One Hell of a Life

When I was in my mid-20s, I had a friend named Ellen. As twenty-something gals will do, we talked about dating all the time. Ellen said two things I’ll never forget. One, after a particularly harsh break up of mine, was, “There’s nothing wrong with you that a bottle of cheap nail polish won’t fix,” and she was right. I still wear the shade of automotive red she handed me as a breakup consolation present. The second was, “I’m tired of being down about being single. The famous women in history were out there….being famous! I’m going to start having one hell of a life,” and she did. She quit her job to go traveling with an old friend from high school. After traveling all over the world and getting into all kinds of hi-jinx, she married that friend.

My current favorite single (straight) woman just finished the AIDS ride. The AIDS ride! 500 miles of grueling biking from San Francisco to Los Angeles with thousands of gay men. This woman has already run marathons, done Team In Training, completed triathlons, swam to Alcatraz and back and more. The AIDS ride represented a way to raise money for a great cause and put herself up to a new physical challenge. Even though there was little chance she’d meet Mr. Perfect on this trip, she was looking for a huge and rewarding adventure. Another woman with a hell of a life! 

My point is, it’s never too late to start having one hell of a life. I was reminded of this important lesson while reading Sunday’s Vows column. Here’s what struck me about the bride: “She began behaving as if she was already in love. “You carry yourself differently when you’re not alone,” she explained. “I would carry myself at a party or a supermarket or a gym as if I was loved.”” This woman decided that husband or no husband, she was going to have one hell of a life. I love this attitude. Should I tell you the end of this story? It ain’t like the ending of the Titanic. You guessed it: bride and groom sail away into the sunset, married.

So, have yourself a hell of a life! Take a trip, volunteer, step up and do something for someone else that takes you way out of your comfort zone. You may discover exactly what you’re looking for when you carry yourself with love and purpose.