BlogHer '14 Day 1; Douche

You know what's unfortunate? The French word for shower: douche. I mean, isn't that such a Romance language #fail? French is am incredibly melodic tongue. Even though I can neither speak it -despite years of study- nor understand it, hearing it roll forth rapidement makes me want to take a roll in the hay. Except when I get into a warm bath and see Gel Douche scrawled across my lovely bottle of fancy-schmantz body wash. I do not, then, want to slather my body in it. Which is a bummer, because how often do I have the opportunity for a proper bath during which interruption by small children who wish to cast their eyes upon mom "nibbles" is impossible? Rarely.

Anyway, today, Day 1 of, was an exceedingly full and enriching one at BlogHer '14. I returned to my hotel room a full twelve hours after leaving it and did so exhausted in the tremendous way one is after learning, processing and interacting much.

My two primary take-aways from the impressive array of bloggers, editors, grammaticians, authors, comedians, businesswomen and one man from which I heard are thus.

1. We are all struggling with something, simply trying to be both authentic and heard AND (I'm sorry Rita Arens and Arnebya Herdon but I cannot bring myself to use the Oxford comma) realize our truest selves.

In light of that effort,

2) We must be bold. We must be brave. We must believe in ourselves and our truths. We must honor those and seek support in doing so. Down with the naysayers, up with the hands that lift.

From today:

"I'm not for everyone, and that's good." - Jenny Lawson, The Blogess

"Be who you are without apology." and "When you are yourself, you give others the space to be themselves." - Anita Jackson, MomsRising

"By sharing truths, we say how things could be." - Deb Rox, Deb On the Rox

"Food is history, chemistry, biology and culture. It loves and heals, gives and sustains life." - Elise Bauer "Listen up, bloggers. Nobody cares what you had for lunch today." - Food & Wine, 2006 "You just don't get it. At all." - Elise Bauer

"The more I blogged, the more I became familiar with ME." - Alexandra Rosas, Good Day, Regular People