My daughter, who is about to turn 9 on Wednesday (NINE! Wow... I remember being 9.  So how can she be 9? #timereallydoesfly) just did an incredible job of planning a day of birthday fun for herself with each member of the family.  First thing in the morning: Hike with Daddy!  They hiked so high, without any of the rest of us slowing them down :) For the afternoon activity: Go to Sky Zone - the indoor trampoline park- with the whole family!  Another great idea.  We all had a ball!!!  And then, this evening: Bowling with me!  I loved bowling with her.  Not only because I love to bowl (for some reason- I'm not particularly good at it)... but also, she's great company!  We spent the night GLOWING in our hot pink shirts under the black lights... We cheered each other on... We laughed and jumped around... and we commiserated with each other over missed spares & gutter balls.

My own mom always ends every note and letter to me with the phrase, "Be Happy Be You."  I love it.  I try to remember to do it- To be Happy, and to be Me, and to be Happy because I'm being Me... and to be Me because I'm happy!

Anyway, I must say that my daughter is an excellent example of this idea.  She is so HER in all she does.  And I love that about her- her HERness! ;)  And I know that she is happiest when she gets the opportunity to create, invent and plan just the right activities for herself.  And that's what she did today!  She was BEING HAPPY, AND BEING HER. 

I'M SUPER GRATEFUL FOR THE TREMENDOUS EXAMPLES I HAVE IN BOTH MY MOM AND MY DAUGHTER.  THEY ARE BOTH AMAZING PEOPLE WHO HAVE A ZEST FOR LIFE, AND INFUSE THEIR LIVES WITH PASSION AND CREATIVITY EVERY DAY.

So today, and everyday, I am going to take inspiration from them... and BE HAPPY, BE ME.

"There's not a word yet for old friends who've just met." - Gonzo
I LOVE THIS LINE.
I'VE HAD THIS EXPERIENCE MANY TIMES (WELL, SOMETIMES BECAUSE I REALLY MUST HAVE AN AURA ABOUT ME THAT LETS PEOPLE KNOW I'M THE ONE TO SPILL THEIR LIFE STORIES TO, EVEN IF WE'VE ONLY "KNOWN" EACH OTHER FOR 5 MINUTES!) BUT ALSO BECAUSE THERE ARE SPECIAL PEOPLE WHO ENTER YOUR LIFE, AND YOU JUST KNOW, THAT'S MY FRIEND.

AND THAT'S SOMETHING GONZO JUST... UNDERSTOOD. AS GONZO SAYS, THERE'S NO WORD FOR THAT YET.  AND PERHAPS WE DON'T NEED ONE.  WE CAN JUST SAY, "I MET AN OLD FRIEND TODAY."

AND YOU KNOW WHAT?  IF I DID MEET GONZO, OR ANY OF THE MUPPETS I GREW UP WITH, I WOULD BE ABLE TO SAY, "I MET AN OLD FRIEND TODAY."

"I Know Things Now" - Little Red Riding Hood (Into the Woods)
I DO KNOW THINGS NOW, AND SO MUCH OF WHAT I KNOW, I LEARNED FROM STEPHEN SONDHEIM.
I KNOW THAT "No One Is Alone," THAT "Children Will Listen," THAT "Everybody Ought to Have a Maid" (THAT'S AN IMPORTANT ONE! :)

"Not A Day Goes By" THAT I DON'T QUOTE SONDHEIM.  HIS UNIQUE (YET SOMEHOW WHOLLY RELATABLE) PERSPECTIVE ON LIFE IS EXQUISITELY EXPRESSED THROUGHOUT HIS BODY OF WORK.

IN "Our Time" (Merrily We Roll Along) HE PERFECTLY ENCAPSULATES THE YOUTHFUL ANTICIPATION WE EXPERIENCE WITH OUR CLOSEST FRIENDS, JUST BEFORE WE VENTURE OUT INTO THE "REAL" WORLD... "Breathe it in... Worlds to change and worlds to win."

MY DAUGHTER IS SINGING THIS SONG IN A CLASS SHE'S TAKING, AND IT TOUCHES MY HEART TO HEAR HER SING IT... BECAUSE IT IS HER TIME! WHICH CAN BE A LITTLE HEART-WRENCHING FOR ME AT TIMES, WHEN I WONDER IF MY TIME IS OVER... BUT THEN MATT AND I START WRITING A NEW SCRIPT... AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, THAT BREAKING-OUT-OF-THE-COCOON FEELING RUSHES BACK, AND I REALIZE IT'S ALWAYS MY TIME!

I CAN'T RESIST- I'M COPYING THE WHOLE SONG BELOW...
AS I VENTURE INTO THE WORLD OF BLOGGING, AND OF SHARING MYSELF WITH WHOEVER READS MY WORDS, THIS REALLY RESONATES WITH ME:
"Something is stirring, shifting ground, it's just begun...
Edges are blurring all around, and yesterday is done.

Feel the flow, hear what's happening, we're what's happening.
Don't you know? We're the movers and we're the shapers,
We're the names in tomorrow's papers,
Up to us, man, to show 'em.

It's our time, breathe it in. Worlds to change and worlds to win.
Our turn, coming through, me and you, man, me and you.

Feel how it quivers on the brink - What? - Everything...
Gives you the shivers, makes you think, there's so much stuff to sing.
And you and me, we'll be singing it like the birds,
Me with music and you the words,
Tell 'em things they don't know...
Up to us, pal, to show 'em.

It's our time, breathe it in. Worlds to change and worlds to win.
Our turn, we're what's new, me and you, pal, me and you.

Feel the flow, hear what's happening, we're what's happening.
Long ago, all we had was that funny feeling, saying someday we'd send 'em reeling,
Now it looks like we can...
Someday just began.

It's our heads on the block. Give us room and start the clock.
Our time, coming through, me and you, pal, me and you.

Years from now, we'll remember and we'll come back.
Buy the rooftop and hang a plaque.
This is where we began...
Being what we can.

It's our heads on the block. Give us room and start the clock.
Our dreams coming true, me and you, pal, me and you!
Me and you!
Me and you!
ME AND YOU!

GIVE A SHIT.  That's my motto.  It’s what I want to be known for doing.
 
I should actually give credit to my wonderfully wise friend, who, in a conversation many years ago… told me that she really wanted a certain person in her life to just give a shit.  I was like, “yes!  That’s what I want too, from everyone in my life… to know that they give a shit.”  And I haven’t been able to get that idea out of my head ever since.
 
I want to embroider it on pillows, except I don’t because I don’t embroider, and don’t intend to learn.  Why?  Because I don’t give a shit about embroidery.  But I do give a shit about a lot of other things, and I’m going to share them with you in many blog posts to come…  

To me, giving a shit means passionately caring about things, about people, about issues that make your blood boil or your heart sing… it means contributing in a real way to the world, leading with compassion, and putting forth new ideas rather than living within the old ones.

My “extended” motto is this: DON'T JUST DO YOUR DUTY, GIVE A SHIT!   Because I don't want my motivating force to be, “I should do that.”  And I’ve heard that referred to as “shoulding all over yourself.”  Yikes! Doing my duty and shoulding all over myself… not exactly the two things I want encapsulating my way of life.  

But if someday my tombstone reads, “Jordan Toronto: Gave a shit” I would be proud of what that says about me.