The Unfinished Painting, or My Grandma’s Optimism

October 08, 2019 by Cazey Williams in Cazey's Column, Life In Your 20's, life lessons

My grandmother never had spectacular health. Since I was a kid, she hobbled around on either a cane or walker before she graduated eventually to a wheelchair in which, at family dinners, I rolled my cousins around the house while my grandma swatted at us with her picker-upper stick and shouted, “That’s not a toy!” What was even less of a toy was her electric scooter, and it was also much more fun.

In the last couple of years, my grandma became bedridden. I do not think she would have used that word. My grandma was an optimist. “Bedridden” may imply some failing or inevitability. My grandma did not have that outlook.

Checking In On My 2018 Trailer

July 02, 2018 by Cazey Williams in Cazey's Column, Life In Your 20's, life lessons

At the end of last year, I wrote a blogpost called “My Trailer for 2018.” It was supposed to be a prediction of moments that would happen in my coming year. As we close the first half of 2018, I figured I’d review the moments and see what’s happened so far and what is still to come.

Me holding a puppy in my arms. – Yes, this happened in March. Here’s a photo.

Me crying. Just kidding. I wouldn’t cry! My eyes are wet. We don’t know why. – Well, now I know why. But I didn’t cry.

Leaving First Impressions

April 25, 2017 by Cazey Williams in Cazey's Column, Humor, Life In Your 20's, life lessons

Several years ago, I suffered a bout of falls while running. My knees are forever scarred from them, but at least I learned to stop running and texting. (Yes, I would send multiple paragraph emails while loping down a running trail.)

Of course, texting wasn’t the only culprit; I think I also just get distracted while running. With what, I’m not sure. Thinking? Singing? Trying to remember all the things I will text once I’m done running?

I haven’t fallen in some time. And thankfully, I didn’t fall today either. But I did something just as bad: I ran through wet concrete.

The Edge of 25: What's Next?

December 05, 2016 by Cazey Williams in Cazey's Column, Life In Your 20's, life lessons

For the last several months, I lived my life looking forward to one thing: going to Qatar. I found out I would have the opportunity to venture to the Middle East in late April, and ever since then that was the focal point of my calendar. Sure, I had other things planned – a trip to Amsterdam, a trip to Key West, another trip to Chicago, a marathon to run, a half-marathon before that, a dissertation to propose, several friends’ weddings, and friend reunions. But Qatar was the thing I was desperate to see and do and enthrall myself in.

And then I went. And it was awesome (and it has taken me over five weeks since returning to sit down and write about the experience, but I promise, it’s coming). But I got back, thought about my wonderful time there, and then continued lying in bed.

I think it is natural, if not always healthy, to live life living milestone to milestone. We anticipate upcoming big events like the ones listed above. But eventually, you realize you can’t sustain yourself that way. Or at least you probably shouldn’t.

You're Never Going To Be Ready

November 18, 2015 by astoldoverbrunch in Guest Post, life lessons, Life In Your 20's

“You’re never going to be ready.”

This is what my grand-mom told me right before she died. I was venting to her, fearful about finally getting out on the road to take my driver’s test, when she looked at me and said something I’ll never forget.

Ten years later, and I’m taking her advice and applying it to everything I know: love, romances, college, finally deciding on a career and, for once, actually sticking to it. My grandmother was wise – but this – this was the wisest reasoning of all.

Cazey Made Me Take a Personality Test and Now My Life Makes Sense

June 12, 2015 by Sara Woznicki in Leisure, Life In Your 20's, life lessons, Sara's Column, Tweets and Mascara

As you've probably been able to tell at this point in our blogging careers (can we use the word careers if we're doing this out of passion and not getting paid for it?), Cazey was a busy guy in college. He eventually became a leader in several organizations on campus, and one encouraged him to take personality tests. He talks about these tests frequently, but I blew him off for years.

I couldn't decipher the difference between personality tests and horoscopes. Both could be right by simply stating enough general traits that at least some will apply to you. I've read my horoscope before, and I barely think I'm making up that my daily horoscope once was, "Some days are better than others." Thanks for that deep insight, I feel like I know myself better now. So why bother taking a useless personality test to get the same general results?

I'm not scared of death, I'm scared of forever

February 17, 2015 by Sara Woznicki in Life In Your 20's, life lessons, Sara's Column, Tweets and Mascara, Uncategorized

I think we've probably already safely established that I was an odd kid. I once wrote about how wonky my sleeping abilities were, but I left out one liiiiiiiitle detail. It was a recurring nightmare that only happened when I was awake. I'd think about before bed regularly, as there's no better time for a little girl to contemplate her existentialism than late at night when she should be sleeping.

I was raised a catholic, and could get down with the whole hanging out with Jesus afterlife plan. It sounds like a great thing to do after you've exhausted this life. Dying (not that I want to do it anytime soon) didn't seem that bad, as it's just a door to another life. But I couldn't quite wrap my head around the whole eternity ordeal. Forever is a very, very long time. Sometimes, I'd envision it as my body being a little spaceship rushing around the stairs forever. Sometimes, a little horse on a carousel going around and around ceaselessly.

Any way I pictured it, my stomach was highly unsettled. None of them seemed like something I wanted to do. Even if eternity is a more perfect version of this world, I still couldn't handle the thought of forever. It's just so incomprehensible and unknown. To this day, forever still gives me anxiety when I contemplate it. So I just usually don't.

Sara was Published on Elite Daily!

January 19, 2015 by Sara Woznicki in Leisure, Life In Your 20's, life lessons, Sara's Column, Tweets and Mascara, Work, Young Professionalism

Today is a really happy Monday! I have exciting news to share with everyone: my first post was published on Elite Daily! In it, I explore the difference between staying somewhere and settling just because it's comfortable.

Please read it, like it (if you do in fact like it), share it and write your comments under it! I love you all forever for supporting Cazey and I as we continue to expand our blog and writing repertoire. Now go check out my first Elite Daily post :):

http://elitedaily.com/life/nuance-settling-staying/898617/

Why I Should Stop Using Dating Apps: The Sequel Cont'd

January 13, 2015 by Cazey Williams in Cazey's Column, Dating, Humor, Life In Your 20's, life lessons, Social Media

In yesterday's blog, I told you part one (really, part two) of dating app awkwardness. Here is the next episode:

Part Two:

Laying in bed, SnapChatting with friends, my phone buzzes. Attractive Girl has messaged me on OkCupid: “You were right about that Instagram account.”

Me: .............

Three weeks before: I’m chatting with some dark mysterious girl on OkCupid. She mentions she was at “that light show and saw that exhibit, too.”

#SeekingFollowers: A Social Experiment

December 08, 2014 by Cazey Williams in Cazey's Column, Life In Your 20's, life lessons

On Thursday, bored and avoiding work on three (three!) final projects, I decided to try an experiment: I wanted to see how many followers on Instagram I could get.

Instagram is by far my favorite social media platform, and that’s probably because I’m a pretentious, ironic millennial (read: hipster and maybe tack on wannabe). I also won’t lie, I watch my ratio of followers to who I follow. Followers are the currency of social standing. (And this is what makes me a wannabe hipster; a bonafide fair trade coffee-drinking, thick-rimmed glass-wearing, scarf-in-the-summer millennial isn’t concerned about these capitalistic, mainstream woes. At least theoretically.)