I'll never not shave my legs
October 27th, 2009
Yes, I do yoga. I buy organic food. Heck, I even belong to a CSA. But today someone called me a “nature queen” and my jaw almost hit the ground.
Please understand. I haven’t always been so…granola. The idea that I could be considered a nature queen really made me laugh out loud! For those of you who have known me longer than a few years, you know I used to live in Back Bay and refuse to cross the river into what I considered Birkenstock-wearing Cambridge. As if!
A nature queen? I think not. Only a few short years ago I was busy trying to land myself a window office at Arnold, the largest advertising agency in New England. I wore designer sunglasses, high heeled boots, and lipstick with ‘staying power’ so strong I had to use baby oil to remove it. I drank coffee. I drank martinis. I ate Chinese takeout. In the photo above, I was on a cruise with my co-workers for our big client, Royal Caribbean.
My stomach hurt the whole time.
Sometimes I had to lie down in the middle of the day, when I felt a dizzy spell coming on.
On the weekends, I rarely wanted to get out of bed. I was exhausted. My adrenals had a deficit larger than the US government’s. I was trying really hard. But I don’t remember being particularly happy. I just wanted to look good and play the part because…what else could I do?
I started doing yoga on a whim, and like any fast relationship one thing led to another. Soon I realized I could be eating better. I could be breathing better. I could be happier, if I made some small changes in my life.
Which led, of course, to larger changes. And now here I am, in my Earth shoes. I drive a Prius. My grains are whole, my produce is local. I wear a toe ring and get a kick out of AcroYoga. I shop with reusable bags. I’ve all but eliminated dairy, sugar and white flour from my diet. I make my living as a holistic health counselor for goodness sake.
And I no longer have a stomachache! I love the weekends and can’t remember the last time anxiety got the best of me.
But I still go out. I drink beer. I watch movies. I curse, I yell, I get upset. For all the changes I’ve made, I’m the same person I’ve always been, just more in control. And one thing is for sure. Nomatter how crunchy I get on my quest to live this one life well, I’m pretty sure I will never, ever, not shave my legs. That, to me, is what nature queens do.
