I don’t know about all of you, but I have developed a sort of Love /Hate relationship with the woman-made media machine that has become OPRAH. Much like her weight, my opinion of her goes up and down…”She’s helping the world!” but wait, “She’s an egomaniac!” But because it is a New Year, I am going to give her the benefit of the doubt that maybe she has a few things figured out, and I’m even going to use her infamous little catchphrase and actually admit to all my readers that yes, I’ve had an “Aha moment!” That moment occurred on New Years Eve of this year as I was tearing up the back woods of the Adironack Mountains on a very “manly man” high-powered 800 lb snowmobile. Actually, the moment occurred when I decided that instead of riding “safely” and “comfortably” behind my boyfriend on HIS snowmobile, that I would drive this crazy machine by MYSELF. Now, this might not sound like a big deal to some, but for a Gal who considers mercury poisoning to be stepping outside when the thermometer dips below 50 degrees, this was no small endeavor. It wasn’t until I got behind my OWN wheel and literally took matter into my own hands that I realized how much I hide behind other people, situations, and ideas and let them do most of the work while I ride safely in back giving up the control over my life that I used to once have. Now there are those (no mother-in-law’s names will be mentioned here) who have the profound ability to drive from the backseat, barking orders and directions from a place where they really can’t see much at all, but are convinced that they know best and should therefore tell everyone in their immediate presence what should be done. These people in my opinion “Suck!” and should be muzzled… but I digress. Most of us seem to deal with our lives in varying degrees of “hiding behind-ness” and it is this barrier between myself and the world that I intend to shed this year. Whether it is a spouse, a boss, a parent, a bad habit, or just a bunch of excuses, there are many things that keep us from truly living our “best lives” (yes, I know, another pathetic Oprah rip off) and if we become aware of these obstacles and choose to step around them I think we will all be a lot better off. Once we get back in the driver’s seat and really take on life with a clear view (our own) the road ahead can be beautiful and the ride exhilarating. And as for our weight-challenged friend Oprah,well, let’s just hope she gets out from whatever it is she’s hiding “behind” (no pun intended.)
