Saturday, June 6, 2009

Global Race for the Cure



Today, I ran 3.1 miles to cure breast cancer. Today, I moved with 50,000 other people down the streets of Washington for a better world. Today, I made a difference. As Hellen Keller said, "I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; And because I cannot do everything I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.”


And in the words of Mariann Williamson:


“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”


Today, 50,000 of us in DC and many more around the world played big, let our lights shine, laced up our sneakers and did something. It was great!

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Houston, we have a problem.

I've been looking for a maxi dress in a fabulous print. So my search lead me to the House of Dereon. Yes, I know and no, I was not high. I was, however, desperate. So, I find myself on Beyonce's fleur-de-lis ridden website and initially, I'm pleasantly surprised. I encounter a couple of fairly cute maxi dresses.

And then I make the mistake of scrolling too far down the page. I encounter this:
And then, this:
Whaaaa? Huh?
Umm wow. I am thoroughly at a loss. The denim conjures up old school thoughts of Salt N Peppa and Lean on Me extras; it's really more '80s rap star Halloween costume than haute couture. The second, I can't even think of a rationale behind it. Hip hop I Dream of Jeannie? Wrong, just wrong.
I love Beyonce, but even I cannot justify this madness. If fact, I'm kind of mad about it. Despite living in the Washington DC metro area, I am Houstonian at heart. To paraphrase the cute New Yorker Nigel in The Devil Wears Prada (must see!) when he speaks of his love for Paris, "I live in Alexandria, but Houston is my hometown." I put on for my city. With this madness, Beyonce apparently does not. Houston, we have a problem. Or two.