I am entertaining tonight!

Okay, i have been too damned realistic for a while now. (Two posts actually, telling you about how short life is. It is actually....) But hey! this girl is ready to party again! Actually, If you love reading short stories, then grab a drink girl.

Perfect Stranger is a dream. Literally. A girl had a weird dream that is going to make you laugh (some people did) and wonder. Please drop your opinions. I am gunning to make a living (or some change) with writing. It is my passion and i would just love to succeed with it. And i hope you succeed in everything you put your mind to.
Well, here goes..........

Perfect Stranger

I saw him coming. He walked beautifully. Erect. His arms swayed slightly and his broad chest heaved a bit. Perfect. I was with a couple of strange people. I did not know them but they were talking to me in a strange language that it seemed I understood
It took a while before I realized he was coming towards me. And he was smiling too. My heart beat began to thump wildly. Why was he coming to me? And the smile?
Why was I feeling excited, scared to death, thrilled and elated all at the same time?
“Hello,” he greeted me with a bow of the head.
I noticed his complexion was slightly lighter than I had assumed. It was the colour of milk chocolate; rich light brown. His dark hair was close shaven and well groomed.
As he looked at me, I felt I could get lost in his dark eyes. He was more handsome than any man I had ever seen.
“I…., “my voice eluded me. It was so unsteady that you would think I was a stammerer. I wanted to slap the life out of that thing called ‘my voice’ for failing me at such a crucial moment. The man must be thinking that I was some naïve lady. Maybe even desperate.
“I want to hear you say your name beautiful one,” he said in a husky baritone and flashed me one of those his breathtaking smiles.
“I don’t tell strangers my name.” I must have sounded like my neighbor’s seven year old daughter. I could just picture her saying that to some strange looking man at the gate.
“Let me hear it. My name is Firam.”
“Lisa.” I wondered why I was standing there in the first place.
“You know Lisa, I know you but you don’t know me. Beautiful Lisa, I know you very well.”
He stood there, as confident as a god, his eyes starring intently at me.
“How is that?” I asked trying to keep my legs from shaking violently.
He laughed. “Look at me Lisa. Not with your eyes but with your heart and soul. Look at me Lisa. Look at me Lisa!” His voice became harsh with the last words. I was visibly shaken.
I turned my back on him and started walking away. I walked as fast as my legs would carry me though at a point, I wished I was my younger brother’s pigeon who could fly. I didn’t exactly like that pigeon but I really wished I was it.
“Lisa, we are betrothed!” He shouted after me.
I stopped. It took me several seconds to remember the meaning of the word ‘betrothed’.
What was even weirder was a complete stranger; forget the fact that he was gorgeous, in the middle of nowhere would decide to tell me that he was betrothed to me.
Believe me, I wasn’t betrothed to anyone. I didn’t even have a boyfriend. I hoped that one day, I would find a handsome man that owned an expensive car and a grand house, who would sweep me off my feet and make me a very happy woman.
Yes, the man behind me was handsome but I didn’t see any car in sight and…..
His touch jarred me out of my thoughts. I jumped and nearly fell but he held me and whirled me round to face him.
“Lisa,” his voice was a whisper, “You are my life, my love and my happiness. You know I would give you anything you want. Just name it and it’s yours.”
“Who are you?” I managed to ask
"Your life, your love and your happiness," he said and lowered his head. He wanted to kiss me! How romantic! Just like in the movies. But why should a grown woman like me kiss a strange man with a name as weird as Firam?
Ahh! I shouted and pushed the hunk of a man whose name was Firam in a very un ladylike manner and started running to the rather exaggerated surprise of the people around. I ran wildly, screaming as loud as I could.
All of a sudden, I saw myself running to the bathroom of the house down the small hallway, screaming the house down. I was in my nightgown.

Thats it!! (Yep, it's Lisa again)

Lily Johnson

Spa - Some Precious time Alone

Ah life does have its ups. And then it has some crazy downs. Don’t you get that feeling that some things just happen to just make you loose your mind? They happen and you just get psycho for a wee while and then get over it. Lucky you girl, believe me a lot of people especially women are in psychiatric wards all over the world because something they just couldn’t handle happened and something snapped. And sweet, beautiful and caring Jane became that red-eyed and foaming in the mouth woman in a cage.

My boyfriend lost his father about some months ago. The man was very nice to me and I liked him too. He was one those people you couldn’t help but like a lot. He was handsome, had a great sense of humor, and equally a great passion for life. The man knew how to have fun. It shocked me straight to the bones when I heard that he suddenly slipped into a coma and died a few hours later.
Suddenly, the man I loved became bereaved and painfully so because for a while he was in denial. He consoled everyone and didn’t accept any consolation. He could handle it. Yeah right. I knew him like the back of my hand so I knew that inside, he was hurting badly and that just killed me again and again. My man has recovered now. He started talking about it a week later and poured out all the things he had suppressed in his heart for days. It’s going to be okay.

I had my own pain. I didn’t tell him that I cried every night because I have always had the vision of how our wedding would be and an important personality in that vision just….died. I used to see him dancing with me and telling me how I would bear strong sons and beautiful daughters…I guess fate had its own plans.

Sometimes life just throws crazy things at us. Name it; betrayal, heart breaks, nasty surprises, love gone bad situations, death of loved ones, disappearance of good friends….oh! How does a girl handle it? How?

Well, some wise old woman said to me “Cry little one. Cry and don’t stop until you feel your body telling you that it’s okay. And do it while you are alone. Sounds weird but it really is therapeutic. And don’t forget your sun glasses when your leave the room for the streets. Those big and bold ones that are fashionable though they hide half of your face (do you honestly want anyone to see that?) And use some lip gloss too because your lips would be all they are seeing and it’s got to look good.
Then go and shop for some aromatic oils, perfumed candles and rose petals. If you can’t afford these, then get some incense sticks (look for those ones with rose or lily fragrance) and cheap regular candles. Get home, put off the light, have a luxurious bath with candles and alluring scents in the air. Play some cool music in the background. Close your eyes and let some Jazz soothe your mind. It’s going to be okay. You would learn from your mistakes in love and friendship. You would cherish those people you know that care a lot about you. You would accept the fact that death is inevitable. You have to be strong because there are people that need you and Miss Girl, you need you too!

Watch some of those hilarious comedy flicks and get a good laugh. You need to release those tense muscles. A little drink might help. Hey! Don’t binge and don’t become an alcoholic overnight. Just a glass of wine would do.
Then try to get some quality sleep. Use some eye cream for those tell tale dark circles around your eyes. Use the eye patch too.

Life continues girlfriend so you have to move on. Smile as often as you can afford to. Cry when you really have to. And have fun at every given opportunity because lets face it, life is damned too short!

LILY JOHNSON

Christmas fun

I didn’t know what this Christmas held for me. Let me start by telling you that I had to study for my exams while you ladies were busy shopping for the holidays. Yep, yours sincerely was buried in books, handouts and stuff. It wasn’t funny. I had a paper on the 23rd! Now was that crazy or what?

Anyway, I don’t have any paper till the 6th of January! {I am doing cat wheels in the air}. Then I realized that I didn’t have anything special to wear though I didn’t think I would anywhere to wear something special to, I hadn’t made any plans, I hadn’t bought any gifts or Christmas greeting cards. Nothing! I spent the whole time just studying so I could get straight A’s.

So, I had no choice but to dust what I already had and make myself happy. I discovered a dress I hadn’t worn in a long time and it still fitted! I cleaned and polished my beautiful black leather shoes but wore beautiful gold and purple slippers. I had a Chanel No 5 bottle {it’s almost empty so I used a lot of deodorant body spray}. So I wore my little dress and slippers and had fun.

I spent this Christmas with my family and my best friend {most of the day} my clique at school {for a few beautiful hours} and with my man {mostly on the phone because he is out of town}

Bottom line, I did my best to look beautiful {my make up did help}. And it felt really good being with the people that truly cared about me.

Lily Johnson

Okay lets make haste people!

This post isn't going to be one of my long posts. I just have a message to pass across and I am going to be quick about it.
Okay, that actress Brittany Murphy? You know i have not seen any of her movies but I have seen her beautiful face on E! more than a dozen times. She just died! And she was just thirty two!
Yeah, she wouldn’t be the first. I heard you loud and clear though I must be a million miles away but something about her death struck me. And hard too. I didn’t know people that young could get cardiac arrest! I thought it was something old people's tired hearts get. But sweet, talented, beautiful and young! Brittany's heart just stopped.

Hey girls, I don't know what it is in your life that you have been waiting for some bell to ring somewhere to make you do something. I wouldn't wait for that bell no more. Be quick about it because darling, the time is now. I don't have time to go into what it might be. Anything positive. Anything to improve yourself. Anything to make you a better person. Just do it and do it now because lets face it, life just got shorter.

No, it is not fear of death. And no, the African girl is not paranoid. I just realized that we all want to be remembered for good when we die. And by people who will have good things to say about us. And we don't have to be famous to make that happen. So let’s move it!

Happy holidays!!


Lily Johnson

Love me or leave me!

I believe I am a precious being. I am talented, beautiful, intelligent and creative. And sweetheart, so are you! No one would believe in you if you don’t believe in yourself.
We all have our shortcomings and weaknesses. I can be very emotional and temperamental. You don’t want to see me when I am very angry. I might apologise for surprising the people that I care about and others but how can I apologise for being who I am?

This doesn’t mean that if you have a bad character like a destructive temper, that it is a natural thing. No dear, you have to get some counseling. And low self esteem isn’t something to be proud of. Get some quality counseling. I am just saying that everyone should be loved for who he or she is. The people that care about me should love that headstrong girl and accept the fact that I am an emotional person.

Men usually say that their women try to change them but some men do try to change their women too. A career woman is told to become a full time house wife not because that is what she wants but because that is what her man thinks is best for her. Some make their women go under the knife because they don’t like the way they look.
My dear, if you have to do anything, do it for yourself. Everyone has to love you for whom you are and if they don’t then they shouldn’t be with you.
You are not perfect. Nobody is. Everybody deserves to be loved except a select few who don’t know what to do with it.
Look in the mirror everyday and tell yourself that you are unique and wonderful and deserve to be loved for you. And to anyone that thinks otherwise, shout and say “leave me!”

Save up to glam up!

If you are not stupendously rich or fabulously stupid, then you are quite prudent with money and run tight budgets often. You pay your bills and save some for the rainy day.
Everything is budgeted for. Every form of expenses is recorded. That is wise. It is something to teach your kids so they don’t throw money around when they cannot afford to. Most rich people got to where they are today by making use of their money wisely.

You might be a little surprised at what I have got to say after all that prudence talk. Let me start with a question, Miss Girl, when was the last time you gave yourself a gift?
You watch movie stars and celebrities on T.V and go “Oh, look at that beautiful dress on her!” “Look how her skin glows!”, “I saw earrings like that in a shop last week!”
You probably would think that you can’t just afford to get yourself something special because you have a lot of bills to pay. Your children, your parents and siblings; yeah, there is a lot to use the money for.
But dear, it wouldn’t hurt to treat yourself to some little luxury once in a while. Look at it as a personal project. Save up for that special something you have always wanted. Make sure that the money you save doesn’t affect your finances negatively.

This is what I do. I first choose what I want to buy and write down the price. Then I decide how much I would save per week or month and when the money would be complete. If the price is $100, I save $115 just in case. It is exciting to know that you are going to get that pricy Valentino dress in 4 weeks or get that spa treatment in 5 weeks.

You look forward to it and even dream about it. You deserve some pampering once in a while so get yourself that bag or those shoes the unselfish way. Save for them. And start now!

LILY JOHNSON

Got to do it? Smile at it!

Sometimes it is frustrating to want to do a lot of things not because you just want to but because you know you can! Okay what am I talking about? Well, let me use ‘yours sincerely’ as an example. I am a writer. I have written some short stories and published them too. I am a songwriter. I have written and composed music for the choir of my church and I can proudly say that I have a lovely deep voice. It kind of reminds you of Toni Braxton (Don’t believe me but I believe myself. And so does my family. And my friends. And my man. And the guy that featured me in his album. And the guy that is going to produce me some day. I could go on you know).

I have a Diploma in Public Relations from a college in the UK. I am about to get a Bachelors’ degree in Marketing. I know quite a lot in fashion and beauty. In fact, so much that people think that I would be wasting my time pursuing a career in Marketing. I should own and run a beauty business. I was thinking of having my own skin care and make up line. You know I would just look stunning and talk about my ‘moderately priced’ cosmetics and all the stuff that entrepreneurs like Iman and Kimora do. I would just love doing that. Just as I would love autographing my books (collections of short stories mostly). And singing on stage with my fans screaming for more. And having a successful Public Relations outfit that I run with so much finesse, elegance and determination.

Now that I am so sure you don’t envy me, I have also tried modeling. Yes. It is the one thing that I don’t know if it quite agrees with me. I can’t keep a fake smile for more than five seconds and I have been meeting psychos that pose as agents. I have taken loads of pictures and believe me; some of them are not really flattering. Some were just horrible

Why am I telling you this? Well, I know some people blog because they have nothing else better to do. Some do because they want to talk about something. Some do because…people they know have blogs and it would be cool to have one too. Some blogs are for business. Others for pleasure.
I blog because just like I can do all the things mentioned above and want to do it too; I really want to do this. Being a woman who wants to be successful in every sphere of her life is the most challenging thing ever. Every waking moment is a battle. Every move you make is got to be on point. And you have to find a balance to everything. (Like I am preparing dinner as I am typing this. Seriously).

It is not easy. But you got to do it. Just like I write stories and songs, read for my exams and beauty recipes, try to find a job as a PR person, find time for my man and family, and write here when I can. But you know what Miss Girl, I love it! So don’t whine and bitch about all that you have to do. Just do it and find a way to love it all.

This doesn’t have to make sense to everyone so if it does to you, I deeply respect you!

LILY JOHNSON

Think positively

Yeah, things may be in a major jam and so bad the solution seems not to look like a solution at all. All you do is run around helplessly and your mood, a thick black cloud.

I usually tell people that I am a realist; that is; I am neither pessimistic nor very optimistic. I see things the way they are and take them as they come. But I am a huge fan of positive thinking and most times it does work! At least, it lifts the spirit and prevents one from going into depression.
In a very bad situation, believe me; I know how hard it is to think positively. How on earth is a sister supposed to think positively when she just lost her job? Or when her fiancé of five years just called off the engagement? Or when her best friend just died in a car crash? Positive thinking would be nowhere in the books please!

But honey after everything; the mourning, the crying, the frustration and bitterness, life goes on. You have to move on. You got to tell yourself that things would turn out just fine and believe it. Tell yourself that you are going to get a new and even better job {f the boss. He didn’t deserve you}. Assure yourself that your knight in shinning armor is going to find you and be with you forever {f your ex too. He didn’t deserve you either}. Look up to the sky, your loved one is in heaven and expects you to be happy {And babe, you deserve to be happy}.

See each day as a day filled with great expectations that are pleasant and when bad things happen, look at the bright side. Infact always look at the bright side of life. Go through each day with a smile and believe you are a survivor. Get rid of all the negative thoughts. “It is not going to work” should be used only when absolutely necessary. Someone told me that it is frequently used by losers. Remember I said when absolutely necessary {I am a realist remember?}
It will work. You can do it. Think positively always

LILY JOHNSON

And for some entertainment....2

And don’t forget to always finish what you started. When you do that people would not only trust you but would also rely on you. They would see you as a consistent person.

When you promise to help someone do something, try your best possible to be there to the end. If your friend asked you to accompany her to a dinner party, stay until the party is over unless you get an emergency call.
Finish knitting that sweater! Continue writing that book until you are done!

This is the last part of the story. Enjoy!


LILY JOHNSON


I opened my eyes. The mirror showed me nothing. I touched the mirror but I didn’t see my hand.
“What is going on?” I cried out and slammed the door of my wardrobe shut, “Can someone tell me what is happening to me?”
“Come on Lisa. Don’t get hysterical”, my body sat on the bedroom sofa, “Didn’t you hear me? You are a spirit. Spirits are invisible. You and I know that you like reading so you must have come across something like this. I know I have”, it smiled, “And like you said, you are me so we are one but separated for a while”.
“No”, I closed my ears with my hands; “I am not listening to this anymore”
“Suit yourself”, my body walked back into the room and laid on the bed.
“It’s almost dawn”, It said in a sleepy voice, “In a few minutes, you and I would be one again. Understand this Lisa, you have the power to leave your body and come back to it. You can go wherever you want and do whatever you want when you are what you are now. A spirit. Invisible”.
“And you? I mean….. My body?” I didn’t know what the right thing to say was.
“Well”, it propped itself on an elbow, “You see when you leave your body, most of you goes with the spirit. The good part of you that is, leaving behind the other part of you. This makes the body and the spirit rather different. The spirit is willing but the body is weak”, it smiled, “Should have been the other way round though”
Why is this happening to me and why? I thought, I was too tired of asking questions. I still had my night gown on and that was what the figure on the bed wore too. A pink silk night gown. My favorite.
“Your questions would be answered tomorrow night Lisa’, it smiled and closed its eyes.
Suddenly, a mysterious wind whistled its way into the room and dragged me towards the bed. I was too stunned to cry out.

And for some entertainment....

I write short stories and I am going to post some of them here for you to read. You must have heard a thousand times that you have a special gift. I assure you that you do my dear. Some of us are just too lazy or busy to discover what it is that God has deposited in us. It really doesn’t matter when you discover it but do try to when you can do something about it.

I started writing at the age of seven. Then, I wrote fairy tales. As I got older, I began to write romantic stories. Some magazines have published my stories in the past and I go paid for it too. Now, I write stories of all genres.

The title of this story is “I and Myself”. I honestly don’t know what genre it belongs to but I have submitted it to a magazine before under the horror genre. I will post this story in two parts so you are about to read the part one. Enjoy!

LILY JOHNSON


I AND MYSELF

I was alarmed when I opened my eyes. When did I sleep off? My journal was still beside me but the bed side lamp was off. I started getting up but I couldn’t. It was like a heavy bag was on my chest. I struggled to get up and shout but I couldn’t and no sound came out of my mouth. I struggled harder and finally got up. I felt light as if I could fly. I stood up on my bed and looked around; the whole room was very dark. The windows were open but the moonlight wasn’t penetrating into the room. I found that strange. I turned to put on the bedside lamp and screamed. I was starring at my own body still lying on the bed. My eyes were open and looking directly at me. I tried to scream again but no sound came out. My body on the bed stirred and the mouth opened. In a flash, I jumped out of the bed and ran across the room to switch on the light. I couldn’t feel my heart pounding. I felt that I must be dreaming until my body got up from the bed and started walking towards me. I wanted to run again but I couldn’t. My feet were glued to the floor somehow. This couldn’t be happening to me. When my body approached me, it was smiling. It was like looking in the mirror. My large brown eyes starred back at me
“Are you scared?” It asked
“I am dreaming”, I said in a voice I couldn’t hear but my body apparently did
“No. You are not .You are only experiencing what you should have a long time ago”.
“You are me”
My body laughed. It was a carefree, sing song sound that was very familiar. It belonged to me.
“You haven’t noticed?” It asked, “You are the spirit and I am the body”
“What?!”
“Take a look at the mirror Lisa”, It walked towards my wardrobe and I followed suit like I was under some kind of trance. It opened my wardrobe to reveal the mirror that was nailed to the door on the side. It smiled and pointed at the mirror.
‘Take a look”
My legs were wobbling as I walked to the mirror. As I stood before it, I closed my eyes
and whispered, God help me! What on earth would I see? An animal? A monster?

Fashion Horror

The evolution of fashion is one thing that would not ever stop to amaze me. I have one word to describe the designers, the models, the clothes and the industry; awesome!
But some designers really make me ask questions like “Excuse me, was that made to be worn on this planet?”. I saw a girl last week walking on the streets, looking like a cockatoo. She was quite pretty but if you looked closely, the blouse she wore was scary.

It had bright coloured feathers all over it and the cut of the blouse was quite odd and this made this young woman look like the mentioned bird. To make matters worse, she paired the blouse with a pair of red skinny jeans and ridiculously high-heeled shoes.

Maybe she wore it to attract attention because she was a small woman, or the blouse is quite expensive which is what I strongly suspect. Some designer must have put in a load of ‘hard work’ to create that strange piece of clothing and would tell the whole world that every clothing item he creates, is unique and makes its wearer stand out in the crowd thereby convincing the little woman that she needed to wear that horror of a blouse on that very hot afternoon. She did stand out though. Please!

If a dress makes you look like an alien, an animal, a bird, a hooker in 300AD or something worse, please don’t spend your hard earned money buying it. You would probably wear it once, cause a terrible stir and swear never to wear it again. Stick to clothes that ‘make sense’ and suit your body type.

LILY JOHNSON

Look out for Joe!

Before I say what I have in mind I must tell you my dear that I am not judging anyone. Who am I to do so? I am just going to say my mind. Period. And I am doing it because of some incidents that were rather disturbing that involved someone I know.
Women sometimes find themselves in some friendly associations with some men that they shouldn’t even be saying “hi” to but because of some emotional problems or even financial problems, we might just be friends with some guy because at that moment, he was being nice and caring.
Then some of us make the fatal mistake of allowing this stranger into our lives without taking time to find out who he really is. He becomes a friend, a confidante and a person we rely on and trust. Beware!
Myna had a boyfriend that she had been going out with on and off for three years. One day, she heard the news that her man had married some other lady who was heavily pregnant with his child. She locked herself up in her one room apartment and cried for days. It was like the world had ended for her. Four months later, she met another guy and they began dating. He was a great guy but his ego sometimes got in the way of the smooth running of things. He found it difficult to admit to a fault and when he did, he rarely apologized. The guy just didn’t ever say he was sorry. That frustrated Myna. She met Joe at a distant cousin’s house warming party. They got talking immediately. Joe was cute and funny. He made her laugh like she hadn’t in a long time. Myna was won over. She wasn’t the type that cheated on her man no matter what so he became her friend. He visited her and she visited him. She told her boyfriend about him and even introduced them. When Myna had problems with her man, he was there to make her laugh. Myna told him a lot of things about herself because she trusted him. One day, her emotions overwhelmed her and they had sex. And that was it.
Myna had told him that what happened was a mistake and would never happen again because she wasn’t that kind of girl and didn’t want anything that would ruin their friendship. Joe became a monster. He wasn’t going to accept that what happened was a mistake. He began to act strange, calling her names whenever it pleased him and for nothing. Then one day, after an argument over a trivial matter, Myna was seeing him off to the bus stop. When they got to the bus stop there was a group of people standing there and Joe suddenly started calling Myna names like “prostitute” and “public dog”. He made sure that he got the attention of the people around and called her more terrible names. He made a public spectacle of her. Myna couldn’t believe it. She told him that the friendship was over. She had had it.
After a few weeks, Joe tried to contact her but she made herself unavailable. Then he began to call her mobile number persistently. There were times that he called her fifty times a day. Myna didn’t pick his calls. He began to use other numbers and withheld numbers. He made Myna’s life miserable.
I think Myna made the mistake of letting him into her life so fast. Having sex with him was also a fatal mistake. If she had waited to find out who he was which I believe would have materialised, she would have found out that Joe was a jerk.
I know that sometimes weird things happen even to the most careful people on earth and some people are so crafty that you don’t find out a thing about them. But you have to always use your senses right girl. It is very important and more, it could save you from a rather embarrassing situation.

LILY JOHNSON

Don't you dare stop!

This is for the average but aspiring to be much more than average woman {Whatz up!} now, I am one of the people that believe it is not over until it is over. Yeah, life begins when it begins! No specific year whatsoever. It is just you and your drive to make it and continuing even when those pessimists {some call them haters} think “For God’s sake, it didn’t work when you were twenty! Why the hell would it work now you are fifty!?”
Honey, don’t stop the pushing, the working, the hoping, the praying until you are…well dead!
Of course there would be obstacles in the way and most of them grinning “I love being your obstacle”. But you can’t let them stop you. Please don’t let them stop you! Don’t look at those pages of glamorous women and ladies in full colour glossy magazines and wallow in self pity. Look at them and say to yourself “I will get there”. I love that Boy 2 Men track especially the line that says “I will get through the night”.

Consider all that is wrong but happening to you now as your night. The sun is about to hit you in the eyes and behold, your better days are here! But remember, hard work and patience plus prayer would help you. Work hard at what you are doing; anything you are doing at all because what is worth doing at all is what doing well {please don’t think I am encouraging some crazy stuff, I am not!}

I am addressing the decent {okay she loses her balance sometimes but she gets right back up!}, hardworking {the hustle, this babe is everywhere doing her thing and there is no stopping her!}and average {she is no billionaire heiress but she sure does pay her bills} young woman.
Keep going babe girl. You will get there and when you do, we are going to pop that champagne!

Lily Johnson

A girl's best friend

Somebody thinks I am talking about diamonds right? Sorry to disappoint you sweetheart but I am talking about something that is alive, has hair and makeup on to a T (not always though) and talks right back when talked to.

I met my best friend Steph ten years ago through my younger sister who had met her in church. She brought her home and whispered “She sings too” to an exhausted and red eyed me. I had been writing all day. The first thing you noticed about her before you even saw her was her accent. She had a British accent and she hadn’t even been to the UK once.

We discovered that we had a lot in common; age, height, creativity, feminism (we just believe that women should be treated with utmost respect every time and every where. Period.) and the love for fashion and beauty.
We also had the same passion for music and writing. We are both aspiring musicians and while she is a performance writer; writing tons of scripts for movies and drama, I write short stories articles and novelettes. I am still working on the novel I intend to publish.
Even though I have a few friends, Steph is my only friend. She is the one I can tell basically anything and everything. Being a very sensitive person (she might have issues with the ‘very’), I sometimes need someone that would talk some sense into me when I over react and Steph is equal to that rather near impossible task.

I am not going to use the whole page to talk about the rare kind of friendship that I have with Steph but I am going to tell you that having a single loyal friend who cares about you and would go to the ends of the earth with you is far better than having a lot of friends that would do nothing but brag about their six figure salaries, overflowing jewelry boxes and how your house is in desperate need of a make over even when they know you are a struggling writer who is yet (but praying fervently) to get a juicy contract. They tell you about parties that you don’t have the kind of clothes to attend and introduce you to men that you don’t have the patience to date (Hello! I am Mark Denver, a banker like you have never known or seen. And I make tons of money. Is that couch of yours a hand-me-down from your grandmother? I am the man you have been waiting for. Let me prove that to you by buying you a bracelet from Tiffany….Oh God no! )
With just one best friend, you can share your secrets and know who is responsible when an acquaintance suddenly asks you if you’ve still got the thrush.
Besides it is much easier to pour your heart out to one person than to address a bunch of people.

I and Steph laugh together, cry together, hurl stones at the heart breakers we meet together and curse our misfortunes together. She knows how many jeans I’ve got (the colours, the ones that are too tight, the one that has a patch in a place no one will ever know…). I know the things she could afford and the things she would never buy even if she was an Arabian princess. (Silicone boobs! Watching Dr 90210 on E! has been both frightening and very discouraging)

All these years, we have had our fair share of ups and downs, screaming sessions and cat fights! (We were immature and stupid) but I would never ask for a better best friend.

But if you are thinking of giving me a sparkling diamond set, I might seriously think about it. (Wait till she hears this!)

So you want to lose weight?

Yeah, yeah, you have been told by everyone in the world that you are FAT. Those who care about you have said the same thing using nicer words and encouraging you to do something about it. Maybe you’d like to try something or maybe not. Maybe you are living in denial and again maybe not.

So what do you want to think about yourself?….
Okay your BMI doesn’t say you are slim. Your friends are talking endlessly about weight loss programs. Your co-workers attach the word ‘big’ to whatever they have to say about you then there are other people like people you sit beside in buses and trains, your mother in-law, your boss, your shrink…these people may have unkind things to say sometimes. Or maybe not

Listen my dear; the opinion of the entire galaxy is just secondary. No one on earth should be swayed by what people think about him (or her). You should look deep into yourself and find out what you think about yourself. Believe me; you don’t need hours of counseling to discover that. Just look at yourself dispassionately and say what you see. After all, you are the one living in your skin.

The moment of truth is here! Are you ready? You would need these:
A pen and a paper
A full length mirror
Your favorite casual wear, dinner wear, work wear, night wear and if you swim; swim wear
Your critical thinking mind

Wear these clothes one by one and observe yourself carefully and critically but don’t be too hard on yourself. Just write what you see. Please do not look at the clothes, look at the body wearing them. I bet you’ve never really observed yourself in a full length mirror before going to work or before going out with your close friends. Yeah, when you’re going out for a dinner party, you could spend hours before a mirror trying to find the right dress but I bet you never did it with a pen and paper!
So does your body flatter those clothes? You know, does your body look attractive in those clothes?
Or do you just wear drab and unfashionable clothes?! Why for God’s sake?

Source

Okay, okay…so do you think you are fat and pathetically so? Do you think that those clothes are just for covering for you and never to make a fashion statement? Or do you think you are just a little overweight and you are just fine with it? You just need to update your wardrobe with more fashionable clothes and key into the ‘phat’ culture?

Girl, make up your mind because you are about to take on a harder task. Alright.
Now take off your clothes. Everything. Remember don’t be too hard on yourself. Believe me nobody is flawless. People just love themselves and try hard to keep in shape. Others of course visit plastic surgeons.
Now stare at the mirror closely and write what you think about your face, arms, boobs, stomach, thighs and legs. It is not an easy feat I know but it is something you have to do.
Now wear your clothes and go out for some fresh air. With the paper and pen in hand. Sit and take a deep breath. Good. Now try to summarize what you have written. Remember the words are your own and you want to establish reality.

So what do you think about yourself now that you have seen yourself? That is the big question.
If after what you have seen, YOU GENUINELY FEEL YOU LOOK OKAY and believe that YOU ARE NOT IN DENIAL and you are HAPPY with your appearance and believe that your weight is not (or should not be) a source of worry to people that care about you unless (or until) there is a health problem involved; then sweetheart, you shouldn’t feel any pressure to loose weight. And if you have to do it, it should be when you decide to do it. No pressure at all!!

But if the first reaction when you saw your naked body in that mirror was a cringe, if you looked at the cellulite on your thighs and belly with horror, if the way you look makes you want to puke, if you are always insecure or just got insecure after looking at yourself in that mirror, if you wear clothes to desperately hide yourself, if because of your weight you don’t want to go out and have fun with your friends, your relationship is suffering because of your low self esteem and you think you are just going to die of weight-related health problems; girl you just have to get on a weight-loss program! And fast!
 
Have a fabulous week..

Lily Johnson