Before Clarity Was the Star of the Show.

The following post is influenced by something that came up while out with my mother this week, along with thoughts I'll have every now and then about my life ten years ago.

First of all, let me just boast about how wonderful it is to sit in a place of clarity, able to speak from a place of love, make decisions with a peaceful heart and mind, and to love the reality of being nearly two years from forty.

The photo above is from the year 2007. I was 27, in a cute little studio in the valley, a cute four year old domestic short hair fur child named Dutchess ruled the place.. and in a relationship with a south central native that could have been written for a soap opera, really. I was happy, growing, and learning.

A photo from that year is being used because of the relation it has to what I spoke with my mother about earlier this week, as we drove about.

I took the above photo one afternoon after I got off of work, a company that was nice to work for, but more than the company, I adored my co workers. One of my co workers husbands had temporarily started working in the warehouse.. and he was not so much an undercover, but brazen flirt.

Initially, I thought it was harmless, because most people flirt, and know when to knock it off.. or do not have intentions of it going anywhere. Wait, wait.. I'm writing this to express complete honesty, so let me rewind. I was 27, and was not thinking that at all, as a matter of fact, I may have also been fresh with him.. because at that age, I was young, fresh, flirty, and not really thinking about that sort of thing any further.

My co workers husband flirted each time he happened to come into the office.. en route to go talk to his wife, might I add. I'd smile, in a vixen like way.

While I was girlishly flirting with this fool, little did I know he was super aggressive, and basically out of control.

A number of evenings after work (I worked until 5:30, his wife left at 4:30) he'd be fresh and try to get me to go with him... Now although I was young and fresh.. I was not interested like that, at all.

One Thursday, I was en route to go home.. and well, he decided to follow me this day.. to the point where I was afraid.. and I had to speed to get away from him.. and I cut a corner too quickly, popping my right tire. Luckily I was not far from a tire shop, and had to get a new tire. I had JUST got paid, and a great percentage of that check went toward the tire, because I did not wait for a good price.. I needed a tire so that I could get home and continue life.

Now here's the thing.. when I told my mom this story the other day, it was the first time... and it was ten years later. Other than my boss, I told no one, and at 38 that blows my mind that I was in a time of life where one of my first thoughts wasn't to tell my mother, or my boyfriend.

On top of everything else, that wasn't the first time I dealt with that.. something similar happened in 2002, different place, different guy, same sort of scenario, and my husband knows, but I never bothered to tell anyone else.

The expression, "God takes care of fools and babies."

True, True, oh so true.

I was naive, having the time of my life, but Lordy.. my sense of clarity was non existent.

So today, I live with the happiness of coming into my own, being able to create a company that encourages self care because I completely believe in and support that. My twenties were, well 'whoa' best describes them.. and my self care regimen was looking fabulous and that was the extent of it a lot of times, but honestly, I thank God for them.. they brought me to the sense of clarity that I have today.

M Lundy is the Founder of 303 Face | Body, as well as creator of 303 Home | Loft | Wellness.