Botox
I was finally able to sleep in until 7:30am. That is such a treat for me since my day begins at 6am with mommy duty. Isabella is at her friends house for a sleep over so I was able to wake up slowly and make coffee without having to be quiet. I always miss my daughter when she is gone, but I forget what it is like to do normal things without having to be mom first. I stayed in my pajamas and took my time sipping my coffee as I went into my living room and sat down on the couch. What a great opportunity to watch TV (which I never get to do) so I curled up under a blanket and sipped my coffee as I looked for something fun to watch. Not much was on but I stopped at a Diane Lane movie “Must Love Dogs”. I know that sounds cheesy, but it was not the movie that caught my eye.
It had already started so I came in the middle but it didn’t matter because what I was drawn to was the fact that I saw expression in her face and forehead. It was kinda weird actually to see her eyebrows moving and her forehead with lines and crinkled during dialogue and expressing emotions. Could it be that she isn’t doing Botox? I felt sad that I could see how different she expressed herself and looked. It was a realization that I am becoming more “use” to seeing a face/expression with Botox than without.
I didn’t even realize how much I have forgotten what a normal function of facial movement is suppose to look like. I didn’t even realize that I have been conditioned to think that we are supposed to have a calm deadpan face while talking about emotional or humorous issues. I didn’t even realize that I was curious to find a woman that was in my age range that I could look up to in order to find out what I’m suppose to look like. I’m 42 and don’t feel I have many role models that are in my age range that are not “working on themselves”.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the fact that we have the choices to “get work done” or not. I think it is a wonderful option and who knows what I might do or not do in the future. What struck me was that so many celebrities, politicians, and public figures have done “work” that I wasn’t use to a normal face having normal expression. Actually the woman that have NOT had work done looked “odd” which is why I felt sad.
I’ve thought many times about what I can do to “keep up”. And each time I find my mind wondering towards that direction I will remind myself of how beautiful Diane looks to me. How relieved I was to see her today. And how I might be able to be a role model for someone in the future. It is bad enough that I’m sick of trying to shove my 42 year old tits into a belly dance bra these days. I don’t want to add to that the need for a younger facial expression. So for now I will just have to get more sleep.
Docuality
Student Story
Here is a wonderful story from one of my students…
My first encounter with Suhaila was via her Stretch & Tone video, which I purchased way back when the interview bits were still spliced between the workout sections. I appreciated the conditioning focus, but had no idea how it related to her technique, or even that she had a technique. Years later she came to Seattle to do a series of 1-day workshops. I had reached a point in my dancing where I didn’t really understand how to improve, in that mysterious “intermediate” level in my class where I could see distinctions between myself and beginning dancers but couldn’t have necessarily explained what they were. Suhaila’s workshop was a revelation. It was road map with clear and precise directions, which I was elated to have.
ONLINE CLASSES COMING SOON!!!
A New Moment In History
I had never watched an inauguration before and didn’t really plan on it, but this morning I couldn’t resist. When I woke up I found my daughter in bed with me. She had crawled in during the middle of the night and so I was inspired to put the T.V. on and snuggle. We got really into the preparations and I felt like I was watching the Red Carpet for the Oscars. It was kinda fun and I found myself and Isabella commenting on outfits and hair. Old habits die-hard!
I dropped Isabella off at school to run home just in time to make it for Barack’s entrance. Although I had not expected it, I was in tears. When Aretha Franklin began to belt out “My Country Tis of Thee,” I felt the magnitude of this moment. Not only is Aretha my all time favorite woman/singer (as well as Oum Kalthsoum), but also she is the first woman to be allowed in the Rock Hall of Fame. Now she is singing at the inauguration of the first African American President. I bet she never thought she would be watching, let alone be a part of this moment in history.