I Colored Outside The Lines Today...

I was mentoring a few kids today when we pulled out a brand new box of 64 crayons-with the sharpener attached! It took me back to when I was a young girl, and coloring really told anyone all they needed to know about a kid. For example, I always colored inside the lines. Not only that, but I always outlined what I was going to color, pressing as hard as I could to get a perfectly accented edge. Then, I would lightly fill in the outlined picture with the soft stroke of the crayon. My method never changed, and I never, ever colored outside of the lines. This pretty much describes who I became as an adult. Straight-laced, little "miss perfect". Not that I am ashamed-I love who I became. But, today, I wondered, "What if I let go? Just one tiny little bit. What if I decided messing up wasn't always the end of the world?". And, so it happened. I colored outside the lines today.

As we so liberally swept colors back and forth, sharpening the red, blue, and yellow ones for the next colorer, one of my kiddos all of sudden asked, "Mamta, what color crayon are you?". It took me by surprise as I looked up at him, and with wide eyes and a terrific smile, he feverishly anticipated my answer. What color crayon am I?, I thought. It took what felt like an hour to smile back and say, "You know, I think I am the yellow one. I like the sun, and I like being happy."

So, what color crayon are you? When you have an answer, grab a crayon and color outside the lines!

Ever Wonder Why Girls Want What They Don't Have...

I have curly hair. Hence, I bought one of those really expensive (and by the way, fabulous) ceramic straighteners. When I show up to work with straight hair, my fab cube-mates know that I actually put time into my appearance. BUT, my boyfriend loves my curly hair, against what he always thought he would like in a girl. And, while I am SUPER flattered that he prefers my minimum-do look, it amazes me that I WANT to put all that time into my hair and don't really NEED to, especially since the man in my life prefers that I don't. What is wrong with women today? Girls with straight hair use curlers, pull at their limp strands, and pretend they are back in the 80's, senselessly abusing the hair spray. Girls with curly hair spend insane amounts on straighteners, hair serum, "sleek" shampoo/conditioner, and (as I am personally convinced) shed a tear when the humidity in the air tops 50%.

Thus, my blog is born. I am sitting here about to go to bed, and for some reason, I decided to start this "blog" thing. I love to write; I always have. Yet, I am too scared to leave my ridiculously cool and secure job to become a writer; so here it goes. My very own "column". And hair is what I decide to write about. It's gotta be the late hour. Right? Considering that I watch Jeopardy, love Trivial Pursuit, read "meaningful" books, and obsess over the news, a blog inspired by my burning questions about women and wanting hair they don't have is a bit shocking.

Stay tuned for my next oh-so-very interesting topic.