The

Undeniable

Ruth

®

…and the Ruth shall set you free!

  • Day 65/90 – Car Concert

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    Ruth Carter

    Day 65 of the 90 Days of Awesome is in the bank! What made today awesome? I sang all the way home from work.

    One of my favorite shots of me singing (December 2013)
    One of my favorite shots of me singing (December 2013)

    I’ve been saying for a while now that I should sing more. I started singing publicly when I was 15, studied in voice in college, and was a member of Phoenix Women’s Chorus for years. But life got busy and I’ve gotten away from my musical roots.

    It’s been a few years since I was affiliated with a group or taken singing lessons on a regular basis. And what I listen to on the radio is generally different than the type of music I sing, so I just got out of the habit of making singing a priority. It got to the point where I started to doubt that I have talent.

    Today on the way home from work I switched my car stereo to my singing CD. Yes, I have a mix CD of songs that I like to sing. There are songs by Martina McBride, Josh Groban, and from the musical Wicked on there. I sang at the top of my lungs all the way home. It was awesome. I was glad when I hit red lights because it meant I got to sing more.

    Part of the 90 Days of Awesome is to put more energy into the things that matter most to me, and that definitely includes music. Plus I’ve been extra inspired lately because I have a trip to New York coming up where I’ll get to reconnect with my former voice coach Richard Hartley Weidlich. Holy crap – this guy can sing – Broadway, opera, he’s amazing. The best compliment I’ve heard about Richard’s voice was a story from when he was in grad school. A fellow student said, “Every time I hear Richard sing, I need a cigarette.” I can’t wait to see him.

    I have a feeling I’ll be testing how sound proof the walls of my condo are and my neighbors’ tolerance for show tunes and arias in the near future.

    In case you missed it: Day 64 of the 90 Days of Awesome – I got to catch up with my world-traveling friend Kolby.

  • Day 64/90 – Catching Up with Kolby

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    Ruth Carter

    Day 64 of the 90 Days of Awesome is in the bank! What made today awesome? I got to catch up with my friend Kolby Granville.

    Kolby brought me this cute magnet back from his trip. I'm not sure what to call this little guy.
    Kolby brought me this cute magnet back from his trip. I’m not sure what to call this little guy.

    Kolby is a fellow lawyer and runner and also a high school teacher, so his schedule allows him to take a three-week vacation in the summer. He just got back from spending the three weeks in South America and Mexico. Kolby and I got to hang out this afternoon for a bit and I got to live vicariously through his travel stories. He told me about the places that were so dangerous that he couldn’t leave the tourist areas, the amazing ruins he got to climb, and the beautiful islands where he went scuba diving. It was fun to hear about his adventures, especially when he got to hang out with the locals and go to places where they used golf carts instead of cars for taxicabs.

    The other upside of hanging out with Kolby was I got to play with his cats. I’m definitely more of a dog person then a cat person, but his cats are pretty cool. They are sweet girls who troop over to me when I walk in the room and rub themselves all over my legs and bag. One of them likes to lick my hand. It’s pretty cute.

    In case you missed it: Day 63 of the 90 Days of Awesome – I got to have lunch with my sobriety siblings!

  • Day 63/90 – Lunch with Sobriety Siblings

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    Ruth Carter

    Day 63 of the 90 Days of Awesome is in the bank! What made today awesome? I got to have lunch with two of my sobriety siblings.

    My Chips Live in a Dish
    My Chips Live in a Dish

    One of the key aspects of recovery is building a supportive community around you who will support you and hold you accountable. It’s also the part of my recovery that I tend to suck at, especially given that I am busy, introverted (yes, I’m way more introverted than most people realize), and struggle with low self-esteem. Part of focusing more on my priorities has also meant that I’m putting more energy into my recovery and hanging out with people.

    Today was great – after a meeting, I got to hang out with two of my sobriety siblings and meet their dogs. (I’m not using their names to protect their anonymity.) It was relaxing and awesome just to catch up – so much different than networking meetings.

    This summer has provided many reminders that I have people in recovery that I can call if I’m having a bad day and want to vent or just to talk with someone who “gets it.” It’s also really interesting to hear other people’s interpretations on what the 12 steps and the various lessons in the Big Book mean. Today, everyone at the table had 10+ years of recovery and all of us had a different perspectives on the program. All that mattered is that it’s one addict helping another, trudging the road together.

    In case you missed it: Day 62 of the 90 Days of Awesome – I got to hang out with my friend and partner-in-crime Jeff.