Un-Balancing Act

How long does it take before you can really say a person affected your life? Does it take one year, one decade, or just one hour? A few months ago I walked into the office of Suzette DeJarnette and in her first sentence I was affected. "Hello, I am Sharon Vaughn. How are you today?" I asked this question in my usual first-meeting, sales-girl voice. As she was to counsel me on my deepest thoughts and issues I naturally assumed the enthusiasm of her response would reflect all the happiness she wanted me to find following our time together. "I'm medium today,"  Suzette replied honestly and instantly informed me of her credibility. Though I enjoyed her honesty I also I admit to being nervous. In my new-found pursuit for authenticity, I feared I would not have the luxury of filtering myself to gain a favorable judgement from her. But it (and she) was all just what I needed. Our hours together were short and memorable. She was an original feminist, a straight shoote...

I have been there a hand full of times... having a great night out, beverages flowing and big smiles punctuated with glazed eyes all around me. Stumbling up to the bar my eyes squint with the realization the lights have just come on. "Last call!!" I am feeling an internal cocktail of relief and annoyance. Who are these people to say the party is over?? I protest, learning that once the lights are on, there is no bargaining. Somehow I make it home and fall asleep in my dress with one heel on. Before I know what happened my mascara is leaving its mark on my pillow. The next morning I vow never to drink again... until the next night like this one! While memories of mornings like these aren't my proudest moments, they highlight the universal truth that ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. Sure, the bartender just wanted to close his drawer for the night and go home or have his own fun - but what he really did was let us all know that we didn't need any more drinks. After recently processi...

After the fog of starvation, too much wine, and heartbreak subsided, I began to see my new life without a partner as something very full and rewarding rather than something empty and lonely and hopeless. The fears and insecurities that kept me in a very toxic relationship for eight years disappeared.  No longer bound by the censorship that filtered every twisted reality into something worthy of a thumbs up, the freedom of honesty prevailed and I embraced the truth that I was in complete control of my future. The past was a school, and the future was the gift I gave myself by making the choice to leave. Day by day the new choices I have made with myself in mind have given me freedom. In the past 8 years things that seem mundane to a healthy normal person caused anxiety in me. I was anxious if toward the end of the day my nail polish was chipped and my significant other might arrive home before I had the chance to manicure. Before a hello or a hug, I would hear once again, ...