Being that I'm from New England, that small piece of land east of New York, I should hate Indianapolis just in defense of the Patriots alone...but I don't. Growing up on the east coast and visiting cities like Boston, New York and Philly, I knew I would never want to live in the city. I still don't know the actual measurement of a block. I am sure not wanting to live in the city was more about fear of the unknown than anything else. I loved my little safe seacoast while still having the Boston Aquarium or a Red Sox game at Fenway just a short ride away.
Then in 2006, we packed up and headed to Indianapolis. Well, just south of the city to be accurate. We live in a nice town with over forty thousand other people. Schools are top notch and lots to do in the community. But I am really writing about that bigger town a mile north of us. Indianapolis is in Marion County, however, Indianapolis encompasses all of Marion County. It's kind of wild when you come from a state with ten counties...can you imagine if Portsmouth encompassed all of Rockingham County?
From what I understand there are approximately 1 million people in the Indianapolis area, that includes a few bordering counties like mine. You would never know that many people live in the area just because of how the city is set up. Don't get me wrong, it needs improvements, but my commute is generally less than 30 minutes and I work in the heart of the cIty at the State Government Campus. Of course accidents, floods and constructiopn happen, but on a good day it's smooth sailing and a very easy commute.
When I first got here I was already planning my return to the east. Then slowly but surely it happened...I got sucked in. The downtown part of the city is very safe to walk around at night. Of course I'm careful, but I am very comfortable walking down Massachusetts Ave (the theatre district) at eleven o'clock at night. I love eating my lunch by the canal surrounded by buildings. I love running the canal and up by the river and over by the zoo. I never feel in danger. I also always carry my cell phone! The other good stuff? Cheap parking and entertainment and amusements are around half the cost than what you pay in Philly or Boston. Back to the running for a second...it is really neat to run a race downtown whether it's a 5k or a half-marathon to have the roads closed for you and you can really see the city from the street level. I also got to run on that big racetrack just northwest of the city, you may have heard of it...Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Recently I have enlarged my social circle and it has been so much fun! I told my friend Elizabeth back in December that since she used to run, I was making her run the Indy Women's Only half-Marathon coming up Labor Day weekend. She said okay. Over the last month or so I have introduced her to some of my other friends who I run with (Chrystal & Karen) and they welcomed her into running with huge wide open arms and you would think the four of us have been friends for years. I have never seen people, let alone women be so supportive and nice to someone they just met. We are becoming quite the running gang...we have just enlisted another recruit to run with us on other days as well.
I love and miss New England. I miss being around people who talk like me and say tonic or soda and not pop. I miss the beach daily and I miss the toughness of New Englanders. I miss the old houses and fresh seafood but something happened last Friday that I can't deny. Derek and I were at an outdoor bar downtown Indy with Elizabeth and her husband and two guys I work and run with saw me and came over to say hi...it was then I realized that if I am running into people I know in random places...then... I must be home.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Maybe...
People come in all shapes, sizes and mindsets. I have spent most of the last 3 years cultivating some form of relationship with the majority of my co-workers inside and outside of my immediate department. I have enjoyed getting to know so many different people with so many different stories.
I love listening to and encouraging people. Walking by my cubicle a person would be likely to hear "that's great!"..." you can do it but you need to do it for yourself"..."good job on the biking, walking, stairs etc"..."you have a lot to offer"..."I think you are very smart" and the list goes on and I mean every word of it. I am so much better at building people up than tearing them down. It's just not in my nature. It has become well known around the office that if you need something read over, exercise/nutrition advice or just a simple pick me up...my cubicle is the place to stop. Why is this? Because for some reason a lot of people seem to think I have it together...whatever that means? Admittedly I do have a lot going on...just glance through my Facebook page and I am either training for a half-marathon, playing softball or tennis, taking the kids on a hike or 51 other things like professing my love for Derek or trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up...after I graduate college that is...some time in my 40's.
So my point? Very recently...ok...last Thurday I found myself in possession of a nasty e-mail a few of my co-workers wrote...about me. Not very flattering. It would appear that there is some serious jealousy of my life and I have no idea why? I live in a small apartment with Derek, two girls, two cats and a dog. Not really ideal. The more debt we get paid off...the lower my credit score goes. Haven't figured that one out yet! Derek and I are working very hard to get back into a house in the next eighteen months. My co-workers have lovely homes and solid marriages...I'm trying to figure things out with ex-husband #2. I guess if these co-workers up until about 2 weeks ago were my closest friends at work had ever once stopped talking about themelves and asked me how I am doing...they may have found out the following:
I have this silly little blood disorder that if I stop and sit down for too long...I'm done! It's like anemia...but I can't take iron to fix it...and really...I don't want to look back in 40 years and wish I did ....fill in the blank here. Maybe I feel like I completely wasted easily the last 25 years and I have a lot to make up for in the next 25 years. Maybe I want my girls to know you should stay healthy no matter how old you get and while I'm at it...it's never too late to get an education. Maybe I like volunteering at the President Harrison Home because I love history and I want to give back...to what I don't know...but educating people about Harrison makes me happy. Maybe I wish random people I have crossed paths with the last thirty-nine years would have encouraged me to do something...anything. Maybe if one of my "friends" had asked me once in the last 18 months if I'm ok I wouldn't have expanded my circle of friends to include people who are amazing and take me under their wing whether it's running or work or just happy Derek and I are working things out, I might not have realized how empty, shallow, mean and self-centered they are. Maybe then when they called me a bad mother, housekeeper, slut, made fun of my Associates Degree from a community college and my future at IU - East, (neither one of them has any degree at all), maybe when they called me an idiot for trying to do it all instead of sitting at the canal eating my lunch making fun of every person that walks by because of their weight, their clothes or their hairstyle with them...maybe I would have cared.
I am going to continue to say hi to everyone I walk by at work. I am going to continue to ask how they are doing. I am going to continue to ask how their family is doing. I am going to continue encouraging, helping and listening. I am going to continue to smile at people I don't know and compliment them on their outfit or shoes if I love them and sometimes when I don't. I am going to continue to hold doors open for others and say please and thank you. I am going to continue to care about people...even the ones who hurt me...and hope that maybe...they can find a little happiness. That's what has made me, me, and I'm OK with me.
I love listening to and encouraging people. Walking by my cubicle a person would be likely to hear "that's great!"..." you can do it but you need to do it for yourself"..."good job on the biking, walking, stairs etc"..."you have a lot to offer"..."I think you are very smart" and the list goes on and I mean every word of it. I am so much better at building people up than tearing them down. It's just not in my nature. It has become well known around the office that if you need something read over, exercise/nutrition advice or just a simple pick me up...my cubicle is the place to stop. Why is this? Because for some reason a lot of people seem to think I have it together...whatever that means? Admittedly I do have a lot going on...just glance through my Facebook page and I am either training for a half-marathon, playing softball or tennis, taking the kids on a hike or 51 other things like professing my love for Derek or trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up...after I graduate college that is...some time in my 40's.
So my point? Very recently...ok...last Thurday I found myself in possession of a nasty e-mail a few of my co-workers wrote...about me. Not very flattering. It would appear that there is some serious jealousy of my life and I have no idea why? I live in a small apartment with Derek, two girls, two cats and a dog. Not really ideal. The more debt we get paid off...the lower my credit score goes. Haven't figured that one out yet! Derek and I are working very hard to get back into a house in the next eighteen months. My co-workers have lovely homes and solid marriages...I'm trying to figure things out with ex-husband #2. I guess if these co-workers up until about 2 weeks ago were my closest friends at work had ever once stopped talking about themelves and asked me how I am doing...they may have found out the following:
I have this silly little blood disorder that if I stop and sit down for too long...I'm done! It's like anemia...but I can't take iron to fix it...and really...I don't want to look back in 40 years and wish I did ....fill in the blank here. Maybe I feel like I completely wasted easily the last 25 years and I have a lot to make up for in the next 25 years. Maybe I want my girls to know you should stay healthy no matter how old you get and while I'm at it...it's never too late to get an education. Maybe I like volunteering at the President Harrison Home because I love history and I want to give back...to what I don't know...but educating people about Harrison makes me happy. Maybe I wish random people I have crossed paths with the last thirty-nine years would have encouraged me to do something...anything. Maybe if one of my "friends" had asked me once in the last 18 months if I'm ok I wouldn't have expanded my circle of friends to include people who are amazing and take me under their wing whether it's running or work or just happy Derek and I are working things out, I might not have realized how empty, shallow, mean and self-centered they are. Maybe then when they called me a bad mother, housekeeper, slut, made fun of my Associates Degree from a community college and my future at IU - East, (neither one of them has any degree at all), maybe when they called me an idiot for trying to do it all instead of sitting at the canal eating my lunch making fun of every person that walks by because of their weight, their clothes or their hairstyle with them...maybe I would have cared.
I am going to continue to say hi to everyone I walk by at work. I am going to continue to ask how they are doing. I am going to continue to ask how their family is doing. I am going to continue encouraging, helping and listening. I am going to continue to smile at people I don't know and compliment them on their outfit or shoes if I love them and sometimes when I don't. I am going to continue to hold doors open for others and say please and thank you. I am going to continue to care about people...even the ones who hurt me...and hope that maybe...they can find a little happiness. That's what has made me, me, and I'm OK with me.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)