Eerily Accurate

Here is your horoscope for Wednesday, January 30:

Your self-awareness is peaking now and it's much easier for you to figure out what is really going on when you deal with people. That doesn't mean things are easy to change, but it's the first step.

The reason why

For the last 4 years, maybe 5 years since I've had this blog, I have been flying under a different name. I am changing that now. It used to be Odelia, which was my name once upon a time. Is no longer. But the truth is that when I was younger I was being stalked, and not in a good way, by some people and I actually worried they would find this baby blog of mine. So I chose a name to go under that, though these people had familiarity with, they would never guess to google me under. Now I think that those days are passed. I was never in any real physical danger from them, just the emotional kind. I love Odelia, it was given to me at birth. But now it is time to just be me!

Cheers,
Leslie

SPOTS! (as requested, a new post, about....me)

In my youth, Cindy Crawford was big, and her mole was even bigger. And by big I mean, HOT. And sexy and beautiful and all the good stuff, so suffice it to say I was always pleased with the spots on my face. I thought the mole by my eye was especially alluring and the one on my cheek just gave the cheek a little extra flavor. I also became quite cozy with the two moles on my right arm and the one on my left. All cute. All conspicuous and unique to me. I imagined that the future ‘special someone’ would always note that part of my features with endearment and fondness. (Interestingly enough, not a single past boyfriend has ever mentioned it.) As I grew older, those marks became my comfort and solace, mainstays on a face that has been through the trials of adolescent hormones (and not just during adolescence!) and rashes and weight gain and all the horrifying things that can happen to an egotistical and selfish soul like mine that occasionally forgets that her looks are not the end-all of the world… nevertheless, they were always there and always the same. Comforting.

So anyway, just recently I have noticed an incredible increase of these moles on various and random parts of my body and I’m not gonna lie-I am curiously fearful of the meaning of these appearances. My sister recently told me that on African Americans, brown spots can often indicate the onset of diabetes, which is common amongst African Americans. But the ones my sister and my father have are spots that actually are raised a little from the face-they look less like moles and more like, well, not moles. My moles, which I once ventured to call freckles (I was derisively corrected on that one) are now appearing on my feet, my stomach and my back.

Now if this does mean that I will get diabetes, I am half-way ok with that. My brother was diagnosed with it at a young age (the more serious one) and so I was around it enough to know that it is a condition one can live with-also my sister and dad have the adult onset versions. I am not blood-related to any of these people because I was adopted but there is no knowing for sure that it’s not also in my genetics as well. So ok, if that happens, ok. No problems. Of course I would prefer to stay perfectly healthy my whole life and die peacefully in my sleep at the age of 120.

But the other thing I have been thinking about is of course, skin cancer. I have been spending the last few summers in the sun quite a lot, 3 to 4 days a week I am at the beach playing volleyball. So it would make sense that my body is reacting to that exposure. Now, I am wearing sunscreen but it was never a priority when I was younger, and I have not been too aggressive about it even now…..I don’t know. I am just speculating. It’s not really a fun speculation either. I loved my spots and now I am inclined not to love them.
*****
OK. I just did some reading. My moles are apparently not a huge cause for concern because they are small, but I think the fact they are increasing is a testament to the amount of time I have spent in the sun these last couple of years.

So this is all that remains left to say about this:
You are SPOTS. I hear you ROAR. I will wear LOTS of sunscreens this year and from here on out. Keeping my skin healthy safe and protected. All righty then.

hidden treasure

I am sitting at the University of Chicago library this Saturday afternoon and despite the eternal grogginess that has followed me around the past few days and made me wish very strongly that I could be resting at home and sleeping in this weekend, I am very glad to be here right now.

In an effort to pursue a certain dissertation on the history of Bahais in Chicago, my friend Marie and I have discovered a veritable treasure of books revolving around the Faith tucked away here, all producing that delightful old book smell that makes one feel just a tad bit smarter just being close to it.

Not only do they have prayer books and the entire Star of the West collection, they also have books like 'Some Answered Questions' and 'God Passes By', and history books and several in what I can only assume to be Farsi and Arabic-and my most favorite discovery, a book documenting the different designs put forth for what eventually became the Mashriqu’l-Azkar, that was built in Wilmette. The book had drawings of several different buildings, some Germanic, others Roman and even one that was Gothic. Very interesting, especially if you've had the pleasure of viewing the building as it stands today.

If I were more ambitious and prolific, perhaps I would scan a few of those photos and post them on this ol' blog, but alas, I am not. Instead I challenge you to have an adventure and make your own way down here and find it for yourself. You won't regret it, I promise.

ahhh!

i am sitting here at my desk on the 51st floor of my building and looking out over miles of lake michigan and the sun is setting. i can't see the sun but i can see a stormy bunch of clouds misting over the lake and it is absolutely gorgeous.

that is all.