wordless wednesday

Work seems to think it has a monopoly on my life these days. Hence I haven't had a whole lot of time for writing lately. Heck, I feel lucky when I find time for the little things like eating and showering and working out. And if I fit all three of those in a day? Well, that's a good day, my friend.

But as I type this, I'm sitting overlooking the beach in Santa Monica, where it's 70 and sunny, and I have work to blame (or, in this case, thank) for my being here. And even though I'll be working long hours over the next two days on set, I was able to go for a long run along the beach this morning and even sneak in lunch with an old friend. So, I guess all things considered it's not all bad all the time. As often is the case, life could be much worse. So, perhaps I should stop complaining, shut my trap and look at the bright side. Which, when it's a gorgeous day like today, isn't very hard to do.

Hmmm, can't say I have a whole lot to write about actually. I just hate that I've been so consumed with work that I haven't made time for anything else. Haven't made time for thinking really. So I had to just start typing...

I know! I'm going to borrow (unfortunately plagiarize is probably the official term for it) the idea of Wordless Wednesdays from Lyd. If anything, it'll keep from going a week without writing something (anything!) in the future.

I think the real idea behind Wordless Wednesdays is that I should take a picture or post something other than words. But, instead, I think I'm going to post other people's words when I just can't seem to find some of my own. Because I? I am a rebel who writes my own rules when it comes to blog posts. Plus, this gives me something to do with all the quotes I've gathered through the years. It makes me think they serve a purpose other than to convict me as the hoarder I am when it comes to quotes and sayings and kooky inspirational and thought-provoking stuff like that. (I know, I know. Call it sentimental. Corny. Lame. But I'm a sucker when it comes to a good set of words.)

Since I've been obsessed with Taylor Swift's new album lately, I'm honoring her as my first Wordless Wednesday "author". And while I could probably pick any number of quotes from her songs that speak so perfectly to being a teenage girl (confession: sometimes to being a 27 year old girl), I actually want to share a couple of the thoughts she shared on the inside of her most recent cd case (sorry iTunes, but Brooke bought the actual cd so I just had to go that route) about speaking up. Speaking out. Speaking now.

Real life is a funny thing, you know. In real life, saying the right thing at the right moment is beyond crucial. So crucial, in fact, that most of us start to hesitate for fear of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. But lately what I've begun to fear more than that is letting the moment pass without saying anything.

I think most of us fear reaching the end of our life, and looking back regretting the moments we didn't speak up. When we didn't say 'I love you.' When we should've said 'I'm sorry.' When we didn't stand up for ourselves or someone who needed help.

What you say might be too much for some people. Maybe it'll come out all wrong and you'll stutter and you'll walk away embarrassed, wincing as you play it all back in your head. But I think the words you stop yourself from saying are the ones that will haunt you the longest.

So say it to them. Or say it to yourself in the mirror. Say it in a letter you'll never send or in a book millions might read someday. I think you deserve to look back on your life without a chorus of resounding voices saying 'I could've, but it's too late now.'

There is a time for silence. There is a time for waiting your turn. But if you know how you feel, and you so clearly know what you need to say, you'll know it.

I don't think you should wait. I think you should speak now.

It's so true. It's so crucial. And, yet, sometimes it's so, so hard to do.