Unexpected friendships

Hello beautiful/handsome people,

Isn't it a wonderful day? At least, I sure hope you're having a wonderful day.

I just wanted to share my thoughts on friendships that were not in your sight, but that happened and have enriched your life.

My grandpa remarried in 2006 a few months before my 15th birthday. I liked his wife enough, but I didn't really have a relationship with her, yet.

If you have had someone in your family get remarried then you know that you're a little apprehensive and nervous at first. You are happy that your family member found love again, trust their judgment, and like the person... But you're just not sure how your family dynamic will change and hope that all the things you loved before stay a part of your lives. Its an interesting dichotomy.

Quickly after they married I became good friends with my grandpa's wife. She just took me in like she had known me my whole life. Whenever I needed advice she helped me through, she took me out and treated me to girls days, we worked together on projects, and she engaged me in thoughtful conversations even though we are apart of different generations. During trying times, before I moved, she was the person I turned to for a listening ear and guidance, which was only two years into the marriage.

 She probably doesn't know it, but she was the only person I talked to about something going on in my life at one point. It was a time when I desperately needed someone to listen to me and help me work through the situation. I don't know what would have happened if I didn't have her to lean on.  Even after I moved we were able to stay close and have nice visits when we were together.

Lately I keep reflecting on our beginnings over eight years ago. I held our friendship very close while I lived away, but we definitely weren't able to communicate as frequently. I would say that the physical distance did become a slight relational distance. Which happened with everyone I was close to when I moved. Just part of the whole thing even though we have countless technologies that help us keep in touch.  Now that I am living with her (and my grandpa!), I am glad that we can have daily chats and that she can mentor me in person. I learn something new from her everyday.

I am just very grateful that my grandpa fell in love with her because she has added so much to our family--love, laughs, generosity, creativity, a realness of sorts, and many good times.

In the beginning I knew she was a nice lady and I knew we would have a good relationship, but I didn't know we would be friends. In fact I would consider her one of my best friends.

(Shout out!- Love you Laurie and I am extremely thankful for your friendship, unconditional love, and all that you have done for me.)

Do you have a good friend that you didn't expect to be so close to? Let them know how much they mean to you!

Simply Live in that you appreciate your friends.
Live Simply in that you enjoy the kind of routine things you do with your friends--like sit around and talk, get their advice a problem, rants when somethings or someones being annoying, etc. As John Lennon said, "Time you enjoyed wasting, was not wasted time."

Until next time,
Alyssa

Reflecting on Kinky Boots

Hello lovely people, 

I was typing up some stuff work and listening to my Wicked, Kinky Boots and Phantom of the Opera station on Pandora Radio. It is always interesting how your mind wanders and thinks of things that still strike a nerve. 

I saw Kinky Boots back in February, so six months ago, and when we were walking there was this casual looking guy and his two sidekicks outside of the theater. The main guy had a megaphone and was talking about Jesus and salvation, and everything that comes with that. I really wanted to go up to him and ask him why he was saying all of this at a Kinky Boots performance. Had he ever seen the play? Did he know what it felt like to be looked down on and dehumanized? If he had seen the play and knew what it was like to be dehumanized then he wouldn't have been spreading this message.

It really infuriates me when people can get out there, take their time, and go to all the effort to do something like in the guise of hate and "I'm better than you". We all act in ways that the God in the Bible would see as not in accordance with his teachings. So why did this guy need to protest outside of a show that is all about embracing and loving yourself? 

Does he protest outside of movies that perpetrate violence? Does he protest outside of shows or movies that degrade women? I don't know the answer, but my guess would be no. 

A show about a love, peace, and acceptance is not one that should boycotted. This man only protested because one of the main characters is a transvestite. Who cares about the 15 other characters and the theme of the play. Shame on you for putting down someone for being who they are. It is not acceptable to judge people based on their gender, skin color, or religion....yet he can put down someone for being gay, lesbian, transgender, or queer. 

Does this guy really think yelling out to two or three hundred people going into this play will bring these sinners and those who are in the play to Jesus??? Why would they even want to listen when you are approaching them in a negative way? 

I just cannot sit by and stand for this type of behavior. It does not make any sense and really hurts those Christians who are kind, compassionate, understanding of people because they get generalized with this bad example. If you are a Christian who believes that part of the Bible that says not to judge your neighbor then I appreciate you. If you are a part of another religion and believe that people should live and let them then I appreciate you, too! 

I want to leave you with the lyrics from the final song in Kinky Boots so you can understand the message it sends if you haven't seen it. 

"But before we go, we would like to leave you with the Price and Simon secret to success:
Alright, now we've all heard of the 12 step program, have we not?

Yes, but what you can do in 12, I want you to know that we all can do in 6 now, and it goes like this:

One: Pursue the truth

Two: Learn something new

Three: Accept yourself and you'll accept others too!

Four: Let love shine

Five: Let pride be your guide

Six: Change the world when you change your mind!

Just be. Who you wanna be.

Never let them tell you who you ought to be.

Just be. With dignity.

Celebrate your life triumphantly.

You'll see.
Its beautiful."

Read more: Original Broadway Cast Recording - Raise You Up / Just Be Lyrics | MetroLyrics. 


Here is the Kinky Boots Musical website if you want to find it near you! I highly recommend it. 


Simply Live in that you get the speck out of your own eye before you try to get out of someone elses. 

Live Simply in that you enjoy little or big theater productions! 

Love always, 
Alyssa 

We cannot be indifferent.

While in New Orleans I came across a homeless man holding a sign saying "homeless hungry veteran" near Canal and Bourbon Street. At least 300 people had walked past him paying him no mind.

He was probably in his early 60's and I just looked at his sign and passed wishing I had some cash to give him. Then I grabbed my partners arm and turned back to him. I just spent $45 on a meal and $10 on drinks. I could not just walk by when I had just spent so much money on more food than I could eat and on drinks that I didn't need.

I told him I had no money, but would be glad to buy him a meal if that would be okay. His eyes got big and he said, "ye-yeah."
We walked into the Krystal Burger and I told him he could order whatever he wanted. He just kind of looked at the menu so I suggested the chicken sliders for him. "That sounds good. Could you please order for me?" I was glad to, but felt such pain for him that he was so ostracized from society that he felt he couldn't even order a meal.

He came to New Orleans for a job from New Mexico. All of his family is in New Mexico. The painting company went under. Without a job and when you literally live pay check to check you cannot make ends meet long. He was evicted, can't find a job, and is now left on the streets.

Without access to the internet or a car this man that served our country in the Army is left sitting on Bourbon street at 11 p.m. hoping someone is kind enough to give him money so he can eat.

I asked him if there were any shelters that he knew of, and he said he tried them but every time he went they were in such bad conditions that he got sick so he won't go back...

In a country of such tremendous wealth how can atrocities like this occur?

We are often guilty of thinking that homeless people are just bums, but if you put yourself in their shoes you can understand how hard it is to get off of your feet. The only reason I have what I do today is because of my supportive family and connections.

If you have the ability to buy someone a meal then please do it. No one can progress if they are constantly worried about survival.

After I wished him well and walked away I just felt helpless that I couldn't do more. But my partner reminded me that I just made a difference in his life and if that's all I can do right now then I need to be proud of that.

"The opposite of love is not hate, it is indifference." - Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor