How Do You Define "Success?"

Thought I'd show off what I've been up to the last couple of weeks. Topping the page are another group of my "Can-Do Doll" series. I had these little paper mache eggs that I painted earlier in the year and just hadn't been inspired how to use them, but as you can see, my muses put me to work and I came up with these little guys. And how do you like my Easter Egg ornies? I posted both on my Facebook page and have to say I got a great response to everything. Sold two of my little eggs and one of my dolls....thanks Letty, Flora and Sandy. I contacted my gallery in Phoenix, AZ and they want them all, so I made another trip to Hobby Lobby yesterday to buy some more of those paper mache eggs and will be making more bunny skellies for the gallery. I haven't updated my Etsy page, so if any of you are interested in any of these, please let me know so I can put them aside for you or replicate the ones that have sold....just email me at the email listed on my Blogger profile.

The other evening my mother and I attended the rosary of a very dear lady who passed away after being ill for about 6 months. She and her husband were dear friends of my parents; "the judge" and my Pop go back to their days in the 'hood. It was quite disconcerting to see many of these old friends I last saw back in November at my uncle's 90th birthday bash; some were now using walkers, canes, in wheel chairs, carrying portable oxygen tanks. There were obvious absences due to the fact others were just too frail to attend or have died within that time period. Of course, all these people are now in their late 80's to early 90's, including my mother who is 88. How I recall parties at our house when I was a kid, all these people were young, many professionals, some not, but the one thing they all had in common and ultimately bound them, was most of them grew up in the 'hood and remained friends no matter where life took them. They were of the high-ball and martini crowd, a generation that resulted from WWII and Korea.

I'm honoured to have known such wonderful people and they were part of my childhood memories, as is many of their children now...I have friends I don't recall when we met, they were just always at our parties and visa-versa..."In-Utero friends," I call them!! LOL I told my SM that I would be attending many of these requiem rituals with my mother for the next few years, and perhaps after my mother's death, if any of them are still around. It's all so sad, but that's the cycle of life.

Recently, someone that was once very close to me criticized me for being, well, being "me." Of course this person told someone else and it got back to me, as gossip usually travels that way. I have "nothing" according these individuals, not the big house, cars, etc. What makes a person successful...is it money, fame, brains, etc.? I married into my honey's house, which is about 50 years old and needs lots of work, and that's coming along, slowly, but coming along, I drive my Pop's '99 Intreped...gave it to me in '05 when he became blind. My hubby drives the company pick-up, is a very hard working, honest man (more than I can say for this person) and toils hard for his paycheck. Let's face it, folks, we are not rolling in the money, honey!! But does that minimize our success'? Many years ago this woman told me that success is the best revenge and I agree somewhat. Success is the best revenge if it matters to you; it matters not to me anymore...revenge, that is. I look at what I've done in the last 15 years: survived a terrible divorce, during that horrific period of time, I decided to get a job, then return to school, completed school, married one of the most wonderful human beings I've ever known, have a wonderful circle of friends, both old and new, here and abroad and of course, you, my bloggy buddies, love my job, which is playing in my studio, have a gallery that represents my work and people who appreciate it, and the love and respect from my children, grandchildren and of course, my extended family. Hell, I'm the luckiest girl if I do say so myself.

These people gauge success with the "stuff" that they surround themselves in....a big house (mortgage to go with it), 2 luxury cars (car payments to match the mortgage), designer clothes (especially that little polo player), etc. I always felt that after a certain age, people who felt it was important, stop climbing that social ladder...you will fall and break your neck!! Well, in this case, Karma caught up with them!! After my conversation with this friend who spoke to these people, I realized, as she did, that they're jealous...OF ME!!!!???!! I had the opportunity to travel back when I worked for a foundation under Johns Hopkins...visiting the cities we tested at was great fun, however, the work was brain sucking! I have also traveled with my SM to various places, some close by, others a bit further in distance, but nothing lavish or exotic...we don't hang that way. Also, I'm just a really happy person, finally. I've always been of the "live and let live" kind of attitude or "till you've walked in my, his, hers, their moccasins...." But growing up in a negative and judgemental environment then marrying into it, made it a bit difficult being me sometimes. But after several years of deciding to stop and smell the roses, I love who I am and what I do. Sure, there's always room for improvement...we should never stop evolving, but that's the problem these people have, they're stuck, stuck in their own set of inflexible rules, they can't see the hypocrisy and lies they live. So for these people, I leave them to heaven.

So as far as I'm concerned, happiness and contentment don't have a price tag on them, it's up to you to make it so. There's nothing wrong with owning the big house, the luxury cars, designer clothes, etc., I have friends and family who have fared quite well in this economy and are very grateful they are fiscally blessed, but they also know, things could happen in a matter of seconds, lives could change drastically, that's why they count other blessings, family, friends, sense of humour, goals, etc. I'd like to think most people think that way, but am I kidding myself, am I just a really big optimist?!?!? Brings me to a question a philosophy prof once brought up, "Is man basically good or evil?" Well, my answer is "a little from column A and a little from column B." Ambiguous? Probably, but then that's being human. All I'm saying, my friends, is to count your blessings outside the realm of the material. Stuff is nice to have, but there's nothing like family, friends and even strangers helping and guiding you along your path. "Don't worry, be happy!" Ok, you can shoot me now!! Peace out.