Twist — Brave Tutu

“Have you ever been apple picking?” my friend Leila asked.

“I’ve always wanted to go.” I kept my eyes on the road for our exit.

“I’ll tell you the trick,” said Leila. “You have to twist the apple. If it’s ready, the stem breaks right off. But when the fruit isn’t ripe, it simply won’t come off. You can keep twisting and twisting, and it still won’t come. Or you could force it off, but then it won’t taste good. You can’t tell just by looking.”

”So You don’t know until you try,” I said.

See, Leila is an author too. So we didn’t just run with this metaphor--we sprinted.

She pointed toward the open road and said, “Some you barely have to touch. It’s like they were waiting to be picked and fall easily into your hands.”

I clicked my blinker to get on the highway. “And some people only go for the fruit that’s on the ground huh? They think that’s all there is for them.” I processed it. “But if they just put in a little effort, there would be so many more apples!”

You may be reading this and feel inspired without knowing why. *smile* I’ll back up and share what spurred the apple convo. We were driving to Pioneer Farms for the Tiny House Festival. I explained how I was going to look, sure. But I’m very open to living in a tiny home and joked that I might buy one on the spot. In fact, tiny living was a childhood dream of mine before they were a big (little) deal. I told Leila about the playground slide I was convinced I could live in with the right pillows. As a kid, knew I didn’t need a lot of space or things and that was confirmed in college when I studied in Spain with just two suitcases.

She listened as I filled her in on life. A lot has happened during the pandemic and this was the first one-on-one chat we’d had since a walk in summer of 2020.

During that gap:

· My beloved apartment came up for sale.

· I had to release a relationship that wasn’t serving my heart and future.

· I learned that my job, given the state’s infrastructure, might not hold the advancement opportunities I need to thrive long-term.

You see, I kicked off our car ride with the flavor of a favorite book “You Are Badass” by Jen Sincero. I took sips from my two cups, diet coke and ice water, and launched right into telling Leila, “I’m in a place in my life where I’m extremely open for the next steps. tiny houses included, I’m jiggling a lot of door handles and seeing which ones I’m meant to walk through. Things are changing and I’m excited.”

Things have been tough. I’m inspired by apples.

THE END

Just kidding! Of course, there is more to the story, the pandemic has been a season of grief. (Feel free to read my other pieces Start There, Sludge and Fly.) And, as is often with life, joy sat right alongside the struggle. For example, my new nephew is being baptized today, we’re approaching the anniversary of his birth and my first book’s publication! Not to mention my amazing agent, Natalie Lakosil, is shopping around two more empowered projects and my unique approach to dating is producing fruit.

See, when I sit quietly with the triumphs and examine who I am, I realize I’ve always been an apple picker. I’ve climbed many ladders and had the sky blocked out with branches as I focused on my goals. I’m not afraid to go to heights and gain perspective, even if it proves challenging because I’d rather take the steps to see than “settle for what I can get” on the ground.

After all, as Leila said, “You don't lose anything by twisting apples. Best-case scenario, they come right off into your hands. Worst-case scenario, you're outdoors in an orchard on a fall afternoon, surrounded by trees, and getting a little bit of a wrist workout.”

She’s right. Open effort brings rewards in many forms. Sometimes, it’s simply soaking in the beauty as we step forward in this ever-changing world. With that in mind, what apples are you twisting? Which door handles are you jiggling? After all, there is no way to know just by looking. You have to climb in there and TWIST.

Your Brave Tutu (You’re brave, too-too!)

-Take courage in delight. Discover power in small moments.

Tiny Epilogue: Aside from looking at tiny houses and condos, I’m exploring my own women’s mental health product and actively looking for a business intern. Please share that hiring opportunity.