Promise #62: Get naked
[You may find some of the language in this post offensive.]
Risk doesn’t care whether you’re skinny or fat. Risk doesn’t care whether you’re purple or green. Risk doesn’t care whether you eat hot dogs with mustard or ketchup on the end of a toothpick or a sterling silver fork. The only think risk cares about is the size of your balls.
The bigger, the bettah.
We’re all born with ‘em. Yes, even the minx meekest among us. It’s just that some people embrace their balls while others hide them between their legs. What’s your story?
My mother allowed me to grow mine from the time I was a little girl. God bless her. I have not-so-fond memories of repeatedly, mistakenly declaring, “I can do that, mommy,” just seconds before a loud crash, permanent loss, indelible mark and then my own sobbing cry.
Funny thing is, my mom never, EVER, stopped me from trying whatever my half-cocked brain imagined to be the solution. Never. I’m sure it was glaringly obvious to her that my solutions were not the solutions. Yet, she played along, no doubt knowing the mess would be 10 times bigger after I messed with it more.
She’s a freaking saint. You know why? I still have this I-can-do-it mentality. Hindsight often shows me how incapable I sometimes am. Yet I continue. Balls to the walls.
Risk never judges, always teaches, sometimes rewards.
Risk helped me leave a miserable life in NYC, and, later, a miserable job writing about garbage dumps for a dick of a boss who didn’t know the difference between a period and a comma.
Risk helped me fall in love, more than once, but once for good.
Risk helped me launch a business with nothing but fairies dancing in my head. Then risk taught me that fairies cause wicked migraines and should be avoided at all costs.
Risk helped me shut the fairies down, which seemed to inflate my balls tenfold. Go figure.
Risk landed me here, to the brilliant quote by Erica Jong:
If you don’t risk anything you risk even more.
You risk a lifetime of wonder. You risk the boredom of reason. You risk dancing with fear to the beat of someone else’s drum. You risk never knowing what it’s like to leap ten thousand feet into an ocean of accomplishment.
You risk knowing you never got naked with risk. You never went out on a limb. You never jumped without looking. You never just tried something for the sake of showing the world your beach ball-sized balls.
We all know you have ‘em. Go on. Get naked.
______________________
This promise is part of Stephey Baker’s Courage To Fly blog hop. Stephey took a risk and pulled together an amazing group of women who use their wings to fly with balls to the walls. Check them out here.
I thought, in the spirit of this post, I’d do something that I’ve wanted to do for a while…open a Twisted Pinky Etsy store. If you click the poster above, you’ll land in the shop. You’ll see there’s nothing else there right now. Stay tuned. I’m leaping through the air, there’s much more to come!
Drew
This very much reminds me of something along the lines of “Kick a Hole in it” which I particularly loved. And, it seems, it just keeps getting better. Somebody told me that courage was only present when you were doing something that genuinely scared you but we should be courageous! and have balls. Its like you said, what have we risked? Truly. You risk more by falling asleep and not dreaming. Thank You again for a wonderful post
Drew
Jymi
I have such a huge smile on my face and am making my children sincerely wonder what I’m reading. This is exactly what I need right now in my life! Balls! The kind that give you courage. The kind I don’t need are the ones I would love nothing better than to kick, actually no, punch I think. I unfortunately have had many nay-sayers in my life and am now having to battle those monsters to find my balls! Thanks for the encouraging words!!
Tribe Love! 05.06.11 | Roots of She
[...] often shows me how incapable I sometimes am. Yet I continue. Balls to the [...]
Kellie
You do amaze me.
Thanks,
Kellie
Tracey
Kellie-That brought a smile. :-)
Sylvia Hall
Your post made me giggle but most importantly it made me think. Life unfolds by taking leaps and bounds with balls and determination. Once I stopped living life “meekly” my life took a different turn and I haven’t looked back. I wish you ballsy success on your Etsy shop :)
Tracey
Sylvia-Thanks for being here. I’m so glad to hear that your life changed once you started leaping. I think once you take the first leap and realize that the sky doesn’t fall, it becomes easier (and maybe even addicting) to continue flying through the air.
deb taylor
Tracey!! What a fabulous writing…and I going to share it with my Mom immediately because she did the same for me…I owe all my wild and adventuresome balls to my Mom! Thanks for a fabulous story!
Tracey
Thanks, Deb. I’m so glad you stopped by and signed up!
Kristen (kristenwalker.com)
OMG – I don’t think I have ever loved reading about balls so much. Yeah!!!!! This is wonderful!!!! So inspiring and so true.
Thanks for making me think about balls and getting naked with risk :) Loved your post!
xo
Kristen
Tracey
Kristen-I know you’ve got ‘em….they’re the reason you’re enjoying surfing so much! Thanks for being here. I hope you enjoy your print!!! xoxo.
jill hoyt
Keep leaping Tracey!! Loved, loved, loved this post!! Read it twice today just to laugh!! There is nothing greater than a woman with balls!! Thanks for the reminder :)
Tracey
Hi Jill-So nice to see you here. Thanks taking the time to check in. :-)
Brandi
My mom set quite an example for a ballsy woman, as did my older (but shorter) sister. They never took any flak from anyone, and while I used to think it was embarrassing growing up, I’m proud of it now. I’m proud to have had personal examples of women who were willing to speak up, women who aren’t afraid to go for it and get things done.
It’s because of that example that I am the way I am. And now, I get to teach my niece how to grow a pair.
Tracey
How LUCKY is your niece? Sounds like she’s surrounded by a boatload of ballsiness which is exactly what any little girl needs to grow up and be strong. Thanks for being here, Brandi.
stephey | Marked by the Muse™
GOD BLESS YOUR MOTHERAH!
AND
your balls! I think mine grew five inches just reading this post! Thank you so much for sharing you wisdom and time in writing this post. mama, it’s a keeper.
I truly resonated with the part that winded down to saying this, “Risk landed me here…”
I also enjoy the rhythem in this sentence, “Risk helped me fall in love, more than once, but once for good.”
Beautiful!
Tracey
Balls to your walls, Stephey. I’m a big believer that everything happens for a reason…including finding you and joining your hop. Sometimes writing reminds us of what we’re we’ve been better than a photograph or fading memory. I’m grateful for the opportunity to contribute to your amazing idea. Thank you from the bottom of my beachballs.
Alexis Yael
Balls to the wall is one of my favorite expressions!!!! And I frequently like to remind people how big mine are! Not that they need reminding, mind you… from the time I was a grocery clerk slinging 50lb boxes of dog food around, they’ve known. (I was actually told by my boss I didn’t “need to be so macho.” HAHAHAHAHA. Yeah, right! I just left his department and found a boss who liked my swagger!)
Congrats on your new etsy!!! (I’ll go check it out! And… in the spirit of this post, post something! Which I haven’t done for a month or so…)
Tracey
Alexis-I’m pretty impressed by your ability to sling a 50lb box of dog food, but more so by your umph to go and find a boss who was not an ass. This was my first post in a few weeks. Sometimes it’s nice to step away and then return. I’m glad you stopped by…