Coloring Outside of The Lines

I am a woman who enjoys high heels when appropriate, but I also enjoy getting my hands dirty and just living.  Sometimes I need a new adventure and simply want to enjoy being myself instead of stepping into the role of mother, grandmother, pet owner, home owner, or banker.  There are times when I feel too burdened to negotiate a file, walk a dog, clean a house, or be responsible for anyone but myself.  It isn't that I want to run away from these parts of my life because I value each role I play.  However, on these days I need a small window of time to just be me.  Today is one of those days.   I simply need time to step back and color outside of the lines.  Sometimes this means nothing more than quiet time and at other times it means a new adventure.   There are people who don't understand me or criticize me for not "living by the rules."  It doesn't stop me because, at the end of the day, I only answer to God and myself.


"Well behaved women never make history." 
By:  Eleanor Roosevelt.

 One of the best lessons I ever had was from a professor who gave the class an exercise to connect dots without breaking the line.  The dots were set up in a series of rows all in symmetrical order and created the illusion of a perfect square.  Not one person could successfully connect the dots with a single line.  When the professor began to connect the dots we were surprised as she took the line outside of the perimeter.  She said that she gets the same reaction each time she presents the exercise to her students.  Since the dots are symetrical , students assume that the line must stay within the perimeter of the outside dots.  However, the rules only said connect the dots without breaking the line.  We created  the boundaries by the what we assumed we saw.  Her point was that too many people fail because they try to perform according to what they perceive the expectations are  instead of venturing outside of their perceived boundaries to  create new solutions.  This  demonstrated to me that people create their own limitations. 

"If the shoe doesn't fit, must we change the foot?"
Gloria Steinem


I grew up as a bit of a tomboy. My dad had rental houses and I enjoyed helping him repair things.  What I learned at my dad's side has helped me maintain my own house without relying on others.  Last week I was in the middle of a household repair and my daughter got upset and said, " Why do you always attempt to do these things yourself?"  My reply was a bit sarcastic as I said "Why not? "  She didn't say another word and started helping me complete the task. 

I believe in taking action and standing strong for what I believe in.  Although I can't remember the source, one of my favorite quotes is "Apathy and acceptance is advantageous only to the enemy."

I love history. One thing I have noticed is that the people who had the greatest impact on our lives by helping us gain the basic freedoms we enjoy today were not afraid to challenge the limitations imposed by others.  Our founding fathers were rebels that refused to accept servitude to a tax they didn't believe was fair.  The work of Margaret Sanger, Susan B Anthony,  and Gloria Steinem challenged the rules established by society which helped women gain control over their bodies and gain a voice in society. Elizabeth Cady Stanton started the movement to give women the vote. Her passion to begin the fight for women's right to vote initially began when she was denied a voice the anti- slavery convention in 1840 simply because of her gender. 

 "Servitude for one opens the door to servitude for all."
Quote by: Elizabeth Cady Stanton

My parents always taught me that mainstream thinking is not always the right direction.   Growing up I often heard them say that "Wrong is wrong, even if everyone else is doing it."  For me, independence equals happiness.  There will always be people with criticism for those who follow their own path but criticism merely means someone is paying attention.  Therefore, I always want to  live my life with integrity, fight for my right to color outside of the lines, have the courage to follow through, and maintain the conviction to be true to my beliefs.  

"Cautious, careful people are always casting about to preserve their reputation and social standing.  This  never can bring about a reform. Those who are really in earnest must be willing to be anything or nothing in the world's estimation, both publicly and privately, in season and out, avow their sympathy with despised and persecuted ideas and their advocates, and bear the consequences. "
Quote by:   Susan B. Anthony.