Dame Edith Sitwell
Daily Mail
If you’re not familiar with this amazing woman/genius/poet, don’t feel bad. I wasn’t either until I read her quote yesterday, “I have often wished I had time to cultivate modesty.”
What in the world???
I’m southern. Modesty is our birthright. You can’t be a lady without being modest.
[OH HORSESHIT. You're only recoiling because you WISH you had the courage to be that bold and confident. Oh snap. The truth train just came barreling down the tracks. Get up - you're not hurt.]
Totally true. So I had to find out more.
Dame Edith Sitwell was born in a time when a girl’s loftiest aspiration was marriage, but she wasn’t pretty enough. Her family pitied her and wondered what would become of their ugly little duckling. To make matters worse, her mother was an alcoholic and suffered from aphasia.
Party for little Edith, right?
Wrong. But she did what all good heroines do: she turned her so-called faults into her greatest attributes. She accentuated her long spindly fingers by growing her nails unfashionably long, painting them bright red and piling on giant rings before it was cool. Her wardrobe consisted of outlandish ensembles punctuated with flamboyant hats that highlighted her bony features. She shunned all talk of dowries and fitting into certain social circles and immersed herself in literature instead. She lived her life out loud and saw beauty where others didn’t.
I want to grow up and be her.
Yesterday marked the one year anniversary of my first post. I considered making an announcement of some sort but the modest part of me wouldn’t allow it. It’s “gauche and braggy.” No.
This makes zero sense because I LOVE to read these milestones from other bloggers. I’m genuinely thrilled for them, it encourages me to write another post, and creates an immediate sense of camaraderie. It also reminds me that the things we do for fun are just as worthwhile as the things we do because we have to, or because we should. We’re connected to a sea of awesome people and it starts with just one blog post.
If that’s not worth celebrating I don’t know what is.
Fuck modesty.
I’ve been showing up every chance I get for 365 days in a row, which for me is a miracle. I’ve been honest when I didn’t want to and shared things I probably shouldn’t have, and that’s exactly why I came here. I wanted a place to say whatever I want to, whenever I want to. It’s MINE. I’m proud of it. There – I said it.
Thank you, Dame Edith Sitwell for not sitting well. Thank for you standing up – for all that you wanted to do and be…and for encouraging the rest of us to follow suit.
To all my friends around the globe (virtual and in the flesh), The Council, my family, and the people who are quietly stalking me just to feel better about themselves, thank you thank you thank you for reading, commenting and being on this adventure with me. You are all FABULOUS in a million ways and I appreciate the shit out of you.
To Michael, thank for you setting up this blog, handing me a laptop, and politely threatening to beat my narrow ass if I didn’t write something. There is beauty in beginning and because of you I did. Thank you.
For the next 365 days let’s ALL take a page from Dame Edith Sitwell’s book and NOT be modest together.
Shine on, y’all.
SHINE. ON.
