We were hit with unexpected snowy weather and a bitter bitter cold morning that only made everything seem even more of an adventure.
My husband and son and I decided to take a roundabout route so that we could stop in Pittsburgh and tour the Andy Warhol museum and have lunch at the original Primanti Bros. restaurant where they put the fries right on the sandwich (so much better than the chain versions that have sprung up in the area). YUM!
For me, the Warhol museum was one of the highlights of trip. I am fascinated by Andy Warhol's extraordinary talent and unique approach to life.
It turns out Warhol was actually equal parts artist and philosopher ;)
“They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.” ― Andy Warhol, The Philosophy of Andy Warhol
In many ways, Andy Warhol's words of wisdom mirror what I have learned in 2013. I've experienced quite a bit of personal pain these past few years and have been working on healing and growing and changing from it. I've had this toxic person in my life who, like a bad penny or a stubborn stomach virus, just won't seem to go away. Even today she continues to try to paint a picture of herself as a victim and I am somehow her bad guy. The truth is, I haven't done anything but get put in a bad situation, not only by bad choices made by her and others, but by her inability to move on. I've been watching her pattern of playing the victim and dredging up the past to make pointed and hurtful commentary on me and my life, repeat itself over and over. It has gone from infuriating to annoying to now just plain ridiculous.
Lke Bill Murray in the movie Groundhog Day, I've had to learn to stop using my time and energy on shallow stuff (like someone else's drama) and start using my experiences to grow and learn and become a better person. When Bill's character in the movie finally made this connection, the spell was broken and he was free from the neverending cycle. That's been me in 2013.
Lke Bill Murray in the movie Groundhog Day, I've had to learn to stop using my time and energy on shallow stuff (like someone else's drama) and start using my experiences to grow and learn and become a better person. When Bill's character in the movie finally made this connection, the spell was broken and he was free from the neverending cycle. That's been me in 2013.
“Sometimes people let the same problem make them miserable for years when they could just say, So what. That's one of my favorite things to say. So what.”
What I've also learned is, that while you can't rush change, you just have to hang in there and keep putting one foot in front of the other, you also have the amazing power of choice. I get to choose how I feel and what I allow in my life. I get to be the catalyst for the changes I want. I've also learned that sometimes you just have to let yourself feel the pain. Nobody wants to do that. It's sometimes easier not to go there, especially if you are as good at avoidance as I am. I am the queen of that. But, once I learned to just accept that I'm going to feel bad sometimes and that's ok, I learned how to express my feelings and get them out, rather than suppress them and be miserable inside. I learned that, as scary as it is, the route to change and healing is through being vulnerable and honest, not just with others, but with yourself.
So, Thank You, Thank You Mr. Warhol for my new favorite thing to say "So what." (RIP)
― Andy Warhol, The Philosophy of Andy Warhol
Almost without even recognizing the change happening, I now realize how much I have changed and how I have let old problems make me miserable for no reason. This, I think, is the most important thing I learned in 2013.What I've also learned is, that while you can't rush change, you just have to hang in there and keep putting one foot in front of the other, you also have the amazing power of choice. I get to choose how I feel and what I allow in my life. I get to be the catalyst for the changes I want. I've also learned that sometimes you just have to let yourself feel the pain. Nobody wants to do that. It's sometimes easier not to go there, especially if you are as good at avoidance as I am. I am the queen of that. But, once I learned to just accept that I'm going to feel bad sometimes and that's ok, I learned how to express my feelings and get them out, rather than suppress them and be miserable inside. I learned that, as scary as it is, the route to change and healing is through being vulnerable and honest, not just with others, but with yourself.
2013 has been a very good year. A year of change, a year of realizations and year of feeling good - really good, not just suppressing the bad and hoping to feel only the good. The change has been real, the fun and laughter and good times have been real, and even the bad feelings, when they came, have been real. Getting through it all has been real. And that is really good.
So, Thank You, Thank You Mr. Warhol for my new favorite thing to say "So what." (RIP)
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