Who is Emily and Why Should I Care?
It’s probably obvious, but I’m a first time blogger. It’s not my first time to the writing rodeo, but it’s the first time I’m sharing some of my more obscure thoughts that I normally keep to myself. As someone who has been writing for fun and money for more than three decades, I suppose it’s time to tackle this medium. I’m a little stale, so forgive any disjointed thoughts and themes.
I consider myself to be an easily distracted storyteller who is always seeking something that matters in the mundane. If you find some value in that, then you’ve come to the right place. I’m a self-proclaimed band and theatre geek who married a high school football coach – think Friday Night Lights meets Glee. Together we’re raising two complex, but incredible young men. With a love for family, friends, cats and most recently, hiking and camping (!), I may bring an annoying amount of this into my writing. I apologize in advance. I have wrath for my kitchen and the color pink. I like candy that gives me cavities and I never get enough sleep. Thank you for joining me on this journey into wherever this dialogue takes us. I will sincerely try to make it worth your time!
What’s Up with the Cartwheel?
As a 50+ year old woman who has always prided herself on coordination and her sweet moves, I’ve experienced a reality check in recent years. While I can still have a good time at Zumba, I’m thankful when the lights are down. A few years ago, I tried to do a cartwheel for some ridiculous reason when no one was watching. And I failed. Bad. I probably needed to lie down when it was over and I’m pretty sure there was bruising involved.
For me in that moment, I gained some real clarity. That stupid cartwheel represented something that I could not manufacture anymore – my youth, my freedom to make my body do what it’s supposed to do, and to look good doing it. Strangely enough though, instead of making me depressed, it inspired me! Even if I can’t DO a cartwheel anymore, I remember how doing a cartwheel makes you feel. When you’re upside down, even just for a second, you see the world from a completely different and thrilling perspective. You boldly claim the space around you, you trust yourself and gravity does the rest. What if we could still discover “cartwheel moments” in the everyday – those moments that leave us a little breathless with a huge satisfied grin on our face?
Since that discovery, I’ve decided to stop fighting the inevitable, you know…the aging thing. I’ve decided I won’t lament what I can no longer do, but instead pay attention to all of the amazing upside down opportunities and ideas swirling around me. Sometimes I’ll grab one and I’ll share it with you. My “cartwheels” may be different than yours, so feel free to skip those and find your own, but make sure you stop by here and share them! Sometimes the “cartwheels” in life are just the unique perspectives we offer that can also make us laugh, ponder, create and encourage others. Sometimes they may literally BE a cartwheel, or a new pair of shoes, or buying a kid an ice cream cone.
I pray that this blog can simply move you to a place where you can do any and all of those things. Sometimes it may be super serious, but then other times it could be the most random thing you’ve read all day. No matter what your age, there’s something that you CAN’T do. But forget about those limitations, because they don’t define you. YOU define YOU. Now go do a cartwheel. It feels good!
Cartwheel Life 