HERE COMES HONEY BOO BOO

I am apologizing...not for not having kept my blog up to date (although I do apologize for that also).  I am apologizing for a new affliction I have been struck with, because surely this can only be an affliction or a mental illness or maybe even an undiagnosed psychosis.

I apologize for watching the television reality show - "HERE COMES HONEY BOO BOO".  Not only have I watched one show...I have to admit that I have watched several shows.  What I find amazing is that I don't even like television reality shows.  I really don't even watch that much television period.  I've never been one who could stand around the morning water cooler and participate in the conversation about television shows which were on the night before because more than likely, I didn't see the shows.  There are a lot of pop culture television series I have never ever seen and don't mind that I've not seen them.  I didn't know the characters on "FRIENDS" or "SEX AND THE CITY" or even "GREY'S ANATOMY" because I have never even seen one episode.  I did not subscribe to cable television until after my daughter went away to college a few years ago because I did not want television to dictate my schedule or interfere with my real life activities.  In fact, I  actually like channel surfing more than I actually like committing to an actual program show. 

Channel surfing is how I came across the promo for TLC's reality show "HERE COMES HONEY BOO BOO".  When I stumbled across the promo for the show, I could not believe anything so trashy would be on TV in the first place and surely even if the show actually premiered, it would immediately be cancelled after the first episode or at the most, after the second episode.

Well, I was participating in my favorite activity, channel surfing, when "HERE COMES HONEY BOO BOO" came on for the first time.  I stopped channel surfing and started watching the show.  It was like watching a train wreck.  You know how you drive down the road and know there is a car accident ahead because you were forewarned by the traffic announcer?  And, you know how you told yourself you won't slow up to look at the smashed up cars or bodies strewn across the road?  But, you know how you slow up anyway to gawk at the chaos?

Well...watching the show, HONEY BOO BOO, falls exactly into that category.  The show centers around Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson, a 7 year old pageant participant.  Honey Boo Boo and her family live in McIntyre, Georgia.  Her mom has four daughters, all with different dads.  Honey Boo Boo mother's boyfriend of 8 years - Sugar Bear - (Honey Boo Boo's father) also lives in the home.  The 17 year old daughter is pregnant and due at any moment.  For a couple of shows, there was also a baby pig that served as Honey's pet and also lived inside the house.

The show was so unbelievable, I could not turn away from it. During commercial breaks of the first show, I kept running upstairs to try to get my husband to also tune into the show (he was watching baseball on another TV) because words failed me when I tried to describe the show to him.  And, then I  would quickly run back downstairs before the commercials were over because I didn't want to miss any part of my show.

When Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston had a television reality show some years back, I remember how incredulous people were that the show was so low class.  I actually watched a portion of the Brown and Houston show because I could not believe what people were telling me and the show was so bad that I could not watch an entire episode and never tuned in again.

The show "HERE COMES HONEY BOO BOO" is actually more disgusting than the Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston show was, but I ABSOLUTELY cannot turn away from it.  The show is disgusting, appalling, tactless and tasteless.  But, apparently, I am not the only deer-caught-in-the-head-light viewer out there because two to three MILLION other people also tune in each week.

I am in NO WAY encouraging anyone to tune in and watch the show.  I am still in a state of disbelief that I am actually faithfully watching the show.  It truly is a train wreck.  It is as horrifying as seeing badly injured bodies strewn along the highway as a result of a car accident.  The show is distasteful...and I am absolutely hooked.

It's like that old boyfriend who was positively no good, but so good looking.

I apologize, again.  Please forgive me.


Peace

Michele

WHAT THE HECK IS A VISION BOARD...

and why do I need one??

I'm a baby boomer, which makes me old school.  Baby boomers know what it is to set goals and being a boomer I'm used to keeping track of my goals the old fashioned way...writing them down on a pad or maybe in a journal but nevertheless, writing them down somewhere.  But, the modern method of tracking goals is by way of using vision boards.  Trying to stay abreast of current topics, my interest in vision boards was peaked.  Oprah wrote about them in her magazine, surely that alone would peak someone's interest.  I started reading different articles and searching the Internet for information on vision boards.  I even participated in a Friday evening workshop facilitated by a member of my church.  (Thank you, Renae.)

One cannot get to someplace one has not first thought about, imagined or dreamed about.  Instead of writing one's goals down on paper, vision boards are a depiction of one's goals in pictures.  The idea behind this is that when you surround yourself with images of who you want to become, what you want to have, where you want to live, or where you want to vacation, your life changes to match those images and those desires.

Vision boards are easy and fun to make.  Simply assemble your tools:  magazines, printed material, arts and craft items such as glitter and feathers, glue, scissors and your poster board.  Make it even more fun by hosting a vision board making, wine and cheese tasting evening with a group of friends.  (The wine can help to relax your inhibitions and allow you to think even more outside the box when it comes to the possibility of the life you can envision for yourself.)  Peruse your material, cutting out pictures which reflect your goals.  After you have enough materials, assemble your pictures and make a collage of your goals onto your board.  There is no right or wrong way to make your board, but I personally favor keeping the center of your board open for a picture of yourself.  This makes your board even more personal and relatable.  You can see the board with all of your goals and then a BIG, beautiful picture of yourself right in the center of the life you are trying to create.

Then place your vision board in a place where you will see it on a regular basis.  Your vision board should be strategically placed in a location that gives you maximum exposure to it.  Looking at it every day will keep your goals or your life map in your face.  This will help you focus and keeps your plan in front of you.  You won't be able to lose track and forget what you are supposed to be working on.  Even though there are objectives which are supposed to be important to us and on which we need to work, we can get too busy with the mundane things to remember what the big things are.

I made a vision board earlier this year.  I placed mine in my family room because I spend the majority of my waking hours there.  I can't help but see my goals wherever I sit.  Subconsciously, this keeps me focused and constantly thinking about where I am and where I am trying to go.  (If you fear criticism or justification of your vision board from others, then place it in a private location so it can only be seen by yourself.)  I have already accomplished one of the goals on my vision board which I may not have if I had not had that item looking back at me every time I walked into my family room.  Again, you may not want to display your vision board so prominently.  That is entirely up to you.  I just need to have my goals in my face so that I will not lose focus.

One goal down...on to my next life changing goal!

Peace

Michele