Emulating Erma

I've never really told anyone this (in fact, I haven't really thought about it in years), but I used to aspire to be like Erma Bombeck. (For those of you who are too young to remember Erma, she was a humorist and a columnist.) Truth be told, I wanted to BE her. I admired her so much and her stuff always made me laugh out loud 'cause it was just SO real. And talk about voice! Her writing had a voice that I connected with SO much that I always had the sense that I knew her personally. I've never told this to anyone, until now. And unless I've had the opportunity to email or talk with you in person about my keynote in Alabama last Thursday, you might be wondering, "Why are you telling us this now?" I'd probably be wondering that, too. Well, you need that information to understand why this feedback from my keynote was so incredible.

I'd finished my two-hour presentation for 1200+ Montgomery County elementary educators on quite a high; the gracious participants gave me a standing ovation to express their thanks and they were lining up for hugs and high fives. It was an aMaZiNgLy humbling rush! A librarian told me that she'd ordered the book I read while I was reading, two kinder teachers told me that they were going to start a knitting club, a group from Floyd Elementary asked if I'd pose with them for a group picture. 
Then an audience member came up to me and, 
in one providential moment, made this connection:  
You are like a young Erma Bombeck. 
I was instantly transported to speaker heaven! Really? 
There's NO way she could have known what those seven words 
affirming my authenticity would mean to me . . . 

Erma Bombeck passed away on my dad's birthday in 1996. Click {here} for a beautiful list of things Erma wrote about (at the age of 52) that she would have liked to do over were she given the chance and 
prepare to be moved. 
Then think about what you would like to do over and remember that every day you get another chance to do what you want to do! 
Happy reflecting.