Those little choices in life....

[Running Mommy]

The other night my husband and I were reflecting back on the little things we have done in the past few years which have led to huge changes in our lives.
For instance, in late 2003 I decided on a whim to do the Rock and Roll half mary in Phoenix. When we got to Phoenix I fell in love w/ the area and a few months later we were living here. It has proven to be the best decision we have made in awhile, both personally and professionally. But had we not done the race I would have never considered moving here. I always had an idea in my mind that it was ugly and crime ridden w/ nothing but white trash. Go figure?!
Anyway, tonight when I got the mail I was reminded that my decision to join this forum was another good one. I feel like I have made some great friends here, even though most of you I haven't even met in person. But it's funny, when I tell people about my cold water on the noggin issues at IMAZ I say "my friend Nanci in Florida who has ice dived told me...." At least we have spoken on the phone!! ha ha!!
But honestly I don't think I could have gotten through IMAZ without you girls. You really did bouy my spirits just when I needed it most!

But now I want to take a cross country road trip. First I'd stop in NM to meet C-mac, then Chicago to visit Lise, then on to FL to meet Nanci. Oh and Virginia to meet Suzanne... I've always wanted to go out to the DC area...
Anyway, I just want to thank you again for welcoming me into the TE family! I hope to meet you all in person someday!
We really should organize a TE get together. Of course we need to make it somewhere epic- like Moab... Somewhere with good riding! And to please everyone it would have to have good riding for the skinny as well as fat tire girls!!
So what little seemingly insignificant- but turned out to be huge- decision did you make in life??
Ciao!
Denise
P.S. C-mac- YOU RAWK!!! I LOVE it!!!

[Lise]

Yeah! Road trip to Chicago!

I, too, have made seemingly random and inconsequential decisions that changed my life. Six years ago I made a decision one afternoon to just get out of the house when my ex stormed out in the middle of another awful fight. I ended up meeting some of the people who have become my closest friends. Including the guy who did the triathlon that I went and cheered for...and here I am, because I thought, "I wonder if I could do something like that."

I found this board because I asked TE customer support if they had any suggestions for the top-heavy triathlete. I had no idea that this bunch of brave, funny, determined, creative women were out here making things happen! I, too, refer to my friends of TE, none of whom I've ever met...but that night when I was online, at 2 AM Chicago time, my heart in my throat, praying that Denise had finished in time, and Nanci posted, "Denise Amos, you are an IRONMAN!"...and my heart jumped and then started beating normally again...and tears were rolling down my face...that's a memory of friends. You all help me remember that it doesn't matter so much if I believe I can do it. Just go out there and start.

Thanks, Denise, for the reminder to keep the faith. I vote for a TE get together! Kona, Denise??? Moab? Florida, Nanci? New Zealand...?! Can you imagine that any of us would get any sleep? I stay up late talking to you as it is! It's wonderful to have you all in my life. Thank you. L.

[DrBee]

If you come through MS - stop by and say HI! I love the idea of a TE get-together - can we make it family friendly for those of us with kids and no grandparents nearby??? I must say, you ladies have been such an inspiration to me! I haven't been around here for very long, but I do feel as though I've made friends already. When I am out riding and get tired or come up on a dog - I hear you encouraging me to press on.

My little (well - big in retrospect) decision of life was when I decided to leave the comfort of all that I had ever known in MD and do my graduate work in Louisiana. That gave me the courage to leave my ex (who was smothering me in an obsessive sort of way) and the opportunity to meet the love of my life! Now we have 2 wonderful kids and an honest and equal and supportive relationship. Wow! Who knew???

[Bad JuJu]

Here's my "little" decision that changed my life, though it probably doesn't sound like such a little decision to most of you. When I was 21, and tired of trying to work full time and go to school full time, all at the SAME time, I decided to join the navy--just for three years--to get some money for college. Sounds like a huge decision, right? But honestly, I didn't think of it as any big deal--figured "OK, I'll just do this for a little while then afterwards I'll resume my old life but without having to kill myself to pay the bills AND my tuition." FAMOUS LAST WORDS!

20 years later, I retired from the navy--nowhere near the person I'd been when I signed up, then went to grad school (my taxes and yours at work ), and now I'm able to teach for 9 months a year and have every summer off for travel, writing, cycling, etc.

Hey, I like that get-together idea--who suggested New Zealand?

[KSH]

Denise.... I should tell you that I was sitting by my computer waiting to hear that you had crossed the finish line (well, OK, I did go to sleep, but when I woke up... I was on my computer again!). Just hearing that you made it... I had tears in my eyes.

Hey, on your cross country trip... if you want to cruise by Dallas, TX... we can go ride! I would offer you a place to stay... but with a 800 sq foot apartment... I'm not really able to put anyone up. Unless you don't mind sleeping on an air matress in the living room!


Hhhhuuuummmm... what decisions have changed my life?

Well the decision to go back to Grad school (part time) and to start doing triathlons has changed my life dramatically.

When I decided to go to Grad school, I had to quit promoting. I promoted DJ's for clubs. This *hobby* kept me out till 7:00 AM on the weekends. It also cost me money. I decided I needed to put my money towards something that would earn me money... so I quit promoting.

Then, before I even made it to Grad school (had to take the GRE!) I decided I was going to train for triathlons (back in October 2004). That decision changed my life drastically.

So, instead of boozing it up with my boyfriend on the weekends and sleeping in late... I started getting up at the crack of dawn (I sleep later during the week when I work) and working out. WOW! What a change in lifestyle.

Anyways... those 2 decisions have changed my life dramatically.

[KnottedYet]

Deciding to get help when I had post-partum depression. And that was back before PPD was "cool".

PS: Tom Cruise is an idiot.

[Lise]

Deciding to get help when I had post-partum depression. And that was back before PPD was "cool".

PS: Tom Cruise is an idiot.

Yeah, that's a big deal. Glad you got the help. I wish Tom Cruise were right. That would be nice. He's not, though, and he gave voice to one more layer of shame and denial for some women to have to get through.

[betagirl]

Don't get me started on Tom Cruise

Hey I'm in Chicago too, so you, me, Lise, and Fuji Girl could go tear up the town

I guess the little decision that changed my life was deciding not to apply to grad school right away out of college. I have a degree in Psychology, which you can do very little with in the bachelor's form. I decided to take a year off, and worked some odd jobs. I took a job in a bakery with my friend, which is probably what turned me into the early riser I am today. Which, is very good for biking. I can also knead dough like nobody's business. After that I worked in a cigar shop selling cigars (remember when those were uber popular in the mid 90's?). After that I took my first "corporate" job and worked as a statistician for an infertility practice. I left there to work for 2 more companies over the years. My year off grew into 7 years, where I worked my way up the corporate ladder and completely changed careers to work in IT. People were like "you have a Bachelor's in psych and a masters in IT???" Odd, I know. Then when I was 26 I was diagnosed with crohn's disease, so I can't say that that was a choice persay but was a huge event that changed my attitude and outlook on a lot of things. It took me a couple years, but I worked up the courage to leave the corporate world behind and go back to psychology. I'm entering my 3rd year toward my doctorate in clinical psych. And I'm 30 But I wouldn't change my path for anything. I'm much more prepared and "wiser" than when I was 21. So that little decision in 1995 to put off school for a while turned out to be a huge life lesson for me.

[Lise]

I am here! I am online! Oddly enough, I can't open my aol mailbox from my brother's computer, but I can come to TE. Probably all for the best...

I thought of this thread today. I've been wiped out, working hard this week and not much sleep. All I could think of was getting to my brother's and going to bed. Tomorrow my sister arrives, and we all drive to Virginia for my cousin's wedding, and then dirive back, and then fly back to Chicago...it felt so hectic that I had no plans to do anything except sleep. But I slept for an hour on the plane, and felt much better. So Mom and I went to The Phillips Collection, an incredible little art museum down the street from my brother's office. They just reopened after major renovations. Those little choices...

About 7 or 8 years ago I came to visit my bro, and he suggested I go see an exhibit of modern art up at the museum. I'd never been, didn't have any particular feeling for modern art. BUT I had dated an artist not too long before this visit, and learned a lot about how art is made. It opened my mind a bit...so I went. I walked into the "Rothko room", and it changed my life. It's a small room with one large abstract painting by Mark Rothko on each wall. A bench in the middle, nothing more. There is something about these paintings that gets to me on a very emotional level. It almost feels like a cellular level, that my body reacts sooner than my mind. Whew. A very spiritual experience. The exhibit I'd gone to see that time was John Walker, also an abstract modernist. I came home and bought some paints and canvases, and started to paint. I'm not very good at it, but it makes me so happy. A few years ago, I made a painting for my brother to thank him for introducing me to this museum.

18 months ago, I was here for a conference, and when I went to the Phillips, I learned that the Rothkos were in storage during the reconstruction. I was so disappointed. Now they're back, in their glory. The new building also has one of the Walkers that I saw at that exhibit. Oh, yeah, and they've got a big Renoir/Degas show going on...but it's the Rothkos that move me. So glad I decide to take his suggestion all those years ago.

[DirtDiva]

There's a "Rothko room" at the Tate Modern here. Quite a dark, almost oppressive effect. It's pretty cool, but there's always too many other people there, which ruins the self-reflective effect.

[Lise]

There's a "Rothko room" at the Tate Modern here. Quite a dark, almost oppressive effect. It's pretty cool, but there's always too many other people there, which ruins the self-reflective effect.

I'll have to visit next time I'm there. The one at the Phillips feels filled with light to me, although the lighting itself is not that bright. Rothko was really depressed at the end, and some of his paintings are very dark. I haven't seen any of the dark ones except in pictures. Make sure you get to the Phillips if you're ever in DC.

[DirtDiva]

The ones here are a dark red coulor and black. They were originally comissioned by a restaurant, but they ended up not really being appropriate. Tate Modern is one of London's public galleries/museums, so it's free to go see everything except the special exhibitions.

[pkq]

Since I don't follow celebs, what is up with Tom Cruise that has raised the female ire?

I'd be interested in a TE riding weekend. You girls crack me up with your humor, impress me with your wisdom and intellect, and create hope in humanity.