The Magnificent Modern Mature Woman

Write a letter to your 100-year-old self.

Hello Future Me,

How’s life? Doing anything exciting? Hope that we’re not getting into too much trouble at the nursing home yet having fun. Staying active and doing yoga.

Being born under Sagittarius, we are strong, independent, fierce and lots of energy plus a quick wit yet trust intuition. Even, doing wild things at times.

Do you remember in our younger years that we told friends that life is an adventure and meant to be lived to the fullest? I hope we fulfilled our anthem.

Being 64 years old present, hope that it’s remembered of working as a beer tent manager up north and listening to great music. We had plenty of interesting jobs when we were young plus lots of babysitting.

Memories of seeing the Rolling Stones at the now demolished Pontiac Silver dome when a friend that we were with got us on the field up close. Living in the “Animal House” during undergrad years and almost got kicked out of college.

Sad days of losing those who loved and accepted us for who we are. Plus, blessed to have Sam, Sukiyaki, Max, Fred, Cody, Adrian, Seville and Madrid in our lives. Now, it’s the feline divas Bella and Luna. Blessed with fur glistening in our heart and on our clothes.

Hope you remember our travels with the family, ex husband and the solo adventures to by bike, auto and airplane. Hope that you remember Hawaii, San Francisco, Toronto, Mexico City, Texas, Connecticut, and Providence. Plus, biking every where on Mackinac Island, north Texas and high school escape riding to get out of the house.

Only you know if we left Texas and made it back home to northern Michigan to spend time with our older brother, to live there “our” way this time and to bike along the lake. He told us that he was writing and don’t be oversharing so we didn’t tell him that we were blogging or plans to challenge our hobby on a larger scale.

“Born to be Wild” is a song about free spirit that we understood completely. Hope that it’s played where we’re at so that us and others can remember the freedom of our youth.

Yours Truly (literally),

Leslie Elizabeth David.

Where would you go on a shopping spree?

When I lived in northern Michigan during high school and college, I shopped and worked for small businesses that were owned by families who had kids my age at my school.

The Petoskey Gaslight Village of mainly locally owned shops and boutiques served northern lower Michigan and Charlevoix Main Street. Traverse City Old Town as well.

North Texas mainly small businesses are restaurants and bistros except for towns like Grapevine (DFW metroplex) and Fredericksburg (Hill Country) that thrive on small in their downtown areas with franchise on the outskirts.

In Michigan, one can shop local for supermarkets as in Meijer and for Texas, HEB. Both stores are locally owned and both buy from local farmers and growers in their perspective States.

Also, Poshmark and Mercari are online networks on apps that the closet owners are small businesses in their communities that offer a variety of items. Etsy does offer the above from artists using various media.

My next shopping spree will be at local businesses to support my neighbors and my community.

Thank you,

Leslie Elizabeth David.

What is your middle name? Does it carry any special meaning/significance?

Truthfully, I am stunned by the meaning of my middle name that I never looked up because many only do searches of their first name.

Originating from the Hebrew name,”Elisheva” translates to “God is my Oath” and “pledged to God” plus believed to be spiritual mother to John the Baptist per Google.

Humbling to have a name that carries importance although actions and the condition of the heart are traits of true character.

Have a beautiful day!

Leslie Elizabeth David.

What is the last thing you learned?

The last thing that I learned today was to get through the daily games on LinkedIn of Mini Sudoko and Noodle. Out of frustration, I gave up on Queens. Each day are new challenges to test my skills.

Each game tests logic and intelligence even patience. Plus, some creativity. Each game is timed. Sudoku lights up when you finish a block correctly.

There are other games worth exploring and testing your skills. I invite you to check out the games on LinkedIn. Sure, you’ll do better than me.

Are you in?

Leslie Elizabeth David.

What is one question you hate to be asked? Explain.

“You’re not Mexican?” Is the question statement that I get annoyed with to the point of asking if, World History,” is even taught or a requirement in the Texas ISDs. Having lived in north Texas since 2013, I’ve gotten used to it.

No, I’m not Mexican but Hungarian Gypsy with medium brown skin and dark blue eyes plus dark blonde hair with a petite short build.

Most of my family like many others like me primarily migrated to Detroit and the greater New York City area that left the old country. The Gypsy clans that stayed moved into Austria and England or stayed in Hungary.

My brother who moved to Houston in the 1990s was chased down, harassed and threatened by people who didn’t take to ask. Those who got to know him learned a lot and loved his cooking. Many Houstonians learned about Hungarian Goulash and Chicken Paprikas in some opportunities he had to share our family story through food.

My newest job that starts soon I got because I connected with my new supervisor who thought it’s cool that I’m brown. With that, I’ll have to hustle to keep my job. On the other hand, my last employer, I beared the brunt of a Mexican supervisor when he was irritated about something which I took the heat for whatever it is. He never asked out of pride.

As I look forward to eventually moving back to Michigan, I must share and maybe educate some Texans about the world at large even with a my name.

Yours Truly,

Leslie Elizabeth David.

Challenge Accepted.

You’re writing your autobiography. What’s your opening sentence?

“On December 21,1961, two parents got an early Christmas gift that arrived about one month early in a hospital in one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the country. Detroit. A premie was born.”

My life started early with little to no chance of survival and, if I did survive, I would have physical, mental, emotional and cognitive challenges. Thus, likely to end up in a group home. Plus, my first name got changed too.

Well, I earned my MBA and my Six Sigma Greenbelt plus I raced downhill and was a long distance biker. Divorced. Have friends. Survivor. Independent.

Thankful and grateful to have proven most of the medical community wrong. And, to be here now.

Leslie Elizabeth David.

How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success?

You could never know what it’s like
Your blood like winter freezes just like ice
And there’s a cold lonely light that shines from you
You’ll wind up like the wreck you hide behind that mask you use

And did you think this fool could never win?
Well, look at me, I’m coming back again
I got a taste of love in a simple way
And if you need to know while I’m still standing, you just fade away

Don’t you know I’m still standing better than I ever did
Looking like a true survivor, feeling like a little kid
I’m still standing after all this time
Picking up the pieces of my life without you on my mind

I’m still standing (yeah, yeah, yeah)
I’m still standing (yeah, yeah, yeah)

Once I never could have hoped to win
You’re starting down the road leaving me again
The threats you made were meant to cut me down
And if our love was just a circus, you’d be a clown by now

You know I’m still standing better than I ever did
Looking like a true survivor, feeling like a little kid
I’m still standing after all this time
Picking up the pieces of my life without you on my mind

I’m still standing (yeah, yeah, yeah)
I’m still standing (yeah, yeah, yeah)

Don’t you know that I’m still standing better than I ever did?
Looking like a true survivor, feeling like a little kid
I’m still standing after all this time
Picking up the pieces of my life without you on my mind

I’m still standing (yeah, yeah, yeah)
I’m still standing (yeah, yeah, yeah)
I’m still standing (yeah, yeah, yeah)
I’m still standing (yeah, yeah, yeah)
I’m still standing (yeah, yeah, yeah)
I’m still standing (yeah, yeah, yeah)

Source: Musixmatch Elton John.

I’m still standing after everything that I thought that I wanted or needed, life happens, then I end up with something better.

In my 64 years, I have experienced twice permanent layoff which one was for 7 years of employment most recent and the other was for 21 years back in 2011 when I was in Michigan. Plus, divorce and other trials.

At this point, I’m collecting unemployment but will drop for retirement social security. Blessed with part time work to start. Was told that in Texas, I have both unemployment benefits and SS but I prefer not to be obligated to the State.

With a buyer for my home who understands my situation, I hope to be moving back home within a reasonable amount of time.

Blessed to be spending time at home with my fur babies and having a sense of peace with joy in my heart. My Bella below and I sharing life together.

Leslie Elizabeth David.

If you could be someone else for a day, who would you be, and why?

Truthfully, I wouldn’t want to be someone else for a 24 hour time frame because in that brief window, I would be seeing another person’s problems and blessings.

The natural tendency is that most people including myself who would falsely believe that they could fix problems of another without experiencing it even only becoming aware of it at hour 23.

Being someone else means that a stranger is taking care of my feline babies that is unthinkable. Fear of destruction of everything that I worked for.

For 24 hours, I would have to be a good steward of people and of property who are part of someone else’s life. Honestly, I would have to coast or auto pilot not to harm but only benefit the other person.

So, I would decline the offer of being able someone else for a day. My life is enough.

Leslie Elizabeth David.