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[personal profile] thoreau
"It's easy to be strong. All you have to do is choose to stop being weak."
-- John Barth, The Floating Opera



Next weekend will be my two year anniversary in San Francisco. Which is hard to believe - but nevertheless true. I remember packing up all my stuff, selling the condo and trekking to SF from Boise with Tommy ([livejournal.com profile] notdefined). I had such a laundry list of dreams and ideas when I moved here - and for the most part, they've been fulfilled and more.

The first goal was to get back to the gym - and do the Weight Watchers program. I can't tell you the changes that's brought on my life across the board - more energy, better diet, and a real interest in organic foods and holistic health. I am wearing clothes the size I wore when I graduated highschool - and that's simply a tremendous feeling. In the next year - more fitness goals - like reducing my 12 pack to at least a 9 pack - or more if I can achieve it safely. I am also on the new diet and learning to find vegetables and fresh fruits instead of tortilla chips (oh how I love thee!) and chocolate. I can actually go into Cocoa Bella and now have a SINGLE truffle and not want to push the young lady out of the way and eat their entire display. (okay - so I still fantasize about it... but...)

The second goal was to give my career a kick in the ass. I loved my job at Boise State - but there was nowhere to "grow" - nowhere to feel like I was going to develop professionally. Here in San Francisco, the job at the radio stations has exploded my visual creativity and taken my coding and PhP skills to the next level. Every single day I learn something new here - and they take my professional development VERY seriously. KDFC, in particular, is winning national awards - and we keep finding ways to tone that message. I've been on a national design team - to design a new radio station template that we'll implement company wide this fall. (and interestingly enough - KDFC is exempt from the template because it is the only classical station in the network and a lot of the tools/widgets we are installing in the new design don't offer content for the classical format)

The third goal was to find a solid relationship with a liberal minded, sex positive, loyal man I could trust and let my guard down completely with. and I think that I've found that with David - - he simply melts me every time he smiles at me - and I know he cares about everything we share - and the things that I do on my own. (he tells me daily how excited he is to see me back on stage for instance)

but the goal I'm proudest of - was one I did not arrive in San Francisco thinking it was on my list. The move to the city - forced me to face some weaknesses in my armour I'd been ignoring. With the help of a life coach last spring I was able to work through some of the lingering insecurities from the breakup with Jon in Idaho - glaring insecurities and choices which lead me hip deep into the Rickisodetm. And the quote above has been on an index card stuck on my office bulletin board since March of last year. It is easy sometimes - when life doesn't go your way - or deliver immediate results on dreams and aspirations - to put your head down and get in Eyeore mode (don't worry about me - I don't deserve that anyway) - - and it can be hard to escape from. What it took for me - was a conscious choice NOT to be weak minded any longer. I realized that every aspect of my life - I was coming at from a place of weakness or rather, acquiescence. I was sublimating my own needs, wants, desires - - and when I still didn't get the things I thought I was working for - I tried to find out why it was MY fault - rather than holding other people in my life responsible for what they bring to the table (or don't as the case may be).

So - two years into my California adventure - things are going spectacularly.

I love ending days with David. He ends every night by feeling my arms and shoulders and saying that there is nowhere he'd rather be than surrounded by his "big strong boyfriend."

I have re-energized friendships with longtime friends like Brett ([livejournal.com profile] septimuswarren) and John ([livejournal.com profile] legriz) with new commitment and emotional loyalty. I'm working with a trainer to get myself to the next level.

My professional life is continuing on a strong, confident path. I also find that even here on LJ - I'm finding that conversations go deeper, affection is truly communicated - and there are friends that I simply adore talking with everyday.

It feels really good to choose strength in my life - and have that unstated goal - be the best of all of them. (smooch)

Date: 2008-08-22 04:40 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] truthfeather.livejournal.com
See, I knew you could get here, Adventurer. :)

Date: 2008-08-22 04:51 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] bibliocub.livejournal.com
I am so proud of you. I have only known you since you met David (too bad I missed that fateful hottub party!), so I have not had the comparison of the person you were before to the fantastic, vivacious, loving and sexy man you are today. You are an inspiration.

Date: 2008-08-22 04:55 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] glarehead.livejournal.com
Very cool. I'm glad to hear that you're achieving the goals that you've set for yourself.

Oh, and kick-ass quote!

Date: 2008-08-22 05:08 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] blt4success66.livejournal.com
Happy anniversary...and yay for you too!

Date: 2008-08-22 05:09 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] geometrician.livejournal.com
Very well done. Your positive outlook and goal-fulfillment are inspiring.

Date: 2008-08-22 05:24 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] inkandpaintsf.livejournal.com
What an awesome testimony for a Friday! Thank you for sharing and keep up the self-awareness and growth. Yay!

Date: 2008-08-22 06:32 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] audrabaudra.livejournal.com
One of the toughest jobs in life is to become the kind of person to whom good things happen. We tend to go into exactly that Eeyore mode that you described so well, and it takes an incredible amount of self-work to get out of it and to embrace life's opportunities -- yet they are manifold when we get over our fear of someone else's perception of us and our negative self-consciousness. Congratulations on your two-year anniversary in SF, your developing career, your deepening relationship with David, and taking this moment to look at how far you have come.

Date: 2008-08-22 09:15 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] otterpup.livejournal.com
You know... I'd always (and I mean ALWAYS) thought that your admiration of and your connection to Thoreau was intriguing and well-descriptive of the type of person you were. Then the "episodes" you mentioned happened and as you shared them online I just kept thinking, "I've never met him in real life before, but this isn't him! Just doesn't match all the chatting we did way back!"

I think that in your time in SF you have blossomed from an almost split nature (inside and online vs outside and real life) to a single integrated and whole personality with as much to offer the world as ever and almost no bars from truly offering it!

Date: 2008-08-22 09:24 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] low-fat-muffin.livejournal.com
yeah - I did loose track of that thoreau-like mindset.. it was a tough thing. The move here was at points - overwhelming. Thanks a lot for this comment - we've known each other for eons - virtually - and it's nice to see that I've overcome a year or so of yucksticker inspired crap and am moving forward finally.


Date: 2008-08-22 11:56 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] low-fat-muffin.livejournal.com
your comment has given me REAL pause all day to think and reflect - - its interesting - when I was with Jon (and mostly unhappy) it was easy to escape in my head to a thoreau like thought and ignore what was going on - then when I finally was honest with Jon and we split - I had all this unrestricted freedom and it took a while to reign it all in.... but your assessment that I've reached the "integrated" true bob - really makes me feel so much stronger about having gone through all of that.

Thanks friend!

Date: 2008-08-23 02:54 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] otterpup.livejournal.com


Glad I am able to offer the perspective! :)

Date: 2008-08-22 11:53 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] beastbriskett.livejournal.com
Savor this time, my friend. You've worked very hard for it.

Date: 2008-08-22 11:59 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] low-fat-muffin.livejournal.com
thanks Beasty - you've been a friend alongside me the entire way!

Date: 2008-08-23 01:46 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] septimuswarren.livejournal.com
2 years! Holy cow. It's amazing how quickly the time goes, but also impressive that so much has happened to and for you in that time.

Date: 2008-08-23 07:33 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] stivalineri.livejournal.com
your'e a marvel

Date: 2008-08-24 01:11 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] low-fat-muffin.livejournal.com
no. I'm not a marvel - I'm just learning to pay attention is all :)
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