No, I don't drink, but I can swear like a sailor...

I lead a pretty clean life, but I have one of the worst pottymouths around.
And yesterday just before the family came over for Easter dinner, my husband and I were discussing the whys of foul language usage (tangentially, he was surprised to find himself saying the words "chicks with dicks" - not in a demeaning way or as a swear - but it was odd nonetheless, especially in a conversation at the dinner table with his 79-year-old mother listening).
He thinks it's because most of us, at the moment of extreme emotion, do not have a grasp of the language to properly articulate and convey these feelings to others.
I don't know. Personally, I just find it really satisfying to vent my spleen with a good swear... out of earshot of the kids, of course.

I guess this is the stage of my life at which I find myself - easy-going, laid-back, not sweatin' the simple stuff or what people will think of me. Take me as I am, pottymouth or no.

But I never used to be like this. In my 20s, I never swore. I used to be so conscious of how I appeared, how others would perceive me, and if I was making the right first impression... to the point of near-paranoia.
I also drank to "stupid drunkenness" (which took only 1-2 drinks anyway) once a week.

And it wasn't until I was at the end of that phase and moving into the next one that I really understood what I'd accomplished thusfar and why I really earned my new-found confidence.
I was a university educated engineer with over 12 years of software design experience. I was well-traveled, and although I'd been with my partner for over 10 years (at the time), I'd enjoyed a great deal of independence, unlike many of my peers who literally went from their parents' home to their husband's.

The next phase was motherhood. And if I hadn't grown into my skin by then, I think my effectiveness as a mother would be questionable. Now, I don't need (or want) that fast-paced, high-tech job -- which I was never suited to anyway, nor do I have to prove anything to anybody anymore.

Oh, I still wear my Iron Ring on low days when I need to remind myself that I do have more than a couple of brain cells... especially when the most intellectual conversation I've had all day amounts to telling my 2yo daughter why she has to wear clothes (which does not bode well fast-forwarding 14 years from now).

So, I guess what I'm trying to say is that, I LOVE where I am now. I'm a mom, a wife, a dancer, a writer. I feel good. I'm looking better. I'm incredibly happy and optimistic about the future phases of my life.

And practicing CRON has been such a catalyst to that because it's a lifestyle that, at the very heart, embodies quality of life, enjoying who you are NOW, and knowing that this enjoyment can go on for a very, very long time.