40-something and fabulous? Oh, well OK!

Who said that youth is wasted on the young?  I might have the saying wrong.  You can correct me if I do.

Why?  It’s because now that I’m older and wiser I just don’t care as much anymore.

Really I don’t. 

 

I think that country artist Jo Dee Messina sang it best when she told us that her “…give a damn is busted!”

But I’d like to get back to why I was moved to write this in the first place.  The other day I saw a neat little list on Facebook that proclaimed why your 40’s are really really swell, but not in those exact words.  You’ve seen the articles from buzzfeed.com.  

Here are the reasons the article gives:

1.        You’re old enough to have a highly valued opinion. Well, you’re reading this, aren’t you?  I must have one, right?

2.       Yet you are still young enough to be able to have your mind changed. 

(So, I’m not YET that old crotchety lady like the character Maxine.)

3.       You’re no longer concerned with what people think of your so-called style, because let’s just admit it, a sweatshirt tied around your waist is a good idea and fanny packs are useful.  Well, maybe let’s not go THAT far.

4.       And that not-caring-thing, makes you more powerful.

5.       You know which lines are worth waiting in and which are not.  It does not make any good sense to wait around an hour for a table for brunch.  Puh-lease!

6.       You’re starting to really like who you are.

7.       That means you don’t have to do Yoga anymore that is unless you just enjoy wearing the Yoga pants and drinking wine with the girlfriends while wearing them.

8.       You know which snacks to eat and which to skip.

9.       You’ve finally decided on a career.  Or erh uh, maybe…..more on this below.  See below.

10.   You don’t attend functions you don’t care for.  Uh, crazy Aunt Sally’s passion party?  What?  Tuesday?  Oh gosh I’m busy that night re-arranging my sock drawer and emptying my hair brush.  Maybe next time.

11.   You know that when you drink a beer, you should order a water to go with it.  Yes, there’s water IN the beer, apparently that does not count.  Boooo.

12.   You actually TAKE your vacation days.

13.   You stop tirelessly searching for the soul mate and realize you need someone who isn’t perfect but is PERFECT FOR YOU!

14.   And you finally love who you’ve become as an adult and person.

So, back to number 9, this struck a chord with me.  I think I’ve had career ADD for a few decades now.  For example, I’ve been a radio reporter, radio DJ, radio morning show personality, TV reporter, TV anchor, storm chaser, substitute teacher, writer, editor, TV producer, police officer recruit, security patrol officer, mortgage fraud investigator/analyst and I had a brief part time career modeling.  Now, I’m trying to finish up a Master’s degree in Education lacking only the student teaching portion part and a full time job.

As I sit back and look at my resume I do see a common interest.  Most of the careers I’ve had if not all of them required communicating and writing.  These are two things that I really love to do.  I had a mentor once tell me “…do what you love and the money will follow,” I think that’s true, although really hons I’m STILL waiting for the money part to happen.  

All in all, I am happy.  I feel accomplished and loved.  I feel everything on this list is an accurate depiction of how I feel in my fourth decade of life now.  Looking forward to the next one.  In the meantime, here's that shameful self-promotion, you know, since I don't care anymore what others really think:

Anne Boswell Taylor

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/anne-taylor/40/b1a/839

·         Bi-lingual communications professional with 18 years of radio and TV experience.

·         Microsoft Word, Power Point, Outlook, Publisher, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Acrobat and proficient with Excel. 

·         News releases for TV, radio, print or social media, organizing, event planning, research, social media skills to include web design.

·         Experienced with on-air interviews.

               

EXPERIENCE

Damsel in Defense,

Independent Consultant and Mentor,  Las Animas, CO                                                               2013-present

Sales and marketing of self-defense products made just for women, by women.  Management of ten team members.

NIA Consulting, Colorado Springs, CO                                                                         2010- 2011

Financial Forensic Analyst

Audited delinquent mortgage files, analyzed data, and checked for fraud, conducted interviews, wrote reports to the private mortgage insurance companies.  Discretely handled confidential information and managed multiple priorities with tight deadlines.

News Radio 740 KVOR, Colorado Springs, CO                                                           2008- 2010

Webmaster/producer/ reporter

As Assistant Producer for the Richard Randall Show, Colorado Springs number one talk show, wrote news, created graphic website art, researched information and checked facts, answered phones, high contact with the public, verified information for traffic reports and assembled reports for staff, proofed and edited copy.  Established a rapport and maintained good relationships with community leaders. 

KATC-The New Cat Country, Colorado Springs, CO                                                  2008-2009

Radio Morning Show Co-Host/news anchor/traffic reporter/producer

KRDO News Channel 13, Colorado Springs, CO                                                         2007

Producer
Wrote and produced for an hour long news cast. Assisted news team as a field producer, facilitated live shots and other community events.

Broadmoor Information and Security, Colorado Springs, CO                                   2004- 2007
Patrol Officer

Executed top customer service, wrote security reports, trusted with highly sensitive information, charted crime activity, trained new employees, qualified with firearms training, CPR and first aid. 

Metro Networks, Westwood One, Colorado Springs, CO                                           2002-2003 Morning Drive Traffic Director

Gathered information on traffic flow and patterns, and reported on four radio stations. 

WHAS News Channel 11, Louisville, KY                                                       2002
Field Producer/writer

Wrote news, assisted consumer reporter in investigating stories; proved theories in a weekly report called, “Does It Work?” Researched and set up interviews for medical stories to include scrubbing in for surgeries and procedures for health segments.

Cox Radio, WVEZ 106.9 FM, Louisville, KY, Metro Networks, Louisville, KY 1997- 2002
Public Service Director & Morning Show Co-Host, News Director for WVEZ, WSFR

Anchored news/traffic on five Metro Network affiliate stations. Prepared Cox Radio’s quarterly reports for compliance with the Federal Communications Commission. 

KOAM Channel 7 (CBS), Pittsburg, KS                                                        1996-1997
Reporter

Wrote, reported, anchored news, including investigative, features, Ag and Farm news along with severe storm coverage.

KRMG News Talk 740, Tulsa, OK

KVOO AM 1170, 98.5 FM, Tulsa, OK                                                                            1994-1996
Reporter

Anchored news, “storm chaser”, reported on the Oklahoma City Bombing. One of two radio reporters inside Oklahoma’s Death Row to report on a high-profile execution.  The only reporter embedded with numerous Oklahoma law enforcement agencies including Tulsa Police, Tulsa County and the Oklahoma Bureau of Investigations on drug and warrant sweeps.

Other experience:

Colorado Springs Police Recruit, 49^th Academy, 2006

Received honorable medical discharge

Education:

Currently pursuing M.A. Education, Social Studies

University of Colorado at Colorado Springs

B.A., Broadcast Journalism,

Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK

A. A., Communications and Business,

Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, Miami, OK

Pike’s Peak Community College Criminal Justice Program

Colorado Springs, CO

Skills:

Proficient in AP style, Microsoft Word, Publisher, Power Point, Excel and Outlook

Adobe Audition, Adobe Photo Shop, Web site design, Social Media Skills, Fluent in French, some knowledge of Spanish, Photography, still and video, website design

Special Honors & Achievements:

·          Contributing writer, Common Sense News, Colorado Springs, CO, present

·          Top sales for AERho’s fundraiser (Radio Takeover Day-sold sponsorships, wrote, produced, and voiced-over commercials)

·          American Field Service Exchange Student to Belgium

·          President’s Honor Roll, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, Tulsa Junior College and Pike’s Peak Community College

Volunteer Work:

American Heritage Girls Communication Officer and troop mom, Children’s Choir, First Pres. Church, Colorado Springs, January-May 2011,  Ice Skating Coach, Special Olympics, Alpine Ice Arena, Louisville, KY, 2000-2001

Interests:

Family, pets, target shooting, photography, hiking, ice skating, tennis, and creative writing

#ShamelessSelfPromotion

Shotgun F-U-N!

Be still my heart, I am in love……………………..

With a Remington 870, 20 gauge shot gun and I don’t care who knows it!!!

While the city girls are gathering together sipping rose wine over pedicures, Seed and Supply church friend Stephanie and I blew little orange clay discs out of the Bent County sky today.  It was just a thing of beauty that is all.

I have always loved to shoot pistols and Hubster Chad bought me a rifle a few years back promising we’d do some romantic date night pasture varmint annihilation soon.  We would go to the range and set up targets and shoot.  It’s always a good time and usually a family day out.  

But about three weeks ago Wiley E. Coyote made his usual Sunday stop at our place, licking his lips mentally devouring my barn cats.  Enough was enough.  He needed a killin’ and fast y’all.   You might say I’m getting a little too into this country wife, mom and protector of the land thing but wait.  There’s a happy ending to my original manifesto on how to make the mangy nasty coyote assume room temperature.  So I loaded up my prairie schooner wagon, we have a small family, mind you, and headed to the Junction or erh uh, modern day La Junta, Colorado to the big Wal-Mart.  You have to say “the” with Wal-Mart, it’s just respect, thank you southern author Ceila Rivenbark for that remark. 

Sooooooooooooooooooo after fondling a few different models I found my perfect and true love.  A simple, useful, 20 gauge Remington 870.  After promising Wal-mart my next born child, (ha ha ha ha cause I’m really too old to have more, I am 30, after all-wink wink) I handed the grimy old stained pen back and waited for manager Z to arrive to escort me and my reasonable purchase to the car, toilet paper, sketch pad,  deo, hairspray and a SHOTGUN y’all! I bought shells too, of course, and was happier than a pig in poop they were so cheap.  Why haven’t I been shooting shotguns for the last five years?  I would’ve saved so much money.  

I still need a really good name for her.  My pistols are all named.  There’s Bessie, Miranda and Reagan, I’m thinking something kinda funny yet girly.  I’ll let you all mull that over for a bit.  Maybe we’ll have a shot gun naming contest.  

Back to today, I blasted a few dozen targets out of the sky and life is just not the same.  I will need one of those little padded shooting vests now and I’m sure many other things.  I wanted to write about this subject because I noticed some interesting life lessons that presented in today’s day at the range.  They are as follows:

• ·Keep your chin up always (yes, I mean when things are down looking up is always better than down.  After a while you start to feel better.  Keeping your chin up in shooting just helps you see your target better so take away what you will from that.
•  Lean forward.  Forward is good.  It’s no good in life to be dwelling on what’s behind you.  Back there is where you came from and while some times in the past are good, they’re back there for a reason.
• Never lose sight of your target.  Know where you are going in life or at least fake it until it feels real and eventually it will be.
• Always have a crazy redheaded friend to accompany you on life’s little missions, even if it’s just that zombie target needs a killin.
• Make safety a priority so that everyone goes home.
• If you don’t hit the target just breathe and try again.  Elmer Fudd didn’t get that rascally wabbit on the first try, did he?
• Follow through.  Yes, point the gun at the target after you've shot it.  In life, follow up with friends, stay in touch.  Follow up in business because you just never know.
• NEVER forget to have an after the range meeting at a nice Mexican restaurant or one of your choice to talk about the day and just relax.

As for that coyote, he'd better hope he doesn’t get on the fighting side of me again (tribute to Merle) cause I’m shotgun proficient now baby!  He'll be yipping and yodeling "Are the good times really over" fo' sho!!

Oh, and remember to try those things in life that push you beyond your comfort level of your favorite 9mm pistol.  There ain’t nothin’ to it but to just do it!

SHOTgun=shotFUN!

~Anne Boswell Taylor
#LockedandLoaded