I am an unabashed people watcher, verging on voyeuristic.
And when I went out to a local dive bar to hear my favorite oldies band for New Year’s Eve with some good friends, I was not disappointed.
People who somehow reinvent themselves always fascinate me. What motivated them? How long did the transformation take? More importantly, do they feel happier?
In the years I’ve been following this band, a particular couple always shows up. They said they even travel out of state to hear the group.
He’s a short, slightly pudgy balding guy with glasses.
She’s taller than he by several inches, slender, but always looked sort of dumpy.
Her mousy hair, thick glasses and outdated attire made her look like a 70s throwback. She always sported mom jeans. You know the type: high waisted, pleated, straight legged jeans that fell an inch too short above her equally old fashioned Reboks.
But this year, I barely recognized her.
She’s grown her hair, colored it a rich brown, replaced the glasses with contacts and donned up-to-date jeans. They actually reached the floor over her stylish boots. She literally shed 10 years.
The husband, who still looks exactly the same, gazed at her adoringly all night. They danced a slow song together, she resting her chin near his temple. Most of the night, however, she careened around to classic rock with a mob of other women while the men sat around looking bored.
I wanted to quiz her about her new look. Curious about how people relate to her now. Curious what prompted her new duds and new look.
Other people I know have made big changes, too.
My own mother earned a graduate degree at 42, learned to play the harp in her late 40s and now performs professionally. She’s 74 and looks 60.
One friend shed 70 pounds about 10 years ago and has kept it off. She said she hardly recognizes her old self in photos.
Another younger friend in her twenties also changed her life, but in an entirely different way. Carting around some extra post college weight, she decided one day to start training for a marathon. A few months later, she successfully completed one. She still runs distance regularly. She also learned to snow board, which she does several times a week in the winter, and earned a graduate degree.
Judging from all the self-improvement, resolution-enhancing articles, books and workshops, change doesn’t come easy for most.
That makes these folks all the more inspirational.
Guess I'd better get busy and figure out what I’m going to accomplish in 2014.
