How a Bottle of Wine Betrayed Me
“All you need is love. And a bottle of wine.” — Anonymous [Click to Tweet!]
What do you do when something you love holds you hostage? I’m talking about wine. I am a wine lover and have been since my restaurant days 20 years ago. And it was wine — in all its divine yet devilish glory — that played a role in one of my most memorable experiences.
Important to note that what happened was an extremely traumatic experience for me at the time. However, my Mom and her best friend found it funny. So funny in fact that my mom almost peed her pants when I told them over lunch one day.
Which is what led me to turn this story in to a speech. A humorous one.
I was involved in an amazing Toastmasters group and was encouraged to enter a competition. Knowing there were four legs of the competition, I entered anyway.
And even though this story was many years old by that time, I knew it was the one. Apparently, so did my Mom and her Bestie! :-)
Just a few months after I lost my vision, I was invited to attend an annual event at a beautiful hotel here in my city. I was grateful for the invitation and prayed I had something to wear. Little did I know finding the perfect shoes would really not matter.
I was newly blind, going to a place I’ve never been with people I didn’t know. Knowing the person who invited me would greet me in the hotel lobby, I figured all would go smoothly.
Boy was I in for a surprise!
After attending that event, I felt so defeated. Blind and relying on everything and everyone around me. I hated it.
But I learned three valuable lessons that day.
(Hint: they include people and wine. Can’t give it all up before you watch the video, right? ;-) )
I can tell you that since then, I’ve grown and changed in so many ways. And, I’ve learned a few more things along the way:
- to laugh at myself
- to challenge myself and my abilities
- to stay positive
- to be grateful everyday
- to be proud of my accomplishments
- to keep learning new things
- to love myself
And whenever possible, to bring my own wine!! ;-)
“It doesn’t matter if the glass is half empty or half full. There is clearly room for wine.” — Anonymous [Click to Tweet!]
I figure as long as I keep finding the lesson or message in my experiences, I keep moving forward. Not in one place. Not backwards…forward!
The time has come to share the video of my story with you. My Green Dot Story.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did when I was on stage. I really had a great time up there…
Watch video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UkzWEGjnic
[Pssst! I actually made it all the way to the finals in Canmore, AB. I placed 3rd. Not too shabby for this wine loving, positively outspoken, dare-to-be-different, blind Motivational Speaker?! ;-) For more videos, subscribe to my YouTube Channel.]
What lessons have you learned recently that are helping you improve your life?
Please comment below.
