I Run These Towns

Nearly five years ago I wrote a post about whether or not women can have it all. This was before I had a child, and I had a lot of preconceived notions about what would happen once a child joined my life. And you know what? My opinions haven't changed. I've decided that I can indeed have it all.  Tonight I re-read that blog post, titled I Don't Know How She Does It . Nearly five years later, post having a child, I can affirmatively say that it is possible to have it all. It means being exhausted and constantly feeling like you're off balance, but it's possible. When I wrote the blog five years ago I assumed my life would change once I had a child. It did, but not in the way I expected. I'm still as anal as I was five years ago. My house is tidy. My laundry doesn't pile up. I push myself to the limits, and my schedule is out of control. The major challenges have been 1) lack of sleep; 2) lack of time to myself and 3) inability to exercise like I used

It was touch and go for a while. I found myself wearing flat, black Puma shoes...half sneaker; half flat. I reasoned that flats are so terrible it didn't matter what I was wearing. And I found myself not caring about my shoes for the first time in my professional career. They were dark days indeed. Seventy days ago I had surgery to repair my torn meniscus. I'm a runner. I also love heels. Going without these two things left me with an extraordinary identity crisis. People began to realize that I was only 5'4" tall instead of 5'7". I began to enjoy walking quickly and my feet feeling comfortable. Who was I without running? Who was I without the shoes? On New Years Day I began wearing heels again. It was inauguration day for Lansing's new mayor (aka my boss). I wore my favorite three inch booties all day. My knee actually felt okay. In the coming days I've been back to myself culminating in wearing my favorite leopard print wedges today. I am back.