Quit Your Whining, Move It!

The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. Hi, my name is Gloria Miller, and I’m a whiner. Well, lately anyway. I’m not usually a whiner, but the past six weeks of living in this strange country called to UK … yes, I’ve been whining … a lot! I thought it would be easy adjusting to life here but it hasn’t. I haven’t at all been motivated to do the things I know I need to do to plug in to this existence. As much as the US and UK are alike, they are equally, if not more, different. Just because you’re using the same words does not mean you’re speaking the same language.

Example … I asked my niece (in-law) Millie to hand me my purse. So she rummaged around in my purse and brought me my wallet. I said, not just the wallet, bring me my purse. Then she stood there perplexed ‘cause she had already brought me my purse. You see, in the UK purse means wallet and bag means purse. So the proper thing to say would have been “Millie, bring me my bag.” It took us 20-minutes to sort that out.

Also, I’m starting to lose some of my words … to the accent. I didn’t think it would happen, but it’s starting to. I met this awesome lady, Marlene, who is also an American who married a Brit and now lives in England. However, when I first spoke with her on the phone, I thought she was a Brit! She has an amazing British accent. It wasn’t until we were out for drinks that she told me she was from the states. I couldn’t believe it! I never would have guessed it. Then I started to worry about my accent (which is a strange mix of Midwest meets Southern meets Ebonics). Marlene said she picked up the accent so that she could be understood by the locals. And strangely enough, I get that. I wasn’t expecting to have so much miscommunication in a country that speaks the same language.

Then there’s the fashion. The UK style is not quite European and not quite American. It’s a strange in-between look that I’m not sure I want to adopt. There are definitely some fashionistas that know how to bring it, but the typical look is unique to this part of the world. Admittedly, I’m no fashion plate, but when I walk into the City Center of the bustling metropolis of Waterlooville, my new town, I feel quite fashion forward.

I do love that the full-figure is celebrated in the UK in a way that it’s not done in the states! Thanks to Gok, I love my big bangers! Gok hosts a show called “How To Look Good Naked” and it’s been an education for me on dressing for my body type (and age). My sister Ruth always says I dress like an overgrown teenager. I’m working on that. However, I did go shopping with Millie this weekend and was introduced to a wonderful store called Hollister featuring clothing for 12 to 18 year olds. Alright, maybe I had a minor relapse ‘cause I bought the cutest pink top … LOL!

Wow, did I get side-tracked. Anyway, back to what I was saying about whining … something seems to have clicked in my mind yesterday to kick me into gear to get my life up and running. I’ve been idling for six-weeks and today when I got out of bed, I did so with purpose, focus and a clarity that both surprised and excited me. Now that I’m back in gear, there’s no stopping me.

Today, I’m happy to say I’m in recovery from whining. I know I have to take it one day at a time and that there might be the temptation to whine again. My intention, though, is to stay whine-free!

If you haven’t done so already, please check out “The Power” by Rhonda Byrne. It’s the sequel to “The Secret.” I just started reading it today and it’s a great read so far.   Click here to preview the new book.

Glo.