Exploration Part VII

A while back I posted 20 things that I thought were important things to remember Don’t Forget To Dance!

I thought It would be nice to explore those and share “why” they are important to me.

Today is # 7:  The inventor of “SPANX” , Sara Blakely, should be given a Nobel Peace Prize.

Now you may ask yourself, “why does a lycra based, tight fitting undergarment deserve such a high honor?”  Well, you must never have tried “SPANX“.  

Growing up, my mother ALWAYS wore a girdle.  You remember those, right? I think she finally gave them up about 2000 or 2001.  My mom was a girl of the 1950s, even the skinniest of girls wore girdles back then.  Why do you think the models in the ’50s had such a smooth silhouette?

After I had two children, a hysterectomy and heading into the Over 40 Lane, I thought that I needed to get a “foundation garment”.  But the memories of my mother’s girdles (or armor as my dad referred to them) caused me to shudder.  I kept going on with only “control top” pantyhose.   Pantyhose!  Yes, I wore them everyday to the office. I felt more professional, until the 100+ degree heat of South Texas began to wear me down.  

A friend told me about “SPANX” she was wearing capri pants and showed me how she had on this thing that looked like bike shorts underneath, but it was lightweight and she was not dying from the heat.  After that my life changed forever.

I am a curvy girl.  I need to have things “tucked in” and smooth.  This became even more important when my daughter got married.  I lost 50 pounds to prepare for the wedding (I needed to lose 700 more, but 50 was good).  I wanted to look good!  I was the mother of the bride after all! Sara Blakey and “SPANX” helped me to be a mother of the bride and not a matronly mother of the bride.  I enjoyed the day with my daughter, looked good in front of my ex-husband and his relatives and danced with my daughter all night!  That would not have happened with my mothers armor plated foundation garment.  I would have been cut in half!

Sometimes, it’s the small, unseen things that makes things so much better.  Turns around a whole event.  Don’t discount the unseen, the small, the unnoticed.  They can change your life!

Thank you Sara Blakely!  You are my hero! In the “Life In The Over 40 Lane”, we need all the heros we can get! (and no jiggles) 

 

My daughter and I on her wedding day. LOVE

 

Travel Fun?

Today I had to travel for my job. I love to travel. I’m really good at getting in and out of security, I can get 3 days worth of business attire in a carry on bag. I have rewards programs for every airline, hotel and rental car. When I travel for work, those points rack up and I turn them in for vacation fun.

I usually fly what is referred to as the business or commuter flights. Today, I was on the last flight out of the evening to my destination. This was not a business travelers flight. There were more strollers than briefcases, more Wiggles than laptops, more flip flops than business black pumps.
This was a flight with, I kid you not, at least 10 children under the age of 5.

Now I looked at these parents. They seemed to be all in their mid to late 30s. Some even in their 40s. I thought to myself, did we do a super good job in the 90s on sex education? I mean, did no one get drunk in college and get pregnant? What happened to having babies in your 20s? Does that not happen any more?

I had both kiddos by the time I was 25. Everyone says oh you were such a young mom, but you know what? I played with my kids. I did silly things with them. We danced in the kitchen while painting cookies. We turned cartwheels and roller skated together.

I’m in my mid 40s (ish) and my kids are grown. One out in the world being productive and with a college degree. The other one has a degree weeks from her grasp, 3 months til she walks down the isle and is on her way to contributing to society.

And guess what? I am not old! I can hop on a plane and take a trip and spend my vacation days in a place that does not involve life size cartoon characters!

I guess perhaps folks feel more settled financially having babies later in life, but I wouldn’t trade my 20s for anything. And Life In The Over 40 Lane is pretty smooooooooooth!