Farewell Oprah

I started watching Oprah towards the beginning of the end. I began watching because Antonio described her show as incredibly inspirational. I know that I have a tendency to be pretty impressionable. I tend to pick up gay icons like playing cards. But I could tell that there was something genuine about Oprah. Her show really touched me. At times I laughed, while others made me "ugly cry". I always felt better at the end of each episode - she always posed a new idea. She has such compassion and empathy for people. I would be proud to use her lessons as the model for me life.

In the short months that I watch, I really began to examine my life. She had one guest whose boyfriend shot her in the face. While she survived the attack, her face was permanently and heinously disfigured. Now, she gets up every morning and tries to help others. I thought how ridiculous it is that I feel sad and worthless because my muscles aren't big enough after watching her story. There was an update on one of Oprah's favorite guest - Mattie Stepanek. He had a rare form of muscular dystrophy and was confined to a wheelchair. He was so wise and took everything in stride even though he was just a little boy. Though a work in progress, that show inspired me to be more grateful for the life I have been given.

Last week was her last episode. It was a very sad moment for me. I felt like a child who was prohibited from going to school all the while wanting nothing more than to learn. I feel like Oprah has done so many great shows that could have shaped my life had I been watching during my formative years. I feel this intense sense of playing catch up. Luckily, her final show was a beautiful monologue of her the lessons Oprah has learned over the last 25 years.

I know that OWN is going to be full of programs that teach and uplift so I know that I will continue to grow.

I'm Back / Big Changes

I originally started blogging to remember all my important memories. I wanted to be able to look back and remember exactly how felt at a specific time in my life. For the past few months, I've been so busy. There have been some really big changes, but I've been too busy living my life to sit down and write about my life. I think it's time for a recap.

Work is going so well. I feel so fortunate to go to work every day at a place that I love. Martha has become a good friend. Jackie is so funny and sweet. Mike (I finally got his name right) and Andy are such cool guys. I love that we seem to have a really tight group. Connie, the help desk manager, also really surprised me. You'd think IT people are awkward, but she's fabulous and always makes me laugh. Tresa is more like a mother / friend than a boss. I feel lucky to be working with and learning from such a great woman. I think I've figured Pam out. She's a person, just like everyone else. I think that once I stopped being terrified of her and started being myself, things started to click. My personality is one of the main reasons they hired me, so why not let it shine through?

My new job has afforded me many new opportunities. One of the most exciting is the ability to move out on my own. Living with Spencer (or any roommate for that matter) is just not for me. I need to be on my own. After a relatively short search, I found a really great studio on 76th and 3rd. It's small, but it'll be my own. No more cleaning up after someone, no more feeling stuck in my room. It'll be total freedom and I really can't wait. I move in in about two weeks, so I'm busy taking care of all the boring stuff like logistics and the fun stuff like buying furniture and a new TV.

There are so many big changes going on, but I'm going to try to do a better job at keeping my blog up to date.