It was twelve days between Kandi days. I am beginning to gain traction with some of my revenue generating activities and I simply do not have the time and frankly the urge, need or want to go through the process. The only reason I even got dressed for the day we’ll discuss here was because that is how I am known with this organization, valuable to my career.
This has been by no means a specific desire to cut back, as I have said here, I peel one day back at a time and deal with what my life presents me. I had stopped playing pickleball for almost six months and when I went back people thought I had stopped playing (most of them retired). I had to explain I did not stop playing, I stopped having free time. The same applies here. I actually could probably dress five days a week now, but the time necessary to do that would eat up one of those days in the aggregate.
Couple of recent stories. I was invited by a (male) friend from church to attend a monthly Saturday afternoon lunch a few of them have had for years. Now remember, what I have worn to church that past few times… I was happy to attend recently. It was me (not Kandi), my friend and his son (both Japanese and African-American), two elderly African-American gentlemen (gentlemen in the truest sense of the word), one 90 and the other 95 and two other white friends, both senior to me. I tell you their ethnicity to make you understand how amazing that church is and that they looked beyond my attire and welcomed me into their group. It was a great few hours of just talking.
I have now begun working events and worked a corporate picnic. I certainly could have done so as Kandi but chose not to for many reasons. I saved at least an hour and a half of prep/clean-up time and I had to work outdoors on a gloriously sunny and warm day. I would have been miserable and not as effective as I was helping with the physical set-up and tear down of the event. Plus the length of the day and my advancing age left me exhausted at the end of the day, so I was very happy with that decision.
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August 15, 2024 I signed up for a networking event at the Rock Hall for The International Live Events Association. The weather was perfect, so I decided to bring my “A” game. I also scheduled a lunch meeting and a stop at the office before the event. This is a fabulous selfie photo shoot. Yes, I was indeed happy, but getting back “into shape” for this took well over two hours, the blessing and the curse of being who I am.
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The day was full of tremendous compliments. At the restaurant for lunch a fellow patron compliment me on my dress. At the office, Sherri told me I was very pretty (a particularly favorite compliment!). I went to a local mall to kill some time before the event. At lease three different sales people specifically walked over to me to compliment me. One said I was beautiful and one I particularly like was one woman said she loved the fit of the dress. As I was leaving the mall, walking toward the parking lot, a woman walking in but a bit of a distance from me raised her voice so that I would hear to tell me she loved my dress. A favorite was as I was being screened to enter the Rock Hall, the young lady who checked my purse told me she loved how my necklace perfectly matched my dress, calling it “precious”. Most of the ladies at the event (only about 15 of us in all) complimented me on the dress. When purchasing an adult beverage, the gentleman said “thank you, young lady”, so which I of course replied “thank you for calling me young!”.
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One of the ladies there ended up being head of the Northern Ohio alumni chapter of my beloved alma mater. She was simply chatting in passing and when she casually mentioned our school, it was an instant and immediate connection. All of a sudden, we were taken to another level in terms of friendship.
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The day, the event, filed me with pride in myself. Authenticity, being open, honest, confident, proud, all has served me well. It was a joyous day and a fabulous dress!
11 Responses
Kandi,
Let me join the long list of people who love the dress; you and the dress are so pretty.
I am very happy to hear the job is providing financial returns. Your hard work deserves monetary rewards.
Love you,
Jocelyn
BFF,
What a wonderful day you had! Everything looked beautiful ❤️
Kandi,
It is a lovely dress very floaty and feminine , I love wearing pink .
I’ve had to get my prep time honed down , I don’t have two hours to spare every morning otherwise I wouldn’t get anything done . On a couple of occasions my sister in law phoned to ask if I was free for coffee , both times she said she would be about twenty minutes getting to the coffee shop . Twenty minutes isn’t long to apply makeup and get dressed and then drive to the coffee shop but on both occasions I was waiting for her .
In the past I was sometimes tempted to take the easy option but now I tell myself anything the man can do the girl can do it just as well and look prettier doing it . OK I accept there are some hot , sweaty jobs , just yesterday I finally cut all my hedges , I wore a pair of ladies navy overalls with red piping and an old wig even then I had to stop to talk to a neighbour while I was stuck at the top of a ladder .
Yes a very lovely beautiful dress topped off by that lovely Kandi smile, makes it all the better.
I totally get the slowing down as I too am doing same, oh I still dress for grocery day but some days I’m kinda like ok no makeup just means I have to remove it later lol.
Being more fluid though I do still have options.
Love ya Rach
Kandi,
YOU DESERVE ALL THE COMPLIMENTS. THE DRESS WAS/IS A WINNER. AIREY, DELICATE, FEMINIE AND PRETTY.
A WONDERFUL CHOICE AND AM SURE IT WAS AN ABSOLUTE JOY TO WEAR.
kEEP IT UP DEAR GIRL.
MARIE ANNE
Adding to the love for the dress, it’s feminine and fabulous! I agree that the time it takes to be who we are can be lengthy, especially after a period of dormancy. But the results are, as always, worth the effort. Your smile is radiant and confident, no wonder everyone adores you!
I don’t have words other than, Kandi, that is what makes you you. Like it or not, believe it or not you are some one special. Every time I go into to this wonderful caring site I’m reminded of how special to me you are and to so many others. Last but not least….all the compliments you received were so well deserved! You are cute and that dress just increased your cuteness a hundred fold. It is gorgeous ❤️🥰💕
Trish ❤️
Beautiful dress
Thank you all for your kindness, it is humbling and quite undeserved.
Kandi as usual, I’m late to the party but I don’t want to miss anything whenever I visit so I’m back to the old posts where I left off. Just had to say how much I love that dress and how beautiful I think you look wearing it.
😊