Peaks and Valleys

Today I would like to introduce you to my friend Jorja. You might already know Jorja as @beyondpalegal or from her blog "Living Beyond the Pale". If you asked me right now what Jorja's last name is, then I would have to say: "I have no idea". What I do know is that I enjoy reading her blog, her life story is captivating, she is amazingly forthright about her life, she has wonderful goals and she cares. Yesterday Jorja (I love saying her name...it is so beautiful) wrote a post asking the question "Did I Peak Early?"  It is a question that I believe many of us ask along the way. I hope you will take a few minutes and read Jorja's post, you won't be disappointed.  In fact, I invite you to poke around her site and learn more about Jorja.


Here is my OP-ED...June 12th, 2010 at 11:41AM

Hi Jorja,
I really enjoyed reading your post today. You know why? I was able to learn a lot about you. As I was reading this, I kept thinking “is this the same woman who just a few days ago talked about tagging her middle school while drinking with her tenth grade buddies?”

Now I know you had a successful college career, you started your own business and successfully sold it for a profit, you are happily married, you have three wonderful children, you are a private investigator…and you have dreams (goals).

If you and I had gone to high school together and suddenly ran into each other one day 20 years later, you might say to me “are you in politics or science?” And I would have to say “neither”. You see, I was the Student Body President and all of the awards that I won in high school were science related, including receiving an Honorable Mention as a Ford Future Scientist of America!

You like to talk about peaking and climbing peaks…since I gave up backpacking years ago, I prefer to just talk about paths and roads. Sometimes they are winding roads and sometimes we choose or have to take detours, but the interesting thing about life is that you can be like a perennial, blossoming slightly different each spring.

Hopefully, along the way you leave trail markers (cairns) for your children, your friends, your readers…and remember the best view is not always from the top of the mountain. I know this because most of my life I have lived in valleys: Sweetwater Valley, San Gabriel Valley, San Fernando Valley, Mt Washington Valley, and Tucson (completely surrounded by mountain ranges).

Mountains may inspire us, but the valleys are created by rivers and streams…they give us life.

P.S. I would love to post this to my new blog. Let me know if that is OK.
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Here is Jorja' reply:

June 12, 2010 at 12:15 pm

Judy, What an encouraging response! This is what I mean by you being so thoughtful! You can post this anywhere you want to post it dear! I hope you are okay with me quoting you on my next post! Your comments about being a perennial are fantastic! Love it and you! Thanks so much for sharing yourself and your wisdom!
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What are your thoughts? I hope you will visit often and share your story.