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Tag Archives: confidence


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SoCS: Acting, Singing, and Confidence in Confidence

Today’s prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “confidence.” Use it any way you’d like. Have fun!

Taking acting classes at a small community college in the late 70s did wonders for my confidence. It was so much fun once things got rolling. I played Helena in A Midsommer Night’s Dream and the Red and White Queens in Alice in Wonderland. It was such a carefree time. It’s okay that I did not pursue acting. The confidence I gained was enough so that later in life, I was able to speak in front of groups, in spite of the shyness of my youth and being a natural introvert.

These days, I have no interest or need to speak in front of groups, but it’s nice to know I could if I needed to. Whatever we practice gets better. Like singing. Listening to the soundtrack to The Sound of Music helped me practice singing when I was 10 and 11 years old. Now, I mostly sing for fun and also in my small church choir. The older I get, the more work it takes to keep my voice (and everything else) in shape.

Here’s a song from The Sound of Music about confidence where Maria is about to start a new job as governess taking care of the Von Trapp children.

Starting a new job requires confidence. If I ever had to start a new job, I’d study the hell out of whatever the job was before starting. Thank God, I don’t have to do that! I love being retired!

Last Saturday, we visited David’s son and his family. They have one big standard poodle and two little poodles. I’m so glad they invited Marley, and that Marley was a good boy. He was nervous at first being in a new place with three dogs barking at him, but he gained confidence, including the confidence that he would get some turkey.

Marley and Cooper meeting
Marley and Cooper watching Dave
Here’s why.

No, I didn’t have any turkey, but Marley did!

~~~

Stream of Consciousness Saturday

is brought to us by Linda Hill, aka, the Queen of SoCS.

You can find Linda, the rules, and more streams,

by clicking HERE.


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Carrie Fisher is still teaching me to be brave.

carrie-fisher-quote

“If you pretend something long enough, it comes true.” Carrie Fisher

These quotes about confidence and pretending remind me of the expression, “Fake it til you make it.” When we do that, we’re pretending with a purpose. We’re being brave in spite of our fear.

Being brave is one thing Carrie Fisher and Princess Leia had in common.

In  Star Wars, Princess Leia battled the evil empire. In real life, Carrie Fisher battled insecurity, addiction, bipolar disorder, and of course the expectations of Hollywood. At the age of 19, she portrayed a strong, intelligent, no nonsense woman of power in the original Star Wars movie, “A New Hope.” I watched that movie in the theater at least ten times in the late 70s when I was about 21. I was one year older than Carrie who died on Tuesday, December 27th. Like many of my peers, (boomers/sci-fi fans) I thought of her almost like friend, especially after I started watching her interviews.

As she got older Carrie grew wiser. She wrote books which have been on my want-to-read-list for years. I still look forward to reading them. In her interviews, Carrie is hilarious in that feisty, authentic way smart women get when they no longer care so much what people think of them – something I aspire to. I love that she performed her autobiographical play, Wishful Drinking, barefoot.

As Princess Leia and as herself, Carrie Fisher influenced me in ways that I am not even aware of. I do know that she made me braver and still does. As I process my grief  (and consider my own mortality) I’m imagining her cracking jokes and exploring life in a galaxy far far away.

I wish her a good voyage.

In the following interview, Carrie started talking about recovery more in the second half if you want to skip the baring all part.

And in this next interview with Oprah, she talked about her family, electroshock therapy, and healing her relationship with her mother who she partially credited for teaching her to be strong.

After writing this, I read that Carrie’s mother, Debbie Reynolds, died the day after her daughter and that she said she wanted to be with Carrie. As a mother, I understand.  I understand about the worry, the tension, and the closeness of that complicated bond. I’m glad they were able to talk, to come to a better understanding of each other. Now, I hope they are at peace.