We go for walks every day. Even if it rains. …Up the hill, filling our lungs with crisp fragrant wet air. It’s delicious.
Life is so different than it was 6 months ago. Oh so different. And I wonder how much of that has to do wit he fact that it gets dark at 11 PM instead of 4:30 PM. And there is a 40 degrees celsius delta in temperature change. I won’t lie. Life is deliciously beautiful right now, though Conrad never stops to wait for feedback from clients, on the contrary, it’s a constant race, from one big project to another and then another, but this month we have experienced true weekends, needing to stop and rest. I also have a multitude of projects, but because of the summer break which just started, the regular weekly social events have come to a stop. And I love it. It gives me the freedom to put things in perspective and think seriously about what I want to take on come this Fall.
Last Sunday we were at a cupping with Marius from Olivo. We were all dressed up uber fancy, as we had plans to go to the Opera in the evening. (Dressing up is like therapy sometimes.) An old acquaintance approached me and asked how’s the adoption process going. We haven’t talked about it in ernest since the women’s conference when among other, I shared my unfinished story and the fact that we have to wait till September to even begin to build our case. Anyway, this acquaintance, invited me to visit an orphanage he sponsors where a few nuns are taking care of the orphans and they are so well adapted and developed socially, you wouldn’t believe it. That was so encouraging! We are at peace with the idea of adopting a toddler. Oh how life will change then!
Anyhow, last night I met with a friend for hot chocolate on a summer rainy day. It was wonderful. And it reminded me of how much I am grateful for my own parents who, by the way, they have been adopted in the community. Last week they went to a kindergarten play (as adopted grandparents to neighborhood children) and yesterday and today they are helping out some other friends with their farm work. They are so easygoing, it’s ridiculous and awesome.
Right after the said hot chocolate on the rainy day, I went to this SprintPoint event. I missed the first half of them because of the conference, guests visiting and vacation. The main topic is Disciplined Entrepreneurship. It’s about following rules and good, but stuffy information. The kind of stuff I am grateful I learned when I was building my knowledge base but I am passed that point. I am at the point of thinking outside of the box. Of doing things I love, not things I have to do. Of breaking rules and being the odd duck. Success doesn’t single you out if you work hard to fit in a crowd of rules-followers. Challenge the status-quo!
Another thing stood out to me listening to other entrepreneurs: status. People care about how others perceive them. I don’t. It’s not comfortable to be/think different sometimes, but it is more uncomfortable and a waste of energy to try to impress others.
On that note of perceived status, something rather painful happened last week. A very foulmouth woman spat to the side and talked so dirty to me. We were waiting for a recent graduate friend to come out and meet us after the graduation ceremony was over. This beggar went straight to my husband, caressing his suit-jacket shoulder and asking for money, wishing him a slew of inappropriate things, unworthy to be mentioned on this site. Conrad wasn’t even paying attention to her mumbles. It was a crowded street, full of 200 graduates and their extended families. I told the woman to leave Conrad alone as he is married. To me. And it’s not worth remembering what she said but her bottom line was that I am ugly. I was wearing jeans and a sweatshirt. And the sad reality is that appearance is highly regarded in Europe. People address you differently when you are dressed casual or classy. I think in Silicon Valley many casually-dressed people are undercover millionaires who couldn’t care less how other people perceive them.
When was the last time someone discriminated and/or verbally abused you? This was a very effective social experiment. Humbling and freeing. I never strived to be pretty. So no loss on my part. I always worked hard to be smart or at least kind. Or happy:)
Side note: today I translated the 6 page followup questions and message from Sharon to the participants at the conference. It was a wonderful summary of what she talked about at the conference: identity and soul care. So good!
And tonight we are going to the Philharmonic with a few couples.
Life is happening here. Wonderful life! With colors, light and rain, with pain and laughter, with tears and miracles.