What’s something you do completely differently from how you were raised?

♏️ I Was Raised One Way… Then I Said, “That’s Cute. I’ll Do It My Way.”

The Christy Method: Instructions Not Included, Rules Subject to Change, Spirit Water May Override the System

What is something I do completely differently from how I was raised?

EVERYTHING.

Next question. 😂

Seriously, I think I have spent approximately 54 years looking at the normal way of doing things and saying, “Well… that seems unnecessarily normal.”

I’m pretty sure I came out of the womb stubborn, hardheaded, spirited, and already irritated that somebody was telling me which direction to go.

Doctor: “This way, baby.”

Baby Christy: “Don’t tell me what to do.”

♏️😂

I have NEVER been much of a follower.

Actually, if everybody is going right, there is an excellent chance I’m going left.

If everybody is standing in line, I’m wondering what’s over there by the water.

If everybody says, “That’s how it’s always been done,” I’m immediately wondering who made that rule and whether they’re still alive to defend it.

And if someone says:

“Christy, I don’t think you should do that…”

Well.

You have now made a terrible tactical error.

Because…

NOW I ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO DO IT.

Heavens to Betsy Ross in the Revolutionary War, WHY WOULD YOU CHALLENGE ME LIKE THAT?!

😂😂😂

I don’t know if this is a personality trait, a Scorpio ♏️ situation, genetics, stubbornness, or some kind of factory defect that was never recalled, but I have ALWAYS wanted to do things MY WAY.

Not necessarily the easy way.

Not necessarily the normal way.

Not necessarily the way the instructions say.

And definitely not because somebody stood there and told me, “You’re supposed to do it like this.”

Excuse me?

SUPPOSED TO?

Oh, honey.

Now we have a situation.

😂

Because there is the regular way…

And then there is:

✨ THE CHRISTY WAY. ✨

And what exactly is the Christy Way?

Glad you asked.

It usually starts with:

“I can do that.”

Followed approximately 45 minutes later by:

“Well, that didn’t work.”

Then:

“Hold on. I have another idea.”

Then YouTube.

Then a phone call.

Then YouTube again because apparently I didn’t pay attention the first time.

Then possibly a glass of wine.

And THIS is where things can take a dramatic turn.

Because after that glass of wine…

Spirit Water clocks in.

🍷😂

And Spirit Water has NEVER ONCE requested credentials, permits, training, instructions, adult supervision, or a second opinion.

Spirit Water just rolls up her imaginary sleeves like:

“MOVE. I GOT THIS.”

Ma’am.

You absolutely do not.

“I SAID MOVE.”

And now apparently we’re doing electrical work.

😂😂😂

This is why Spirit Water should never be allowed near power tools, airline reservations, online shopping, boats, home-improvement projects, or my bucket list without supervision.

Because regular Christy might say:

“Let me think about it.”

Spirit Water says:

“BOOK IT.”

Regular Christy:

“Maybe I don’t need those shoes.”

Spirit Water:

“YOU NEED THEM IN THREE COLORS.”

Regular Christy:

“Running with the bulls sounds dangerous.”

Spirit Water:

“WHAT ARE WE WEARING?”

Regular Christy:

“Getting into a cage surrounded by great white sharks might be slightly insane.”

Spirit Water:

“DO THEY SERV WINE ON THE BOAT?”

🦈🍷😂

And THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is how decisions get made around here.

I’ve always been the girl who wanted to figure things out herself.

Paint the room? I’ll paint it.

Refinish furniture? I’ll learn.

Build something? Hand me the tools.

Fix something? Scoot over.

Travel somewhere? Book it.

Try something crazy?

What time do we leave?

Tell me I need a professional and I’ll spend six hours trying to become one.

I am Ms. Independent with a minor in Bad Ideas and a concentration in “I Saw Somebody Do This Once.”

And somehow, most of the time…

I GET IT DONE.

Eventually.

We are not discussing how many trips to the store were required.

😂

I also don’t think I was built for the traditional little box where you’re supposed to live exactly how everyone expects you to live.

No, thank you.

My box has been dismantled, painted, chalk-finished, redecorated, accessorized, packed with entirely too many shoes, loaded onto a boat, and is currently floating toward some exotic destination where I can drink wine and look for sharks.

🦈🍷

Because I’ve realized something as I’ve gotten older:

Being different is actually one of my favorite things about myself.

I like weird things.

I want weird adventures.

I want stories.

I want passport stamps.

I want to see places I’ve only dreamed about.

I want to travel the world.

I want to run with the bulls in Spain.

I want to get into a shark cage with a GREAT WHITE SHARK because apparently I looked at ordinary vacation activities and thought:

“This needs more potential death.”

Meanwhile, normal people are booking spa treatments.

“Would you like the hot-stone massage or facial?”

Me:

“Do y’all have anything where a 2,000-pound predator tries to eat the cage?”

Travel agent:

“Excuse me?”

“YOU HEARD ME.”

🦈😂

And being a Scorpio who is drawn to water certainly isn’t helping matters.

Put an ocean, river, lake, boat, pier, beach, or pool in front of me and I’m there.

Apparently my natural habitat is anywhere near water where I can make questionable decisions.

And if Spirit Water is there too?

WE ARE NO LONGER RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ITINERARY.

😂🍷♏️

Spirit Water is already at the end of the pier yelling:

“CARPE DIEM!”

Christy:

“We don’t even know what we’re doing yet!”

Spirit Water:

“THAT HAS NEVER STOPPED US BEFORE!”

And unfortunately…

She has a point.

😂😂😂

But underneath all my craziness, there is something I’ve learned that I really believe:

You can appreciate how you were raised without living your entire life exactly the way someone else did.

Maybe you had an amazing childhood.

Maybe you didn’t.

Maybe your parents taught you wonderful things you still carry with you.

Maybe there are things you decided you would do completely differently.

Maybe you were raised one way and somewhere along the road you realized:

That’s not how I want MY life to look.

And that’s okay.

Because that’s the beautiful part.

YOU GET TO CHOOSE.

At some point, your life becomes yours.

Your decisions.

Your adventures.

Your mistakes.

Your successes.

Your lessons.

Your ridiculous stories that your family will probably discuss after you leave the room.

😂

And Lord knows I’ve given mine MATERIAL.

Probably enough for several books.

Possibly a documentary.

Definitely not one approved by my mother.

😂🍷

I don’t want to reach the end of my life with a perfectly clean checklist because I was too afraid to actually DO anything on it.

No ma’am.

I want mine marked up.

Bent.

Wrinkled.

Wine-stained.

Possibly wet from the ocean.

And covered in CHECK MARKS.

✔️ Traveled there.
✔️ Tried that.
✔️ Bought the shoes.
✔️ Bought another pair because Spirit Water said the first pair needed friends.
✔️ Took the trip.
✔️ Got on the boat.
✔️ Drank the wine.
✔️ Saw the shark.
✔️ Got IN the shark cage.
✔️ Ran from the bull.
✔️ Made the memory.
✔️ Did something everyone told me was crazy.
✔️ Survived most of it. 😂
✔️ Came home with a story nobody believes.
✔️ Started planning the next adventure before I unpacked.

And if someone asks:

“Is that how you were raised?”

Probably not.

😂😂😂

But I was raised.

I grew up.

I learned lessons.

I made approximately 8,472 questionable decisions.

Some worked.

Some absolutely did NOT.

Some we shall never speak of again.

And a few are probably stored in the Spirit Water Classified Archives.

SEALED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

🍷😂

But through all of it, I developed my own opinions, became fiercely independent, discovered exactly who I am, and finally understood something really important:

I ONLY GET ONE LIFE.

So I’m going to live it like ME.

Stubborn.

Hardheaded.

Independent.

Spirited.

A little weird.

Okay…

A LOT weird.

Possibly overpacked.

Probably wearing fabulous shoes that are completely inappropriate for the activity.

Somewhere near water.

With a bucket list in one hand and Spirit Water holding the other saying:

“CHRISTY… I HAVE AN IDEA.”

And THAT is usually when everyone should become concerned.

😂🍷

Because nobody has EVER heard Spirit Water say:

“I have an idea…”

and then watched us go home early and organize a closet.

NO.

That sentence ends with a plane ticket, a boat, a bull, a shark, a new outfit, a story we’re probably going to have to explain later, or all five.

😂😂😂

So maybe the biggest thing I do differently from how I was raised isn’t one particular thing.

It’s that I decided to write my own instruction manual.

And somewhere around Chapter 54, the instructions currently read:

♏️ DO IT YOUR WAY.

🦈 TAKE THE CRAZY TRIP.

🍷 MAKE THE MEMORY.

😂 LAUGH AT YOURSELF.

❤️ LOVE YOUR PEOPLE.

✈️ CHECK OFF THE BUCKET LIST.

👠 BUY THE SHOES.

🌊 GO TOWARD THE WATER.

🚫 AND FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE, STOP WORRYING ABOUT WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE THINKS.

Because you don’t have to live your life the way everybody else does.

You don’t even have to live it exactly the way you were raised to live it.

Take the good things with you.

Change what needs changing.

Learn from the bad.

Keep the lessons.

And throw the rest overboard.

Preferably nowhere near my shark cage because I’m trying to see what’s down there.

🦈😂

Be stubborn.

Be different.

Be weird.

Be independent.

Be adventurous.

Be wonderfully, ridiculously, unapologetically YOU.

Because I’m certainly going to keep being me.

I’ve spent 54 years perfecting this level of chaos.

I’M NOT STARTING OVER NOW.

😂♏️🍷

And if you don’t understand the Christy Method…

That’s okay.

There aren’t any instructions anyway.

And even if there were…

I probably wouldn’t read them.

😂😂😂

You only get one life.

So live the heck out of it.

Make the memories.

Take the trip.

Check the box.

Do the weird thing.

Laugh until your stomach hurts.

Love your people.

Go see the world.

Get near the water.

And every once in a while, when life gets entirely too serious…

Pour a little wine and let Spirit Water review the itinerary.

Just maybe hide the credit card first.

🍷😂

You be YOU.

And as always…

✨ CARPE DIEM! ✨

P.S. If anyone needs me, I’ll be somewhere near the water doing something I was probably told not to do.

♏️🌊🦈🍷😂