The greyer the hairs, the fewer the cares

I have found the answer to why we find our parents so embarrassing when we are teenagers.

It's because they are so old they don't care.

One of my favourite sayings is-

"Don't be afraid to laugh at yourself, you might miss the joke of the century."

And that is delightfully true. Nowadays I recognise the fact that I am a 'grown up' because I'm giving less of a crap about what I look like or whether I would be embarrassed and more of a crap about getting stuff done or being with loved ones in the time it would have taken to do makeup etc.

Recently there were 4 memorable situations where I really came to realise that old Joana would have been flabbergasted at how present Joana was so nonchalant about being a total nerdburger.

1. I went and sat at a cafe with a fully swollen and infected eye as I waited for the pharmacy to open. Yes, I did feel as ugly as a pirate at a poodle pageant, but I realised that the new-school Kensington hipsters were not really looking or probably unable to see through their vintage glasses anyway. Whatever.

2. When teaching a dance class I got so excited I did a move that resembles a freshly caught salmon flopping around a boat, but standing up. At the end of this marine movement I saw a choreographer who I have a school-girl crush on laughing at me through the window. Instead of being an awkward turtle I went and spoke to him and hid my salmon ways by making a smart comment about his hair. Sassy.

3. This weekend I had to have my arms painted red as part of a short film I was acting in. I realised I could do a pakaru job of washing my arms on location or leave them red and shower at home...SO I walked home with shoelaces undone as the red arms were not going near my new white shoes, red arms, bag open and makeup half on half smuged. What was my slick hair-do was then resembling the lint you pull out of the washing machine. The pic below is from the film. Classy.

4. After gate crashing a baptism (as you do) I was playing footy with the srogs- kids aged under 5. One of them kicked the ball super fast; luckily my face caught it. 

Boing.

Then when he threw it over my head and I ran to get it I tripped over my bag, and not in one of those "hop skip jump" trips but more "lets' inappopriately flash an amount of thigh to try not to fall flat on face" kind. Cool.

Look, grooming and appearance are important, not only if you are a poodle in a pageant but also if you are a person in public. But remember if you are worried about how you look, everyone else is worried about how they look, or come across. Yes, studies have shown that more attractive people get jobs, but so do hard working people, genuine people and determined people. 

AND, the main thing that comes with age, is confidence. That's your best accessory. It can make cold-sores vanish, social situations not longer awkward, and instantly make you look taller and thinner. 

So if you have a debilitating debacle that drives you to despair, just toss your grey hair and lose those cares!

Jj

You can't have a Discovery with out DISCO

 I'm in love.

I find myself smiling at the littlest things, people have told me Im glowing, I feel a buzz in my tummy and want to high-five or butt slap everyone I pass.

Except I don't know who or what it is I'm in love with, or why. 

Coffee?

Life?

The dogs I was looking after last week?

Double Rainbows? 

Snapchat?

I don't know if it's because spring is coiled up, I just have some fantastic people in my life at the moment, or because I bought some new fitness clothes; but I just want to have a seizure of success and pass it on to everyone so that they can fist pump through life.

Except the guy with a glass eye at the Apple store who gave me sass.

He can have himself a nice sit in the electric chair of etiquette.

Yes, a seizure of success.

Remember success is what you define it as; success for one person could mean earning enough money to buy a yhact and for another it could be mastering the ability to isolate and wiggle their right baby toe (which I trained myself to do while pretending to have a sprained ankle at primary school)

To just take a sledgehammer and rather than make out with it like Miley, smash down every wall and doubt and turning jete-allance through to living a life you have never imagined.

Take your eyes off the screen and look towards your dreams. 

See love conquers everything.

Think of what people have done for love.

When we are in love, nobody can rain on our parade. 

 So if we can feel in love with life, our country, LOL cats, or the smell of rain on hot concrete, then we have power.

The power of positivity, much like the power of invisibility, is something that goes unseen by many, but once we have it, all kinds of deeds can be done.

Jj

Caffination and Inspiration

If I didn't drink coffee there are lots of things that wouldn't be....
I wouldn't get some things done as quickly

I wouldn't have stains on 3 of my white shirts

I wouldn't catch up with friends as regularly 

I wouldn't read the paper

I wouldn't spend about $15 a week

I wouldn't know Melbourne CBD and all it's cafes
and in this morning's case;

I wouldn't have an increased heart rate or met an interesting woman who inspired this blog.


The beans were ground and it went down like this: 

I went for a morning coffee at a cafe by the botanical gardens, sitting outside admiring the view (read, checking out the talent running the 'tan)
A lady with a Labrador who looked slightly batty asked me if I wouldn't mind moving seats....(yes the lady and the Labrador both looked batty; the lady had all these scratches on her arm- told me later she's not 'a liner' but fell in a rose bush and apparently the dog has a skin irritation..)




Anyways 
although I was quite comfortable with my soy latte and avocado on toast 
(will next week's blog be "if I didn't eat avocado?" I doubt it. Because I cannot fathom am average agsistsnce in the absence of avocado) 
I couldn't say no to the dog, the lady or the potential of sliding down a seat to sidle up to Mr Strong Flat White, sitting to my right. 
After a general conversation about dogs, she ordered avo on toast too, took the magazine I was half reading and told me she is a painter.
Well, as a fellow creative I wanted to get her perspective on my situation, and at 67 years young she gave me some wonderful insight. When she and the batty scratchy lab left she said:


"Keep believing in yourself and you never know what will happen.."



Yes it's a pretty Hallmark card type statement but let's just say I'm not only caffeinated today but inspirated. The advice and conversations accompanied by a cup of coffee can go a long way, be it from a stranger, a soulmate or Mr Strong Flat White. 

So although I'm $15 poorer every week, living in Melbourne, the coffee capital, I become richer in life with every sip.


Jj