Fierce

I confess that unlike many other people I know, specifically women, I do not watch any of the award ceremonies. I find them long, dull events full of narcissistic people with a smattering of beautiful dresses (that I can look up online the next morning). However, I love me some Perez Hilton. Literally, I read his blog nearly every morning while having my breakfast. Thus, it was Monday morning - not Sunday night, like the rest of the world - that I found out that Beyonce was with child.

Now, let me qualify that I often feel that Beyonce should be a close friend of mine. I feel like I have grown up with her, dancing to "Jumpin', Jumpin'" with high school friends, celebrating "Independent Women Part I" when I went off to college. Beyonce helped me to embrace my "Bootyilicious" nature, while I later went clubbing to "Check on It" and put my hands up to "Single Ladies"  before getting married.

And let's not forget all that I have in common with Beyonce: We were both born in September, albeit a year apart from each other. She had two girlfriends in a singing group in her teen years; I had four best friends who would sing into wooden spoons in my teen years. She collaborated with Lady Gaga. My first name is the same (almost) as Lady Gaga's. She started a clothing line. I like to wear clothes (although I have never purchased any of hers). She is married to a very wealthy, ex-drug dealing rapper. I am married to a very frugal white boy who grew up in the middle of a cornfield. When will the similarities end? :)

Regardless, I do feel like Beyonce is part of my life experiences in a way that only certain celebrities that have become iconic in your life are able to be. Perhaps to my generation of girls, she is the Carole King or the Barbra Streisand (arguably probably not to either of their exact levels but an example of what true talent, feminine power, and inspiration can converge to do). I was equally surprised and excited to hear their very public announcement on Monday morning. Wasn't this the same woman I watched command the stage at Oprah's farewell show back in May, looking amazing? (If she truly is five months pregnant as I hear reported and the Oprah show was filmed in May, then she was in her first trimester. Girl definitely wasn't looking like she had morning sickness!) She has certainly inspired me to get back on that treadmill. Maybe if I can get in better shape (Ha! I actually almost wrote, "into shape like she is..." until I realized that I have to be grounded somewhat in reality!), it might just do the trick.

So... in honor of Sasha Fierce and soon-to-be Baby Z, back to the treadmill I go tomorrow!