You and your friends are on different pages.

"At 25, you will feel drastically more mature than some people you know, embarrassingly less put-together than others, and acutely aware of these imbalances in lifestyle, career, and consciousness between you and the friends you used to feel absolutely in sync with. This can be isolating. Out of nowhere, you can go from feeling buoyantly held aloft on the tumultuous sea of life by friends who totally get you, to feeling… you know, whatever the opposite equivalent of that analogy is. Desert Island or whatever. Don’t fret. Your 20s is supposed to be a time of rapid growth and development in every area of your everything, but we don’t always — in fact, rarely ever — evolve along the same timeline. And so we lose pace with each other.

Maybe in the next few years, you and your former soulmates will end up in the same place again and be BFFs. Or maybe you won’t. Maybe your path will take you to a whole new group of friends who are more suited to this stage of your life, and hopefully your old friends find that, too. Regardless, don’t let the fact that you and your pals have less in common than ever become grounds for resentment, anger, self-doubt or any of that nasty sh-t. It sucks, it’s sad sometimes (social limbo is a lonely land, yo), but the best you can do is stand behind your own choices, stay focused on continuing to become the happiest, healthiest, most successful version of yourself possible, and try to retain a certain sense of social zen — people come in and out of your life, and that’s okay."

While I'm still a year from the quarter-century mark, this Thought Catalog piece about the 6 Things You Learn at 25 had a lot of interesting things to say. Things that resonated with me. Especially these two paragraphs (otherwise known as thing #5 on the list).

As I look around at my friends (the people with whom I've shared relatively similar lives up to this point), I realize that we are all in very, very different places. Some of us are married. Some of us have children! Some of us are buying houses, or cars. Some of us are searching for jobs. 

It's easy to compare myself to my friends who, in one way or another, seem way more "put together" or "grown up" than me. It's hard feeling in "social limbo," as this writer puts it. Everyone is in different stages and it just feels like we're no longer the people we used to be.

And we aren't. But that doesn't mean any of us is doing the wrong thing. It means that we're growing! Maybe in different directions, but we're growing. And that's not wrong or bad. That's great. As long as we're following this advice: "...stand behind your own choices, stay focused on continuing to become the happiest, healthiest, most successful version of yourself possible." 

Amen.

Do it anyway.

It's not Monday, but I bet we could all use some motivation to finish this week strong. After a week full of car problems and hurdles to mount at work, I know I could!

Here's a nice message from my girl, Mother Teresa (the inspiration behind this blog's title, by the way):

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered; Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies; Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; Give the world the best you've got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God; It was never between you and them anyway.

I keep this quote on my monitor at work. Or I should say my monitor came with this quote attached, courtesy of the woman who came before me. It keeps me focused and motivated when I'm not really feelin' it. Hopefully, it provides you some inspiration today too!

A relevant list. [Resolutions]

Yeah....so, it's almost 2012 (insert bad cliche about time flying here). This is the fifth post in a series on New Years Resolutions; mine, and others. Read my other resolutions here, here, here and here.

When I want to feel better about my life, feed the occasional angst-beast or kill a solid 20 minutes reading blogs, I turn to Thought Catalog. Some articles are a little (okay, a lot) irrelevant to my life, but are still entertaining.

There are times though when I can really relate to what's on Thought Catalog. In fact, most of the things I've starred in my Google Reader come from TC. Today is one of those days.

They've posted a great list: "20 New Year's Resolutions for 20-Somethings" by Jessie Rosen. You can read the entire list here; I'm highlighting some of my favorites (with my own comments) below. 

1. Before you status update, Tweet, Tumble or Instagram, pause and say to yourself, “is it entirely necessary that I share this morsel of thought with my entire social network?”and if the answer is not, “yes, I absolutely must,” then step away from the Internet.

This is the #1 thing I want my generation to learn. I can use this sometimes, too, but I'd like to think that I'm getting better at it.

2. Know which candidate you’re going to vote for in the upcoming presidential election, and know why.

I don't care who you vote for--make an informed decision, stick to it AND be able to defend it.

6. Please stop liking the Kardashians, all of them. It’s not helping anyone, least of all the Kardashians.

Need I say more?

9. Call someone on the phone at least once a week, and speak to him or her for at least ten minutes.

I love that texting, Facebook and Twitter allow me to stay in touch with so many people. But reading text on a screen just doesn't soothe the soul like the voice of a friend.

16. Volunteer once over the next 90 days.  You’ll feel really good about it, and probably end up volunteering again over the next 275.

I have spent my entire adult life making volunteering a job. From community service class to the Bonner scholars to PULSE, volunteering is a part of who I am. Give it a chance and you'll want it to be part of who you are, too. (PS if you're looking for volunteer opportunities, let me know. I know PLENTY of organizations who would love to have you!)

17. Tell someone who you love that you love them on a more regular basis. To their face, not in a text.

I have only recently discovered how powerful the words "I love you" can be. Try saying it to someone you've never said it to before. No, not a significant other (unless you're ready) but a friend. Or a family member. Someone who means a lot to you, but doesn't know it yet. When those words are genuinely expressed, they are so wonderful.

19. Crap or get off the pot. This applies to whatever thing you’re not doing that you should just sack up and do already.

Yeah, this might be a little offensive. But really, do it or don't do it. But don't just sit idly by while you "are going to get to it." It's not fair to you or to the other people you're affecting by half-committing.

So there you have it. Any of the resolutions from Thought Catalog stick out to you?

Oooh, I almost forgot:

Learning. [Resolution 1]

Yeah....so, it's almost 2012 (insert bad cliche about time flying here). This is the first post in a series on New Years Resolutions; mine, and others.

This time of year is used for a lot of things: family, vacation (maybe a vacation from family), finishing up the end-of-the-year tasks, prepping for the year ahead. It's a busy time. We're supposed to write resolutions: the things that we're going to work on over the next 365 (or 366) days. Usually, these are about losing weight, spending more time with family or cutting back on habits like smoking.

My main resolution is a little different, though. Something I've noticed about myself is that I don't take a lot of time for reflection. Do you? I'm trying to reflect more (hence the purchase of this lovely item, props to Sarah) and that's part of my resolution. Something that I'm prone to do, though, is look back and focus only on the mistakes I've made. I end up kicking myself for the actions I took or the words I said.

There's sometimes a place for regret, especially if those actions or words caused someone else pain or sorrow. But more often than not, I'm judging myself too harshly for not doing what I think would have been the "right" thing to do, based on what I know now. That's the thing, though. My opinion about my former actions is based on hindsight.

With that said, this year's first resolution:

 [Obviously it's not mine; it came from notsalmon.com (via Pinterest).]

Isn't that a great idea? View your life with kindsight. 

Like I said, I think know I'm too hard on myself when I look back at what I've done. So I'm going to be nicer to myself over the next year. I'm going to reflect on my days (weeks and months, too) with the question of "what was I learning?" instead of "what was I thinking?".

When you look back, are you too harsh on yourself? Would you benefit from a cleansing breath, instead of a forehead slap? Remember to view your life with kindsight!

Wordless?

So these are words, but they aren't mine. And it's an image. So, kind of Wordless Wednesday.

Love this:

17. Between.

I'm not super keen on today's prompt (something about listing every crush you've ever had; seems unnecessary to me) so, I'm going back to an October prompt. October 20, to be exact. What do I like to do between coming home and going to bed?

I'm currently in a great place where I don't have to worry about school work when I come home, but I also don't have to worry about kids or taking care of other people. Just me. And making food for my roommates when I have time/they're around. But other than that, no responsibilities.

I always have a ton of things that I want to do or need to do in between, but an ideal night would look like this:

-come home
-check personal email, respond
-peruse my Google reader
-start some deliciously nutritious dinner
-eat said dinner with roommates, preferably while watching Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune
-knit while watching a movie/whatever TV shows we like that air on that day
-at 10 p.m., go to my room and write a blog post (or do some research for another one)
-finish that miraculously by 10:30 so I can read
-go to bed

(A variation of this would include having my PULSErs over for dinner and TV watching/knitting)

Homebody at heart. What's your ideal night between work and bed look like?

7. Balance.

I don't have a boyfriend/fiance/husband and I don't have any kids, but I still have plenty to say about today's prompt. "How do you find balance with your kids, relationship and work life?"

Balance is hard. I know, I know, some day I'll look back on this period of my life and think "I had so much free time, and I wasted it." Whatever. I'm living in the moment and in the moment, my life is busy. And--good news--it just got busier!

I am SO excited to say that I have joined the Propelle flight crew, co-piloted by Carrie, Emily and Kate. Three inspiring women who started a new venture, focused on helping women entrepreneurs take flight. I feel honored just knowing them, let alone being on the crew. I'll be your social media manager, directing you to information and tips for ladies who women entrepreneurs. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter!

I'm sure more than one of you is wondering how I have time to take on another role when I already have one other full-time position, and two part-time ones (let alone friends and responsibilities to my housemates!). You think I sound like a crazy person. You're at least half right. I'm a little insane, but like I said at the beginning of this post: I don't have anything holding me back from taking on this position and the chance to meet and be molded by tons of inspiring women who are already connecting with Propelle (not to mention the three co-pilots, who have been incredibly gracious and kind to me already). Gotta take advantage of every opportunity that presents itself. In the words of my friend Erica, a yinzster's gotta hustle.

So even though I'm a nut job, I still like to make time for things in my life aside from work. How do I do it? First, I love what I do. Then it doesn't seem like work so much. It should still feel like work, because otherwise you're not growing. But, it helps if the work is challenging, but not soul-crushing.

I also schedule time for myself on my calendar. I try to say "yes" as much as possible to friends' invitations. But at the same time, I listen to my body. If I am exhausted at 9:30 on a Saturday night, maybe it's best that I stay in and watch movies on the couch (why yes, that did happen this weekend).

Living with other people is sometimes so challenging, but it's also super rewarding. If I have a particularly tough day at work and don't feel like seeing other humans, I know that my roommates will both respect my privacy and pull me out of my funk. All while I get to relax in my PJs.

How do you find balance?

1. Writing.

So here I am. Blogging all month long. First prompt: "What is your favorite part about writing?"

Writing is funny. It is easily my favorite, and least favorite thing to do. I spoke to 1st and 2nd graders at a career fair (I KNOW RIGHT) a few weeks ago and told them that my love of writing is what got me into public relations, and eventually into my current position. Most of what I do is writing. Most of what I do, I like.

Writing is great because it's kind of like putting together a puzzle. You have all of these thoughts and ideas and (sometimes) quotes and then you pull them all together and when it works, it works. It flows and paints a picture or conveys your ideas or convinces without being too overbearing.

But that puzzle aspect is also what makes writing not so great. No shoving in things that you just. want. to. make. work. Even if you try to hide it really well, someone's still going to notice that something about the puzzle just isn't right. That works for writing, too. So it takes me an extra-long time to write things, because I hate when they're off. Even by a little bit.

I guess what I'm saying is, writing is a fickle fickle mistress (mister?). I love him and I hate him, and that's my favorite part about him.

(Favorite part about writing this post, though? The wikipedia entry for "mistress" which produced this gem: "The 'Pool Boy' is the most general male role of a 'male mistress,' or at times the 'Fitness Trainer' or 'Tennis Instructor.' Some people may even refer to this as a 'mastress.'" LOL)

City Envy

Well, looks like I'm on a one-post-per-month streak. I'm going to change all of that by signing up for National Blog Posting Month (affectionately known as NaBloPoMo) in November...think of today as a warm-up. And what better warmup than to talk about my favorite subject: the City of Pittsburgh?

Last year, I had the incredible opportunity to become a participant/fellow in the Pittsburgh urban Leadership Service Experience (PULSE). My fellow PULSErs were all pretty new to the city. They'd been here once or twice, but they didn't grow up an hour away like I did. It was during the first few week sof PULSE in the Fall of 2010 that I realized: the longest I've been away from Western Pennsylvania is six weeks.

Just six weeks! That's not even two months. And while coming to PULSE last August was my first time actually living in Pittsburgh, I had an idea of what I was getting into. I didn't have to learn a whole new culture or wrap my head around this whole neighborhood idea. It just it what it is: a city.

But the more I spoke to the other PULSErs I thought that maybe I was missing out. Because I've only left the area once (the same time I left the country), I really have no idea what it's like to try to experience a new city. To learn about the culture, or the history, or to just feel that nervous excitement you get from being in a new place (believe me, I was still plenty nervous--moving into a house with 7 other women I didn't know? You bet I was nervy. It was just different).

To be honest (and that's what I'm shooting for here lately), I was a little envious. To be completely honest, I always feel a twinge of jealousy when I hear about classmates or friends who move to new cities. New York, San Fran, Philly, Boston...etc. Even new small towns. It's a whole new adventure! I just moved to Pittsburgh.

But then, I think about it and realize that this IS a whole new adventure. Sure, it's only 60 minutes from my parents house. An hour from where I went to undergrad. But still, it's new! I'm still learning new things every day. So maybe I know the yinzer culture, but I don't know everything about this city.

Plus, if I didn't live here, I'd be jealous of everyone that did:

Sometimes, I get bitter.

Dear readers,

For those of you keeping score (and I know you at home are), I've been to 7 weddings this year. SEVEN. I have one more coming up in October. And I was invited to one that I couldn't attend, bringing this year's grand total to nine invites and eight actual weddings

That, my friends, is a lot of weddings.

(Here's where I become a bit vulnerable and bitter so if you don't want to read about that, feel free to continue to the bottom of this post. I'll leave something warm and fuzzy for you down there.)

It's ROUGH going to that many weddings. Let me rephrase. It's ROUGH going to that many weddings when you're single. Let me rephrase one more time. It's ROUGH going to that many weddings when you're single and it feels like everyone else is not. It's like at weddings, all the married people come out of the woodwork or something. Married people have this sensor where they know someone else is joining their elite, special group and so they show up. To make it very obvious that they are married. And you are not.

(See? Bitter and vulnerable. Two things I don't like being. Whatever. This blog is for growth and stuff.)

But then I have to remember that these two people I love are taking the biggest step of their lives thus far. And they wanted to include me in their day. Whether the guest list had 150 or 450, I made the cut! What an honor to witness two people who love each other very much, making a public declaration of that love in front of others.

I got to see that this weekend with my dear friends Aaron and Andrea. I'm obviously somewhat of a wedding connoisseur and I have to say, this was one of my favorites. The dress, the boutonnieres, the flowers, the location--I could gush on and on. It was absolutely beautiful, outdoors next to a stream just outside of Harrisonburg, Virginia. A-squared (cute name, yes?) made their family an integral part of the service, and that just reflected them so much. And they had a barn dance reception! Not that I'm a well-known barn dancer (in fact, I never got up on the dance floor), but it was quite entertaining.

If you have invited me to your wedding, please know that I loved being there! Sometimes, I get bitter. But most (95%) times, I'm thankful, honored, blessed and a million other positive adjectives to be a part of your wedding day. They've each been beautiful, and I'ved boogie-ing the night away with each of you to celebrate your marriage. I've REALLY loved that part. The Cha Cha slide is my specialty.

That being said, I can't wait until November. Six months wedding free! Of course, I'll be ordering a bridesmaid dress and planning a bridal shower and all of those fun things. What good is wedding season if you can't be in a least one bridal party?

Oh--as promised, your warm and fuzzy:

Eleven months later.

At my office, I have a plant on my windowsill.

This plant is unnamed. We jokingly refer to it around the office (okay, three of us do) as "Collaboration", because I got it at collaboration-themed luncheon for a different agency.

This plant and I have been through a lot together. I got it at the beginning of the year, maybe 2 months in to my time with PULSE/ELDI. It has been on my windowsill ever since. 

Today at work I was gchatting with Anna (shh...don't tell anyone) and I looked to my left to the plant. She grew! Over the past 9 months, she grew. That ivy is way bigger than it was at the beginning of my journey at ELDI.

Of course, Anna and I were at that exact moment discussing how we can't believe that PULSE is "over". We have lived in our big old home and worked at our placements for 11 months. We were also talking about how much we've grown over the past year.

Way to go, Plant, for being an incredibly tangible metaphor and example of what has happened to me over the past year.

I am really in disbelief that the year is already over. This is such a cliche, but really, it feels like I blinked and the year is gone. Looking back, I can tell that a lot has happened. But in the day to day, the time just goes quicker than I ever imagined.

I'm so thankful for this year. Just the other day, I tweeted that I can't believe that I'm trusted to do my job sometimes. Just because it feels like I'm way unqualified and too young to be doing this for real. If anything, this year has taught me that I am definitely qualified. I can do this whole "I am a grownup and have a real job thing." And it happened while I wasn't even looking.

But instead of having a "real job", I'm going to continue in PULSE. I don't think I've really talked about this here yet, so here it goes: I'm going to keep my position at ELDI and continue to be a part of the PULSE program. In my second year (blazing new trails), I'll be doing lots of informational interviews and I'll lead a couple of seminars. I also get to help with PULSE's social media efforts. 

I truly believe this is what I have been called to do with the next year of my life. Living, working and growing in the East End of Gotham City...I mean, Pittsburgh.

(Because the Bat Signal on Fifth Avenue Place is too cool not to mention in this post. Obviously.)

Humble.

Growing up is hard, man.

I know practically every 20-something says this, but why don't they give you a manual when you graduate from college? Really, a small guide (20 pages or so, with pictures) with tips and instructions on important grown-up knowledge would be awesome. Because I don't know how to do this.

I'm expected to be responsible for my own well-being. To go to the doctor and the dentist and the optometrist on a (semi-, insurance-dictated) regular basis. How much should I pay for health insurance? Do I need renters' insurance?

I'm expected to know things like, how much am I "worth" to an organization? And what's an appropriate amount to pay for rent in my neck of the woods?

Being grown up and living on your own (because let's face it, PULSE isn't really living on your own at all) means that you have a lot to do. How do you put in a security deposit? How do you set up your utilities? Budget, or pay by the month? Where do you get all the furniture to sit on and sleep on?

Recently, a lot of these questions have come up. And I realized that I have absolutely no idea about how to answer any of them on my own. I've had to learn a little lesson in humility.

I'm usually the type who likes to have all the answers. I don't think I'm necessarily arrogant about my knowledge, but I don't like to admit when I don't know something. But this grown-up stuff is serious. I can't just fudge my way through getting utilities, because then I'll end up stealing electric from the neighbors with an extension card, and fry myself a la Clark Griswold in Christmas Vacation. Then, since I made up the insurance process as I went along, I wouldn't even have medical coverage to nurse me back to health.

So you see my predicament. Either make a go of it on my own and probably screw up royally, or ask for help. So, I've asked for help. A lot more often than not, lately. It's kind of hard to do sometimes, but it's also an immense relief and blessing to have someone else tell me the answers to all of life's big questions (like, how much water will we use in one month?).

I'm going to get started on that life guide for college graduates. Any tips to include? ;)

A few lessons I've learned.

Interns. Coffee-brewers. Copy-makers. These terms are all synonymous, right?

The age-old joke (idea? understanding?) that an intern's sole purpose at an organization is to make copies, brew coffee, and pick up his/her supervisor's dry cleaning is--thankfully--changing.

Just look at the Eternal Interns. These women have spent years interning. Sure, it was due to a tough job market. But they certainly didn't spend their 20s just making copies. It's been a part of their duties, but who of us in an office hasn't made a copy, or brewed up a potta joe, before?

I'm currently halfway through my second "internship". This is definitely not a unique thing; lots of people have multiple internships. But as I embark on the second half of this gig (I'll be a PULSEr for  a total of 23 months), I've realized that I probably have some tips--I won't be so bold as to call them wisdom--to give to interns who are just getting started.

Personal experience has taught (is teaching) me...

• Don't shy away from helping with a mailing. Stuffing, labeling and sealing are some of the most boring tasks I've ever completed at my internships (and my job during undergrad). But as the labels, letters, and envelopes piled up on my desk this week to mail out our Annual Report (my baby that is finally complete!!!!!), I realized that familiarizing myself with this mailing list was a great idea. Our report went to 170+ partners in the community and throughout the nation--what an easy way to associate a contact name to an organization and a physical location. And every other month when I send newsletters to our funders, I get to know even more names and organizations.
  
• Be intentional about building relationships with staff. Unless you're interning at your parents' company, you're most likely pretty new to the company. Everyone has different responsibilities, and one of yours should be to have a general idea of what's happening in the organization. Don't be nebby, but know enough that you can transfer callers to the right extension when you answer the phone (another tip: help out by answering the phone! It usually won't go unnoticed that you stepped up to the plate).
  
• Never 'fess up to being an intern. Who needs to know that the point person on the project is an intern? You are just as capable as the full-time staff to do your job, if you've been asked to do it. Even if you mess up, don't using being an intern as a crutch--some day, you won't have the "intern" title to fall back on. Can't blame your mistakes on being the director of your division, can you?
  
• Be prepared. This isn't the Boy Scouts and it's not a song from the Lion King (confused?), but it is common sense. Sort of. On your first day, be prepared for a lot of listening, and a lot of learning. Bring paper and pen, because you'll take lots of notes. On your second day and every day after, repeat. You'll learn a lot and you should remember it (something I regrettably haven't done enough of).
  
• Leave notes for those who will come after you. Eventually, your time as an intern will end. Hopefully, you'll be on to bigger and better things. And unless that bigger and better thing is your internship but paid, someone will come after you. In each of my internships, I've been blessed enough to have a predecessor that left me tips and tricks, and what to expect out of my experience. My duties have, of course, varied from what the women who came before my outlined. But having those road maps helped. Why not put some other nervous intern at ease on his/her first day?

Internships can be quite a rewarding experience, especially if you're willing to put in the work to make them that way. The interwebz are full of bits & pieces of advice to make the experience better, but hopefully these tips can give you another extra boost of encouragement, or calm some first-day jitters.

Oh, and one more thing? People will really like you if you bake for them. ;)

What makes me an adult?

So I guess I'm into question-themed titles. Deal with it. (?)

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about what makes me an adult. The world defines adulthood in some tangible and some not-so-tangible ways.

Is it because I pay my own bills? I don't. As a PULSEr, my main life expenses are covered. Is it because I own a house or a car? I don't own either. PULSE provides housing and my parents have graciously provided a vehicle. Is it because I have a "real job"? As much as I am gaining experience at my current position, I'm technically a volunteer. Is it because I'm married with 2.5 children? Well goodness me. I may never be an adult if that's the criteria.

If we're looking at the fact that I can drive, buy cigarettes and lottery tickets, and legally consume alcohol then yes--I am an adult. But I can't rent a car from some places yet, and I can't run for President of the United States of America (but I am just 3 years younger than Luke was when we became Mayor...watch for my campaign ;).

Even though I lack some of these tangible adulthood criterion, I still feel like an adult. (Especially because I just used the word "criterion" in a sentence, and I'm pretty sure I used it correctly.) The problem with these intangible ideas of adulthood is that they're much harder to quantify--and I think they're different for almost everyone.

For example. Today, I called three people whom I'd never met on the phone. Set up appointments, left voicemails, followed up. Maggie two years ago would have emailed and waited. Maggie today made phone calls (even though she was tempted to send emails and wait).

Another reason that I feel like an adult? People trust me with stuff. With money. With finding an apartment. With projects. With decisions. The simple fact that I am trusted to cook dinner for 8+ of my friends once a week still amazes me. Also, people trust me with their children. I took kids canoeing and rock climbing and drove them around in a 15 passenger van and sent them in a tube down a river.

My body now wakes me up at 7 every morning (the past two days of weird sleeping in notwithstanding).   Growing up, I couldn't FATHOM my body setting me on this regular of a schedule. Who would put themselves through the TORTURE of waking up early when they don't have to? Now, I see it as an opportunity to carpe diem and get things done.

I have a Waynesburg University Alumni sticker in the back of my car. I have a college degree and I'm using it. Adults do that kind of stuff, don't they? More importantly, I have found my passion. Some kids know it early on, some adults never find it, but for me--the fact that I know what I want to devote my life to is a pretty big deal.

Aside from these big things, there are the little things: I now take multi-vitamins and calcium supplements, use night cream on my eyes, and can actually "remember when" (for some things, anyway). I also own a mandoline. The slicer. I can slice cucumbers incredibly thin, just like every adult. Right? ;)

I think I'm an adult. I think I like it. What makes YOU an adult?

UPDATE: Another way I'm an adult? I'm growing a backbone! Those of you who have known me for awhile know that I am sort of a pushover. I've realized, though, that I am starting to stand up for myself, and stand up to others. Woot.