Ten years.
Ten years ago I met the man that almost killed me.
I'd like to think I'm a stronger person now. I'd like to believe I'd have the strength to turn him away if he showed up at my doorstep. It would be comforting to know I'm better off without him.
Certainty, however, has proven herself to be an unstable mistress.
Bathed in warm southern sun, I recently took stock of myself and of my life.
I am strong.
I am fearless.
I am the rock that so many cling to when life spirals out of control.
I choose to be wherever I am at any given moment. Every decision I make is mine.
I am an artist
a poet
and a songwriter for wild blue jays.
I love wind chimes, the ocean, the lakes and mountains, and the changing of seasons.
I am the best friend you could ever have.
I am loyal, dedicated, and will fight for what I believe in until the day I die.
I am proud to take a stand.
I command attention just by walking into a room.
(Someone once said to me "you walk like you mean it." I've never gotten a better compliment.)
I am nothing without music.
I love how men smell.
I love thunderstorms.
I can't forget the smell of summer trees after midnight.
Music is life.
I am a gardener. I believe in heirlooms.
I love my country and all that defend it.
I cry whenever I see soldiers marching in a parade.
I miss my grandparents, and envy others who had so much more time with theirs.
My favorite flower is the Shasta daisy.
My soul is too wild to be tamed.
I am passionate
I am driven
I get myself into trouble more often than not.
I live for Halloween and baseball.
I don't think imitation is the purest form of flattery; I think it's bullshit.
I hate small talk.
I like words that count.
I care too much, love too much, and keep people in my life for too long.
I am a fighter.
I am a survivor.
Sometimes I take everything too seriously.
I believe in second chances.
I believe in miracles.
I believe that anything is possible.
Florida restores me. It centers me, and gives me the space and perspective I need to sort through everything and figure out what's next.
Yesterday was the first day I've felt true to myself in a very, very long time.
The lion is back.
