BLOG CHALLENGE: One Word

Have you ever tried to describe yourself in one word? One word that sort of sums up who you are, what makes you tick, what sets you apart.

Yesterday, I asked that question of three teenage girls at Fortress. They were paralyzed by having to describe themselves with one word, and in fact, couldn't do it. So I went first.

Creative. It's not something I try to be, it's just what I am. It's what makes me happy. If I go too long without letting my mind and hands be creative, I get cranky. Seriously, it's true! Sometimes, I get supremely fed up with everything around me, and almost without fail, when I sit back and try to analyze what's going on with me, it comes down to the fact that I haven't given myself creative playtime. It doesn't have to be obviously creative, although most of the time it is - scrapbooking, doing a photo shoot, blogging, doodling, decorating. Sometimes, creativity happens in the everyday mundane things: arranging playlists on my iTunes and burning CDs for people, changing up the route I take when picking up Aidan from school, making lesson plans and teaching Bible class and scrapbooking classes. Even sitting at Barnes and Noble with an Iced Mocha and a stack of magazines and books is creative time for me. I file away little tidbits in my creative vault - color combinations, kitchen designs, plants I want Darren to incorporate into our garden, quotes that inspire me.

Cara, my co-teacher in the girls' class at Fortress, went next, and described herself as "loyal". And then the girls took their turns. It was a beautiful thing, watching them analyze and look into themselves as they searched for the one word. "Talented". "Talkative". "Good at drawing".

The next question I posed was my favorite, though. After everyone described themselves with one word, we went around the room, describing each other with one word. I was described by inner-city African-American teenage girls as "funny", "country", and "having good fashion." Country? Country?? I'm still shaking my head at that one, and we all laughed pretty hard. I wanna to be ghetto-fabulous, not COUNTRY, forevermore. The "good fashion" description made me laugh. I don't fancy myself a fashionista, and it cracks me right up that a ghetto-fabulous girl from the 'hood thinks I've got it goin' on. LOL!

The girls described each other with words like "tender-hearted", "friendly", "cool to hang out with", "good attitude", and the oft-used "ghettofabulous".

It was a fun exercise. As women, we need to spend more time recognizing and celebrating the talents and positive traits we've been adorned with. Whether we're suburban upper-middle class moms or urban, poor, living-the-moment teens - we all have one thing in common: we're beautiful women with amazing talents, unbridled potential... and we're fabulous, baby. Fabulous.

Go ahead. Describe yourself with one word. Then ask three other people to describe you, too. Celebrate yourself. I dare you!

the challenge:
Have you ever tried to describe yourself in one word? One word that sort of sums up who you are, what makes you tick, what sets you apart. It's not as easy as you think. As women, we need to spend more time recognizing and celebrating the talents and positive traits we've been adorned with. Whether we're suburban upper-middle class moms or urban, poor, living-the-moment teens - we all have one thing in common: we're beautiful women with amazing talents, unbridled potential... and we're fabulous, baby. Fabulous.Go ahead. Describe yourself with one word. Then ask three other people to describe you, too. Celebrate yourself. I dare you!