chasing dreams.

"If you want support for your dream, support someone else’s dream first." 

-Author Jon Acuff

The other day while scrolling through my Facebook feed, I couldn't help but feel impressed.

In fact, I may have mumbled aloud, "Damn, I know some people doing some cool shit."  

Amid the Farmville invitations, beach and food porn photos, ambitious friends from all different facets of my life are out in the world chasing exciting dreams and are bravely asking for help in achieving them; since I know how difficult self-promotion can be, nothing pleases me more than to use my own space to promote these and ask for your support on their behalf.   

While she may be one of the most hysterical people on the planet, my friend Caroline Van Sickle is also a serious business woman who is serious about beauty.  In her last year in business school, Caroline created Pretty in My Pocket, aka PRIMP, a FREE mobile app that serves as your beauty aisle shopping tool - connecting you to other consumers who have already bought and commented on that product.  Through Plum Alley, a fundraising site geared , Caroline is asking for support to take her business idea to the next level.

Ramone Dickerson didn't know a stranger at Irmo High School, nor did he have a single enemy.  He and a friend created 2 Fat 2 Fly Stuffed Chicken Wings.  Is your mouth watering?  I said STUFFED CHICKEN WINGS!  In addition to inventing such a culinary delight, Ramone and his partner also happen to be hilarious - so much so, that OWN - as in the Oprah Network - has given them their own reality show, Wingmen.  I cannot think of anyone who will make a better television personality than Ramone and I will definitely be watching.  The show debuts August 16th. 

Justice Littlejohn, Grayson Goodman and Ryan Crabtree are also guys that I went to high school with in South Carolina.  Their dream is to open a creative space where they can feature their original and regional art.  One of Justice's funky paintings hangs in my kitchen - and he is the real deal.  The trio found the space to make their dream a reality and need financial help to create a studio where they can create and teach others . . . all while serving free sweet tea (to go with your stuffed chicken wings).

Tanika Gray is more than just my co-worker - after years of admiring each other's outfits and sharing thoughtful conversations about provocative Halloween costumes and race relations, she's definitely a friend.  I'm also almost certain that she never sleeps because once she leaves work, she's always on the go - speaking at an International Women's Conference in India, being honored with awards for all of her work in the community, or snapping selfies at fabulous parties.  Her latest achievement - House Resolution 1898. After watching her mother suffer with fibroids, and then struggling with the condition herself, Tanika took action and lobbied to have July declared Fibroids Awareness Month in the state of Georgia.  She will be at the Capitol this morning on behalf of her White Dress Project.

While often unmotivated and unsure of how to navigate my own dreams, watching others go after theirs in a big way certainly has the potential to make me feel insecure.  And on particularly bad days, I do.  But mostly I am inspired and completely impressed by this network of people I know doing extraordinary things.

I hope that you'll check them out, visit their sites, donate to their causes, eat their wings, watch their shows and be inspired to find your dream.  If you've already found it - let me know.  I'm happy to support - unless your dream is making potato salad, and then, well probably not.  But good luck!

And unrelated, except for the fact that I annoyingly ask him all the time to tell me his hopes and dreams usually right in the middle of a sporting event or concert he's watching, today is my boo Jacob's birthday.

Happy Birthday JJ and keep chasing your dreams!

don't stop believing.

I'm a liar.

I know I said that I'd be okay regardless of how things turned out for the US Soccer team, but after really believing that we could win, I wasn't at all ready to lose.  

I feel so sad.  Sad for the players and for what could have been, but mostly because it's highly unlikely we will ever see this team play all together again.  

It's too much.  

I feel the pride and happiness for what this team accomplished, which is more than any other sports team, celebrity or elected leader ever has.  Uniting a country full of cynics, fickle fans, unpatriotic doubters is no small task, yet for several weeks, we all believed and we all cheered for the same team.  I hope each of those players feels as I do - that this accomplishment is far greater than any that can be achieved on a soccer field.  

But still, I'm bummed. 

I'm headed to the beach this weekend to eat and drink and sun my feelings - and I sense I'll be alternating between the disappointment that it's over and overwhelming happiness that it happened.  

So lucky to be an American - even when we lose, we still win.

Happy July 4th - I believe that we can be the country the World Cup made us out to be.