I’m an emotional creature. (Hold your gasps of surprise, please.) Though this trait has never been much of a secret, I’ve spent the last several years doing everything in my power to prove otherwise. Not surprisingly, those are the two things I’ve lost in the process- power, and time.

I was not looking forward to my birthday this year. More than anything, I just wanted to turn the clock back several years and get back the early 20s I always pictured myself having. The 20s that have played out like several rounds of hide and seek where no matter how obvious of a hiding place I’ve chosen, no one seems to find me.

As my last moments of 27 ticked away, I could feel the unresolved tension of my year simmering and my defenses kicking in as someone brought up an unwelcome topic.

But as I’m learning about having friends who aren’t just in it for the fair weather, they saw this too.

And so it was, that I spent the first four hours of my 28th year condensing half a lifetime of things I never got around to talking about into a conversation where, several times, I lost my fight to stay composed. Where I realized I was most authentic at my least composed. Where two of my most trusted friends rolled up their jeans to wade with me instead of throwing me a life-saver and hoping for the best. Where it didn’t matter that the subject matter was probably uncomfortable for all parties or that we were being hit by sprinklers at four in the morning.

I like all of them better than our standard, “What do you do?” In fact, I hate this question.

I have better things I could be doing.

There’s something about participating in an impromptu event.
I’m not talking about those crazy flash mob things.
Of course, you all probably have heard of Improv Everywhere’s events. I used to love listening to their supermarket symphonies …

New York City - Can’t be described as anything other than my mistress. Fast and Easy, how I like my men. Kidding, but this city truly gets me every time. . .

Enough is an exclamation used to indicate a lack of enjoyment of a situation or behavior. We say “Enough” but we really mean, “that’s too much- I can’t possibly handle any more of this.” Enough is just reaching a passing mark, and giving up. Enough is the amount of water needed to quench our thirst through the required mile, but not a sufficient amount of keep us from becoming parched if we feel the pull to challenge ourselves to go just a bit further than intended.

I’m turning 28 on Friday. As I entered my 27th year, I tried to say “enough” to appease a challenge I’d been trying to free myself from for several years. As soon as I took on this mentality I felt all of my defenses shutting down, though I was told to just stay strong and that I’d find that I had “Enough” strength to get myself through. And I did. Just enough that I spent a whole year treading water with just enough breath to keep from making a scene calling for help.

Just enough will never be good enough. Enough is a mistake we make, not expecting God or the universe to provide. Not thinking people will come through. Not thinking that we can thrive instead of merely get through. If all we want is to have enough, then we have already given up.

Here’s a plug:
If you haven’t thought about it already, you should go to the Maker Faire.
I know it’s ridiculous to pay money to enter a faire ($25 for adults, $15 for students) —but if you …

You’ve thought about it. He checks out his own abs in the mirror to “make sure his form is correct.” You’ve checked out his abs, ignoring completely whether or not his form is correct…