Appropriate

Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio

"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written.. My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:"

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone..

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

25. Frame every so-called disaster with these words ''In five years, will this matter?".

26. Always choose life.

27. Forgive everyone everything.

28. What other people think of you is none of your business.

29. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.

30. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

31. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

32. Believe in miracles.

33. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

34. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

35. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

36. Your children get only one childhood.

37. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

38. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

39. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

40. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

41. The best is yet to come.

42. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

43. Yield.

44. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

Katie 2k9 - NEW EDITION

I have decided that for the past 33 years I have lived my life for everyone else other than Katie Mills. I have also decided that it is time for me to only worry about myself, my well being and put myself first.

For 33 years I have put the well being, feelings, concerns of everyone else before mine. I have been a people pleaser. I thought that if I was concerned with helping everyone else that it would in turn make me happy. I have finally learned that I was wrong.

Months back I came to an epiphany that out of all the people on this planet, not a single person has the priority or necessity to put me as his/her number one priority... I was wrong. I AM THAT PERSON, IT IS ME!

At age 33 I am a brand new version of myself, a new and improved Katie Mills - Katie 2K9. This version is not going to let people use her niceness for their personal gain or appear to have welcome tattooed across her back. This Katie is going to look at things with a whole new light and do things that will be for her own greater good. This is superbly important. I have been riding through life barely participating in my own journey but directly influencing other people's journeys. None the less, it hasn't always been reciprocated. I do a lot of things that aren't really reciprocated back to me and that is going to end.

The only thing that I don't wish to end is my obsession to send people cards for birthdays and anniversaries. My birthday is my favorite day of the year so I feel it is gravely important to let people know I remember his/her day. I got 4 birthday cards this year. 4. 3 from family, one from a friend. I kept the card up from my friend until last week. The card almost made me weep. See, that's why I send them. So, even though the card may not be reciprocated, I know it touches SOMEONE as much as that 1 card I got from a friend touched me.

Katie 2k9 is out there, keeping her own best interest in mind and that's it. She is a very happy camper and enjoying each minute of her new role in her own life.

Skinny Biatch

Well, maybe not yet, but feeling kick ass. I put on a pair of pants today that I haven't worn in over 6 months. That' sawesome. So the diet and working out is WORKING...

I don't know what to think

This morning, minding my own business, driving to work I see the car of someone I know turning onto Loudon Road. I brace myself for what is to come, a glance at a face of someone I once thought I loved and haven't spoken to in 5 months.

I know I am over it and don't want to be with him because his children sucked the life out of me and he sucked the money out of my bank account (not on purpose but by me trying to please). However, he drives by today and WAVES! Um, what? You now want to acknowledge my existence after calling me the C word? Um, I don't accept your acknowledgement.

Am I being spiteful, stupid or just making a mountain out of a mole hill?

1.800. COMCAST

Yesterday was a very busy day for me. It started out with an hour long walk (in the weight room of my apartment complex) walking 3.54 miles. I then met up with some friends to go to a flea market in Derry for some knock off bags. Then I met up with my sister to go to the outlets in Tilton. By the time I got home, after some TORRENTIAL down pours, I was ready to kick back and catch up on my 89% full DVR... When I turn on my TV it states that this channel will be available in a few moments and seeing that it was channel 4, I realized I wasn't on a pay station... I figured this was all due to the storm earlier so I put in a DVD from Netflix that I think I have had since the Oscars (which was February, right?)

So, I watched Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Quite interesting. However, at its completion I was ready to delve into my DVR stuff so I could recline on my futon and catch some Zzzz's before I retire to the boudoir, which is my normal, every night routine. It still said channel 4 would be ready in a few moments. Odd. So, I call 1.800.Comcast.

I was quickly on the line with a nice man named Eric. I advised that although the channel wasn't showing, the record light was on and I hoped it was recording HARPER'S ISLAND. Eric advised it was not. Much to my chagrin, I asked if it is on demand and thankfully he said yes. He started to tell me that there was also an online component to the game and how the online component is a lot like this TV show called the MOLE....

I STOPPED DEAD IN MY TRACKS and asked him to repeat himself. He said, the show the MOLE and then proceeded to ask me if I had seen it... I didn't beat around the bush at all. I asked him if he had watched the second season and he had. I quickly advised him that he was SPEAKING with Katie Mills from the second season of the Mole, the girl from Penacook, NH. He was SO taken aback. He quickly asked if I changed my name to Mary-Elizabeth after the show and I explained that Mary-Elizabeth is my legal name and I have always gone by Katie - and I thought it had made me mole-y because Katie wasn't even my real name.

While he was trouble shooting my cable, he told me that he has Season 2 on DVD and he bought it from AMAZON.COM. (I, myself, only have "bootleg" copies and immediately was wondering where my residuals were). I told him that we (as in the whole cast) don't have real copies and it is funny that he has one. Eric went on to tell me how he loved the show so much that he actually won prizes on line from ABC.com from when the show was on (something else I didn't know about my own show) and how he got all of his friends to watch the show...

Sadly, Eric wasn't able to fix my TV, but he fixed my heart. My 15 minutes of fame hasn't ended after 8 years and somebody ACTUALLY watched the show who isn't related to me or a friend. Usually when I discuss my brief stint in reality TV and I mention the name of the show people say, "NEVER HEARD OF IT"... This was the first time someone had brought it up to me, not even knowing I was on the show. AMAZING.

I wanted to tell him to facebook me or something, but I just couldn't do it but I think I may have met my soul mate (or MOLE soul mate) at 1.800.COMCAST.

ERIC who works at Comcast in Manchester - it was a pleasure to talk to you and thank you for maintaining my 15 minutes of fame.

Oink you swine flu

At church yesterday there were papers left in the pews for everyone to read about the NH Catholic Church's response to the SWINE FLU. Smart idea to leave them in the pews for everyone to touch and then LEAVE for the next group ofkids/people to put their paws on and get infected with the previous person's germs. My church is wicked smart... I digress. The NH Catholic Church will now skip over the actual "Peace be with you part" so shaking hands or kissing will not occur and pass the swine flu around. But it is okay to leave a paper in the pew? Interesting.

Nonetheless, Sunday at Mass, the priest skipped it all together - no wishing peace upon our fellow parishioners (I don't think I am a registered parishioner, but you know what I mean) and it just felt wrong. I heard that at the church I grew up going to they gave everyone a thumbs up. Why not be creative with this - revive the high five, or at least the high five from far away (a classic in my eyes).

I also heard on the radio this morning that this swine flu is no different than a seasonal flu. See, here is my problem, first they blame cows for mad cow and now the pigs for swine flu. What are you going to do next, blame the Easter bunny for obesity in children?

Once again, it is the little things

I just saw the most beautiful thing... I went to the library this morning and there was a line of people - probably 12 (does that constitute a gaggle?) waiting for the doors to open. I think that is magnificent.

Whenever I move somewhere, and those who know me know I move A LOT, the first place I have to find is the public library. I am sure that makes me a dork or a nerd but I don't care. I love to buy books but I like to read SO much that my last name would have to be TRUMP in order to afford all the books I want to have. Plus, a book is the cheapest vacation one can afford. Who doesn't like to open a book and live vicariously through the words on the page?

I tend to think I am rather cerebral. This isn't me tooting my own horn because that would be fruitless. I mean, I got a degree from Keene State College (Kinda Sorta College) and I graduated with what I think was a 3.03, so I am not Einstein. What I mean is I tend to live my life in my head. I go through scenarios and possibilities of everything... From possible different endings of TV shows, why people do/say/act the way they do, what if I had the balls to react in a different way - that kind of stuff.

So, with me being in my own head so much, it makes a book my best friend, you know what I mean? It is said that your brain doesn't know the difference between one visualizing oneself doing a back flip or really, physically doing a back flip. How couldn't that translate into reading a book? The people on the pages are living life to the fullest because they don't have any fears because they don't really exist. Fiction is amazing. Fiction gives one the ability to visualize without having to actually do and your brain doesn't even know the difference.

The proverbial crap has hit the fan personally for me and lately I have withdrawn and put my head inside books. My book reality never lets me down. I know I am a TV addict too, but there is something different about sitting and watching fiction unfold on TV, there is no disconnect. I have to watch and pay attention. However, when I read I am really right there. It is like when I get up in the morning and get into the shower. The shower is where most of my actual thinking takes place. There is a moment when I am pondering stuff and I am not actually in that shower, I am in that moment - that is what is so cool about reading a book. When I read I know I am on the toilet or on the treadmill but my mind paints a picture that is so much better than my real life.

So, maybe that means I like to live my life in the not so real word. Is that so wrong? Sometimes the lives in the books I read are so much better than my own. Other times, I wonder what is so appealing about a damn vampire.