lorynlyn

I signed up for the 2009 LA Marathon, and will begin official training next month. :)

this is by no means an easy task, and it took me a long time to fully understand what the phrase “love my body” meant to me. did it mean dieting and exercising to have an ideal body? did it mean just giving up and accepting my body, whether i wanted to or not? did it mean “loving” my body, but still thinking no one else could? i couldn’t seem to find the answer to these questions, simple as they may seem.

so i took action. first, i joined the gym. after a month of that, realized this was definitely NOT the path for me. too bad i spent all that money!
next, i read a book. not just ANY book. Jessica Weiner’s “Life Doesn’t Begin 5 Pounds from Now.” READ THIS BOOK. It put the past 23 years of my life into perspective, my body issues, my obsession with “feeling fat” instead of feeling true emotions. i was reaching my denouement, but i was not there yet.
more confident in myself, i started talking to my girlfriends and my female relatives, using tactics described in the book, or just casual conversations, and as i started to see how much body hatred affected these amazing women, i really began to look at myself differently – denouement! i felt really good about myself, but was unsure how long it may last.
and that fabulous part of a story where its all downhill from here – reading yet another book, Inga Muscio’s “Cunt.” not everyone will relate to, enjoy, or even approve of this book, but I did, to enough of it to enjoy reading, and to have amazing respect for Inga.

Finally I can answer my initial question: What does the phrase “love my body” mean to me?

Just that! Love MY body. Because no matter what it may look like to anyone else, it’s one thing that is mine all mine. And it is beautiful, my little tummy rolls, my thighs that sometimes rub together, my nose that I always thought was too big. ALL OF IT. Love it.

I am beautiful. You are beautiful. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so behold yourself, behold your beauty. Once you start, the only thing that is hard to do is stop!

I had my dinner party last night and it was a big success. I am definitely going to have another! The food was great, my friends brought wine, and I asked someone to bring dessert. It was a night of drinks, conversation and food…incredibly relaxing and incredibly fun.

Do this!!

as cliche as it may be to relate this goal to a movie, i always feel like i say things and it’s completely out of my control, like word vomit. and then i find myself realizing i shouldn’t have said it after i know its too late.

I registered to vote when I turned 18, and I have voted in a few elections. I plan to always keep this goal open, to remind me to keep voting, and vote more often.

I was inspired by the Tao of Pooh and the Te of Piglet to study Taoism. I purchased the Tao Te Ching, and have been trying, although not very sucessfully, to incorporate the principles into my life. It’s hard to follow a discipline like Taoism in a stressed out busy society.

I read the book “Linnea in Monet’s Garden” when I was a child, and wanted to go there ever since. My dream was to have my picture taken on the Japanese Bridge just like in the book. It was one of the best experiences of my life, wandering through his garden and exploring the rooms of the pink house. I can’t wait to go back!

I took a pottery class at my local community college during the fall semester. Not only did I get to learn to make all kinds of pottery, I also ended up great handmade gifts for my friends and family, as the class ended right before Christmas.

I am finally having a dinner party. I sent out my evites two weeks ago, planned my menu the other day, and even set up a website with the menu and a place for guests to list the beverage they can bring. I am so excited, I love to cook and I can’t wait to share my passion with my friends!

Billy Joel is my favorite artist, and I finally got to see him in concert last year in Philadelphia. We didn’t have really close seats, but it didn’t matter. As soon as he came on stage I was completely enthralled. We even snuck down to the floor section and stood a few rows from the stage for the last songs of the concert. Definitely one of the best nights of my life.