians.  So, here goes nothing:

"Montreal" by Raine Maida

"Take a Walk" by Passion Pit

"Fine by Me" by Andy Grammer

"Moon River" by Andy Williams

"Soldier" by Gavin DeGraw

"Next to Me" by Emeli Sande

"I'll be Waiting" by Adele

"Shake" by Mercy Me

"I am a Man of Constant Sorrow" by The Soggy Bottom Boys

"My House" by Flo Rida

Day Twenty-One: List ten people (dead or alive) that you would invite to a dinner.

I have always dreaded a question like this because there are so many people (dead and alive) that I would love to meet (or loved to have met).  To spend a little time getting to know a variety of individuals to see how they really are versus what we envision them to be like is something that I always thought would be a neat experience.  But how do I narrow a list of hundreds of people, famous and non-famous, down to ten?  It is virtually impossible.  

I decided for my “dinner” that I would invite ten random ladies (dead and alive) and we would just have a big “girls night out” celebration.  I opted not to include the guys, primarily because three of them are listed in a prior post on celebrity crushes, and while I would invite them and many other guys to dinner, I would probably get too distracted to carry on much of a conversation.  So, here’s my list of ladies to invite to my “girls night out” celebration along with why I would include/invite them:

Gillian Anderson - She is so funny, smart, talented and gorgeous. I have been a big fan of Gillian’s since the start of The X-Files back in the early 1990s. Because of Agent Dana Scully, I almost decided to become an FBI Agent (some days, I wish I had followed that route!). But one thing I love about Gillian is how she loves to laugh! I adore seeing her get tickled during an interview or in an outtake on a show she’s working on.  I think she would be so much fun to spend time hanging out with.  Plus, I need her to give me some tips on how to make my eyes look as amazing as hers!  She would be an awesome addition to my list of dinner invitees as I would thoroughly enjoy getting to know a little more about her!

    

Julie Andrews – I am honestly on the bubble as to whether I would invite Dame Julie Andrews or not.  I wholeheartedly LOVE Julie Andrews, but I have this childhood idea of how I believe she is, and I am deathly afraid that if she were not how I imagined her to be that it would impact so many things.  Nonetheless, I have to put that fear aside and realize should the opportunity arise to invite the legendary Julie Andrews to dinner, then I would need to jump on it.  Additionally, I would love to hear more of her stories of her life and just be filled with her wisdom over the years as a singer and actress.  What a jewel of a person she is and to be able to be in her presence and learn from her would be an amazing experience!

Sue Semrau – One of my most favorite basketball coaches is Sue Semrau.  She is absolutely passionate about what she does.  She is spunky and so energetic.  By title, she is a coach, but in reality, she is much more.  She is a mentor, a teacher, a leader, a role model, a Christian.  If I ever had a child who played basketball, I would want her to play for Coach Sue as I feel my daughter would be in excellent care and learn so much about basketball and about life.  In many ways, Coach Sue reminds me of Coach Kay Yow.  Their personalities may differ but their overall goal and influence is the same. When I was younger, I never could pronounce Coach Sue’s name, so I always called her “Semmi” and I always remember just being in awe by her ability to not only coach her team but teach her team how to excel in the game. I imagine she would be our little fireball at the “girls’ night out” celebration – I think she would be the life of the party! 

Jacqueline Kennedy – I may not have been a big fan of President Kennedy’s politics, but I always found Mrs. Kennedy to be one of the most elegant ladies this nation has ever been blessed to have as First Lady.  She endured so much in her life, things that I cannot even begin to fathom how she coped with.  She was such a lady of courage, strength and beauty.  I would definitely include her on my list to invite to dinner as I would love to gleam some of her tips for enduring so much and yet continuing to be a source of light in the world.  

Kay Yow – One of the biggest influences in my life and in so many other individuals’ lives was basketball Coach Kay Yow.  She was more than a basketball coach, she was a believer in Christ and was not afraid to share her love for her Savior.  To this day, I still stand in awe of her video testimony at her funeral of her belief in Christ and how she encouraged many others to trust in Him, as well.  She bravely fought a public battle of breast cancer for nearly two decades.  The pain and trauma her body was ridiculed with, I don’t know how she kept pushing forward to continue to coach the games she did and set such an example for others.  I wish in so many ways that I had been able to spend time with her, but growing up down the road from NC State’s main campus, I always felt I knew her.  So, she would definitely be on my list to spend time with in addition to inviting for dinner.  Keep pushing forward and as Coach Yow would say “When life kicks you, let it kick you forward.” 

Lauren Holly – Another of my favorite actresses is the stunning, Lauren Holly.  I’ve always adored Lauren and have always wanted to meet her.  Not only is Lauren a talented actress, but she is a phenomenal designer.  I absolutely love her clothing line, and her sense of fashion is terrific.  I would spend time talking to her about her fashion tastes and see if we could come up with some ideas together.  She would be a terrific dinner guest for her knowledge of fashion, acting and being a Mom.  In reality, she seems like she is just a normal person like the rest of us!  

Laura Bush – Probably my favorite First Lady is Laura Bush.  She epitomizes class and humility.  She is remarkably smart and is such a wonderful role model for so many women.  She is a devoted wife and mom and someone that we should all revere.  She was one of the best First Ladies that this nation has had in the recent years.  She stood faithful beside her husband and gave him advice that only she could give during times that this nation has never experienced before.  I would love to spend dinner getting to know her better, getting to know just Laura!

Rhonda Vincent – I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Rhonda Vincent on several occasions and every time that I meet her, I am always amazed at how caring and devoted she is to her fans.  She takes time to have pictures made or talk to each one of them.  Most artists don’t even acknowledge their fans, but she spends time mingling with them.  I’ll never forget when she took a picture of the two of us on her cell phone and shared it on her social media.  That made my day!  She is a wonderfully talented artist and has a voice that I could listen to non-stop.  I would love to invite her to dinner to spend more time with her and let her sing a few songs and entertain us, as well.  Not to mention, I still owe her some Krispy Kreme doughnuts, so we would have to go have dessert afterward!

Sharon Osbourne – A unique twist to my list along with the need to add more British, we’ve gotta add a little Shazz.  I’ve always been intrigued by Sharon Osbourne.  She speaks her mind and isn’t afraid to back down from her stance.  I may not always agree with everything she says, but being willing to stand up for what you believe in is key in this society.  She also is a cancer survivor and that is admirable, as well.  She is a talented businesswoman and has excelled in many areas of life.  I always enjoyed seeing her in a judging role on The X-Factor or America’s Got Talent.  We need more people willing to stand up for how they feel, and I think adding Sharon to my dinner invite list would totally create some interesting topics of conversation at the table.

Dolly Parton – One of the greatest entertainers of all time is Dolly Parton.  She is such a talented singer, songwriter, actress, businesswoman, you name it she can do it.  I’ve always been touched by her childhood story of her upbringing in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. She is also the founder of the infamous Dollywood, which is one of my most favorite theme parks.  It possesses such a family-oriented atmosphere and you can see how Dolly added her touch all throughout the park.  She is definitely an inspiration to many!  I would most definitely invite her to dinner as she could bring all sorts of excitement and entertainment to the table.  

Day Twenty -- Post about three celebrity crushes.

Over the years, I have had numerous celebrity crushes.  Some are just downright not normal and others are ones that definitely had potential (or so I thought!).  Most of my crushes seem to come and go depending upon what fad is in or what movie/TV show I am addicted to at that time.  I guess that still even holds true to today, as well.  So, to choose just three to write about, well, that’ll be tough because that list could be endless.  So, I’ll just pick the first three that come to my mind and in no particular order.  These are a combination of current and past celebrity crushes. 

Mark Harmon

Is there ever any doubt why he was voted one of People’s Sexiest Men Alive?  I think not!  Mark Harmon just gets better looking the older he gets.  I always knew who Mark Harmon was from various movies to Chicago Hope, but I ultimately fell in love with him when he played Secret Service Agent Simon Donovan on The West Wing. He was just absolutely adorable in that role and his chemistry with Allison Janney was just spot on!  When his character was killed off the show, I cried like a baby.  Fortunately for me, he reappeared not long after to star as the infamous Leroy Jethro Gibbs on NCIS. I have adored watching him play Gibbs on NCIS over the years.  I think my favorite episodes with him were in seasons three through five where he starred alongside his former Chicago Hope costar, Lauren Holly.  So, yes, Mark Harmon has been one of my ultimate celebrity crushes for a long, long time.  Sure, he’s probably old enough to be my father, but it’s Mark Harmon, so I really don’t care, ha!  He has the most gorgeous blue eyes and a very captivating smile.  I just adore him!

Matthew McConaughey 

 And then there’s Matthew McConaughey … Wow! That’s about all I can say.  One of my celebrity crushes that I have always practically drooled over.  I have loved so many of his movies.  But, his adorable smile just about melts me.  I love to hear him talk with his infamous Southern drawl.  He is just one of those fellows that seems like such a decent and fun person to hang out with.  When I went to Austin to visit my cousin, she and I spent a little while driving around the food truck area, where he is known to frequent, in hopes of us finding him.  Unfortunately for us, that didn’t pan out like we had hoped.  I will say, I’ve never liked it when he lets his hair get too long or when he’s grown that long, shaggy beard – don’t cover the gorgeous face.  I prefer him looking like he did during A Time to Kill, which was an all-star cast, terrific movie!  But nonetheless, Matthew will always be one of my ultimate hunks!

David Duchovny

This choice will likely get me the most grief, but there’s just something about David Duchovny that I’ve always found cute.  I have loved Special Agent Fox Mulder from The X-Files since the first time we met him back in the early 1990s. The way Mulder cares for his FBI partner, Dana Scully, is just so heartwarming.  I love the relationship that David and co-star Gillian Anderson have.  There is so much chemistry between them.  They are so much fun and you can tell they just know each other so well.  To me, David seems to care for Gillian in many of the same ways that Mulder cared for Scully. He just has this boyish smile to him that makes you want to just like him.   And that is one reason that I add David Duchovny to my celebrity crush list.

So, there you have it, my random list of three celebrity crushes.  I could add so many others to that list, but we will go with those three.  I might have new ones before I finish writing this list!  . It is nice to take a break and daydream about your crushes and how life might be different if you were married to Matthew McConaughey, but sadly, we know that’ll never happen.  So, don’t spend too much time daydreaming about your own crushes that you get distracted from reality.