What’s Wrong With Me?

My friend Sarah sent me this New York Times article today, and I’ve read it three times.

If you’ve ever wanted to get inside my head and look around at all the neuroses that I’ve developed in the past twenty years, there they are in black and white for you. I especially like how the author points out the absurdity of people telling her to not just sit around and wait for a man, only to hear another group of people telling her that her life is too full.

WHICH IS IT?!?!?! I want to scream at people who have said this to me. I have to have a career and do volunteer work and go out with friends, while simultaneously appearing as if none of those things matter to me at all, as if they are all simply filler for my life until the “real” part of my life gets going with a man. I had never read anyone put it quite so succinctly as the author in the article does here.

But what I loved most about her article is the end. I’m not going to give it away, but I’m just putting it out there that it’s what I really want.

What’s wrong with me? Not a thing.

And I know, I know, countless people have been telling me that for years. But it’s easy to discount that information from my family and friends. What are they going to say, “Well, Julie, here is what’s wrong with you…” and just list everything I already see as a weakness? Of course they’re not going to do that.

But reading this article really was like reading what goes through my mind at least once a week (or twice…or four times…) with a much more rational ending than where I usually land.

So thanks, Sarah for sharing. It totally made my day.