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	<title>Living with MPD</title>
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		<title>Public Eye</title>
		<link>http://aspenleafhosting.com/cat/index.php/2010/03/public-eye/</link>
		<comments>http://aspenleafhosting.com/cat/index.php/2010/03/public-eye/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 30 Mar 2010 14:19:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>cat</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MPD]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[reality show]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[reality tv]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://aspenleafhosting.com/cat/index.php/2010/03/public-eye/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I was approached last year, during a hectic time for me, by a producer that wanted to look at following me around in a little bit of a &#8216;reality tv&#8217; type of show. At the time it was flattering to know that he&#8217;d want to show my successes with MPD and becoming more balanced, to [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I was approached last year, during a hectic time for me, by a producer that wanted to look at following me around in a little bit of a &#8216;reality tv&#8217; type of show.  At the time it was flattering to know that he&#8217;d want to show my successes with MPD and becoming more balanced, to the world.</p>
<p>I am no stranger to TV, as you know if you&#8217;ve read this blog long, I was on TV a few years ago on the Mike &#038; Juliet Morning Show.  I had it linked but they no longer have the archive set up.  Incidentally, my brother has a copy and I plan to link it directly on my site soon.</p>
<p>I got in touch with the producer and told him that I didn&#8217;t want that type of exposure, right then, due to my children&#8217;s ages and the public eye that some reality shows brings upon us.  I spoke to my boss, then, also, and asked him what he thought (since I had previously told several co-workers of my diagnosis).  He asked me a good question, that to this day I feel helped aid me in making a good decision, &#8220;how would you benefit from this show being put on the air?&#8221; and then he said, &#8220;how would the producer and others benefit, from the same?&#8221; basically.</p>
<p>I decided that I wouldn&#8217;t truly benefit, and as selfish as it sounds, I have to keep that in mind when making a decision that big.  My children are a big part of me (outside children, not inside) and my life, and I didn&#8217;t want the intrusion.  Also, the fact that many are helped by my blog is incredible to me and I don&#8217;t want to lose control of that part of my life.  A show like that would be so exposing, I think, that it could trigger an imbalance and why would I set myself up for that when I&#8217;ve worked so hard to find balance?</p>
<p>Again, it was flattering, but I didn&#8217;t feel that others would benefit in the same way that they do by reading my blog, so I turned it down for now.</p>
<p>Would you have jumped on this opportunity or do you feel it would be another way for television to &#8216;fantasize&#8217; the truth about MPD?</p>
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		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
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		<title>The View Brand Ambassador</title>
		<link>http://aspenleafhosting.com/cat/index.php/2010/02/the-view-brand-ambassador/</link>
		<comments>http://aspenleafhosting.com/cat/index.php/2010/02/the-view-brand-ambassador/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 20 Feb 2010 20:21:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>cat</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://aspenleafhosting.com/cat/index.php/2010/02/the-view-ambassador/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ABC Daytime has me talking about The View and I will be participating in a 4 week campaign, following the show and discussing the topics that are covered. I&#8217;m looking forward to this and hope that you enjoy my banter on the subject. Mom Central is having a sweepstakes and you can enter here.  You [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>ABC Daytime has me talking about The View and I will be participating in a 4 week campaign, following the show and discussing the topics that are covered.  I&#8217;m looking forward to this and hope that you enjoy my banter on the subject.  Mom Central is having a sweepstakes and you can enter <a href="http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22A5X7KF2CZ">here</a>.  You could win a trip to NY to be in the audience of The View.</p>
<p>I have watched this show undergo many changes through the years and watched it a little&#8230;but I plan on devoting some time to this campaign and finding out more about the show and the topics covered.</p>
<p>Disclosure: I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for ABC Daytime and will receive a tote bag or other The View branded items to facilitate my review.</p>
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		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Monday, Monday&#8230;la la, laa la la la</title>
		<link>http://aspenleafhosting.com/cat/index.php/2010/02/monday-monday-la-la-laa-la-la-la/</link>
		<comments>http://aspenleafhosting.com/cat/index.php/2010/02/monday-monday-la-la-laa-la-la-la/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 01 Feb 2010 18:09:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>cat</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://aspenleafhosting.com/cat/index.php/2010/02/monday-monday-la-la-laa-la-la-la/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I don&#8217;t know why, but Mondays have a special place in my heart. I had a rough weekend but I am determined to change the path. I can choose, now, I&#8217;m not stuck going the way someone leads me. I will follow God&#8217;s lead, and not allow others to give me the desire to stray.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I don&#8217;t know why, but Mondays have a special place in my heart.  I had a rough weekend but I am determined to change the path.  I can choose, now, I&#8217;m not stuck going the way someone leads me.  I will follow God&#8217;s lead, and not allow others to give me the desire to stray.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Mom&#8217;s Wise Advice for the New Year</title>
		<link>http://aspenleafhosting.com/cat/index.php/2010/01/moms-wise-advice-for-the-new-year/</link>
		<comments>http://aspenleafhosting.com/cat/index.php/2010/01/moms-wise-advice-for-the-new-year/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 01 Jan 2010 17:31:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>cat</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Support System]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[2010]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Advice]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Friendship]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[New Year]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Relationship]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://aspenleafhosting.com/cat/?p=1073</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Even if it&#8217;s cut/pasted from a site, like she told me, my Mother has always had WONDERFUL advice. I sometimes even use it! She sent me an Email that said: Now that a new year is upon us, it&#8217;s a great time to clear out the old so that we can bring in the new. [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Even if it&#8217;s cut/pasted from a site, like she told me, my Mother has always had WONDERFUL advice.  I sometimes even use it!  She sent me an Email that said:</p>
<blockquote><p>Now that a new year is upon us, it&#8217;s a great time to clear out the old so that we can bring in the new.<span> </span></p>
<p>People and relationships: Clear out the <strong>energy vampires</strong> in your life who drain and/or exhaust you. Spend more time with the people in your life who support and energize you. Cut back on the amount of time you spend with <strong>drama queens, constant complainers, whiners, &#8220;meanies&#8221;, and &#8220;gimmes</strong>&#8220;. Start saying &#8220;no&#8221; to people and commitments that no longer fuel you. It&#8217;ll feel a bit uncomfortable at first, but it will make room in your life for more fulfilling relationships.</p></blockquote>
<p>That seems like super advice, to me.  How often do you have someone in your life that you think is helping you&#8211;when all along they are truly only draining you of all your energy and keeping at you constantly with needs FROM you instead of assisting you in a balanced way?  I have friends that are &#8220;gimmes&#8221; but they balance it out by letting me be a &#8220;gimme&#8221; at times, too.  It&#8217;s those that only &#8220;gimme&#8221; and never give back that are the ones you should rethink being friends with.</p>
<p>I have always been one to think I could help others or save them from themselves&#8230;it usually gets me into friendships or relationships that are troubling.  I realize now that unless someone desires that change in their lives, truly desires and is willing to take steps to change, they will remain the same forever.  I&#8217;m all about second chances (and third, or fourth) to those that I know want to change.  I feel it&#8217;s important, though, to sever ties with those that only want to take, take, take.</p>
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		<slash:comments>9</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Neighbors Deux</title>
		<link>http://aspenleafhosting.com/cat/index.php/2009/12/neighbors-deux/</link>
		<comments>http://aspenleafhosting.com/cat/index.php/2009/12/neighbors-deux/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 27 Dec 2009 10:04:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>cat</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Writing Moment]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://aspenleafhosting.com/cat/index.php/2009/12/neighbors-deux/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I recently wrote about my downstairs neighbors, now I am awakened by a random neighbor crying and pleading outside my window in the parking lot. Thankfully I am not on the first floor. I haven&#8217;t lived the apartment life before, It has been over a year now since I moved in and it&#8217;s been extremely [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I recently wrote about my downstairs neighbors, now I am awakened by a random neighbor crying and pleading outside my window in the parking lot.  Thankfully I am not on the first floor.  </p>
<p>I haven&#8217;t lived the apartment life before, It has been over a year now since I moved in and it&#8217;s been extremely quiet where I live. I like it but I also realize that when you live among so many people there will be times that you are privy to outbursts or domestic issues. It&#8217;s always upsetting to wake up hearing a pleading cry outside your window or catching the yelling sounds of a stranger.  </p>
<p>I know enough about times like those not to step in, but to observe from afar, and if I feel someones life in danger or the issue get out of hand, help is a phonecall away.   It doesn&#8217;t mean I don&#8217;t want to help. I just know 9 times out of 10 they are so emotionally involved that my stepping in is not only a danger to me, but also would more likely increase the heightened emotions, not calm them. </p>
<p>I lay here in bed wondering what the story is behind all the crying. I won&#8217;t sleep well after this. It brings back feelings I&#8217;ve not felt in a long time. Touches nerve endings that I thought were deeply buried. There&#8217;s something primal about hearing these sounds that are not your own. Like you are in the middle of someone elses movie. </p>
<p>I&#8217;ll try to sleep now&#8230;it&#8217;s quiet and I saw them walk to their apartment. Feels helpless to not know the reasons. Feels odd to have memories like that surface in coordination with the event. I feel strong enough that I will be safe and secure and my littles or worried parts won&#8217;t feel threatened. It takes a little &#8220;self talk&#8221; to move forward sometimes. I hope it stays quiet. </p>
]]></content:encoded>
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