So Where Is This Coming From Anyway?

My mind has begun to wonder where my inspiration for all of this is coming from. I've put a lot of thought into this (read: I've been sitting here at my desk with nothing else to do today other than evaluate my position in life) and it all goes back to this poem I found eons ago. I believe I originally saw it in one of those horribly long emails I tend to get, you know, the ones with about a gazillion forwards in it! But for whatever reason, this keeps popping up in front of me.


Originally attributed to Maya Angelou, this is not her work. It is, in fact, the work of Pamela Redmond Satran and originally appeared in Glamour Magazine in May 1997. Snopes cracked this mystery and you can read it here: http://www.snopes.com/language/literary/awoman.asp. Maya Angelou has also disclaimed authorship on her website here: http://www.mayaangelou.com/Contact.html; scroll down the page, it's in red!


So here it is, and I do find the original title humorously appropriate, given the nature of my blog!


30 Things Every Woman Should Have and Should Know By the Time She's 30


A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE...
Enough money within her control to move out and rent a place of her own even if she never wants to or needs to


A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE...
Something perfect to wear if the employer or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour


A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE...
A youth she's content to leave behind


A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE...
A past juicy enough that she's looking forward to retelling it in her old age


A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE...
A set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra


A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE...
One friend who always makes her laugh and one who lets her cry


A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE...
A good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family


A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE...
Eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems, and a recipe for a meal that will make her guests feel honored


A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE...
A feeling of control over her destiny


EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
How to fall in love without losing herself


EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
How to quit a job, break up with a lover, and confront a friend without ruining the friendship


EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
When to try harder and when to walk away


EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
That she can't change the length of her calves, the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents


EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
That he childhood may not have been perfect but it's over


EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
What she would or wouldn't do for love or more


EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
How to live alone even if she doesn't like it


EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
Whom she can trust, whom she can't, and why she shouldn't take it personally


EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
Where to go, be it to her best friend's kitchen table or a charming inn in the woods, when her soul needs soothing


EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
What she can and can't accomplish in a day, a month, and a year


So, this is my jumping off point, and I plan on coming back to this frequently as I feel that my "issues" can mostly be correlated closely with at least one of these items. That's not to say that I feel this is an all-inclusive list by any means, but I can really relate to most of it!


KD :)