The Book: Chapter 2
Chapter 2 of the fictional book I am writing is complete! Here is the first page of chapter 2. To read the first page of chapter 1, click here.
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In true Hilary fashion, immediately after I hung up the phone there was a knock at my door. I muttered, “You’ve got to be kidding me” and drug myself out of bed. I picked up off the floor and threw on the overtly sexy black satin Frederick’s of Hollywood robe that Hilary and Reagan unabashedly teased me about whenever I packed it for one of our girls’ weekends. Making my way through the living room and then to the door, I peered through the peephole. I was met only with a Starbucks cup being franticly wove around on the other side of the door.
Figuring that early morning robbers skip niceties like bringing their victim a grande nonfat Chai tea latte, I decided to open the door. The door barely an inch open, I was met with a squeal of “This is the greatest thing to ever happen!” from Reagan. A pop culture junkie, Reagan lived to follow celebrity news, much of which often unfolded on the couch on Piper Clayton’s set. Given her intense fascination with all things celebrity gossip, the amusement shuddering through Reagan’s persona over the thought that her best friend was about to be a source of said gossip was palpable.
“Why don’t you look more excited Abbs?” she innocently asked.
Mulling over the real reason why I couldn’t bring myself to the level of sheer excitement everyone else thought was necessary in this moment, I instead responded, “Probably because it’s 5:30 in the morning, Reagan. You know that I’m not a morning person.”
“I know, I know. That’s why I brought you this,” she said as she slipped the warm Starbucks cup into my hand.
For her silver spoon upbringing, Reagan had a heart of gold. She was considerate to the point that she was often taken advantage of. When a crisis struck in your personal life, she was the first friend you would turn to. Dialing her number, you’d quickly be met by her reassuring voice and her nonjudgmental reasoning telling you that everything would be ok, and no, you weren’t an idiot for letting him back into your life for the umpteenth time. Shortly thereafter, she’d be at your house, her kind brown eyes sympathizing with whatever personal tragedy was unfolding in your life. For these reasons, in this moment of exhaustion and nervousness over the reality that I was about to spill all about my life on national TV, Reagan’s sudden early morning presence at my door was welcomed.
I moved aside from the door as Reagan marched into my apartment to begin the task she was sent by Hilary to complete. With her impeccable fashion sense, Reagan ultimately trashed all of the law school admissions letters she received to follow the more obvious career route of becoming a stylist. She moved to Los Angeles shortly after graduating from GSC and began work as a wardrobe consultant for a teeny bopper drama on a major cable network. The second person, after my dad, that I called when my agent broke the news that I landed the coveted national college football sideline reporting job was Reagan. Not only did I want to share the news with my best friend, but I wanted her to be my fashion consultant. She happily obliged and I must say that without her, I would not have been named one of America’s best dressed celebrities this year.
Steps behind Reagan, who zoomed into my bedroom to begin sifting through my closet, I grabbed my suitcase from its usual resting place in the living room. During college football season, my schedule is hectic to the point that when I get home from the airport, I rarely have the energy to wheel my suitcase all of the way into my bedroom, let alone unpack it. Not only does my job require me to fly to and report at Saturday’s game of the week, but I often fly to various campuses earlier in the week to tape special features on players, coaches or entire programs. Not only has my job given me the opportunity to travel to fun cities and meet interesting people, but it has also allowed me to become a master packer. I can amazingly fit up to six outfit choices with matching shoes into a carry-on bag. If this career doesn’t pan out, I know that there’s an opportunity for me to be a personal suitcase coordinator to other heavily traveled individuals.
Wheeling my carry-on bag down the hallway, it was clear that Reagan already explored and conquered my closet. “So, I’m thinking red Diane, white Tory and black Elie all need to be packed”—as in my red Diane von Furstenberg, white Tory Burch and black Elie Tahari dresses—she yelled down the hall. Reagan’s habit of referring to fashion designers on a first-name basis, like they were old pals we’d invite out to happy hour, always amused me.
Giggling to myself as I arrived to my bedroom and saw nearly my entire closet sprawled out across my unmade bed, I said, “Throw in blue Nanette for good measure.”
A big grin grew across Reagan’s face and she quietly but assuredly said, “Girl, you are finally getting some fashion sense.” Skeptically eying my carry-on bag, she then said, “I don’t think all of this is going to fit in there, though.”
“You have no idea what I am capable of, Reagan Brand.”
Turkey Trot Playlist and an Easy Recipe
Word on the street is that the average American consumes 4,500 calories on Thanksgiving. Holy gluttony! It is partially for this reason that I will be running in the 39th annual United Way Turkey Trot in Denver. I figure that getting four miles in before I eat four slices of pumpkin pie is probably a pretty solid idea.
I’ve built the following playlist to jam out to during the run (no, I do not think it’ll take me 20 songs to run four miles–rather, I have iPod A.D.D. and skip around a lot). I wanted to share it with all of you in case you want to hit the pavement before you hit the dinner table tomorrow! Below the playlist is my favorite casserole recipe, which judging by its ingredients, isn’t very healthy.
1. Ellie Goulding – “Anything Could Happen”
2. Rita Ora feat. Tinie Tempah – “R.I.P.”
3. Flo Rida – “I Cry”
4. P!nk – “Blow Me (One Last Kiss)”
5. Florence + The Machine – “Shake It Out”
6. Kanye West – “All of the Lights”
7. Nelly – “Just a Dream”
8. Monsters and Men – “Little Talks”
9. Lady Gaga – “Monster”
10. Eric Church – “Smoke a Little Smoke”
11. Miley Cyrus – “Party in the U.S.A.”
12. Lil Wayne feat. Drake – “Right Avoe It”
13. Katy Perry – “Teenage Dream”
14. Lupe Fiasco – “The Show Goes On”
15. Taylor Swift – “The Story of Us”
16. Nicki Minaj – “Super Bass”
17. Calvin Harris feat. Florence Welch – “Sweet Nothing”
18. Little Big Town – “Tornado”
19. Rihanna feat. Drake – “What’s My Name”
20. Kanye West – “Power”
No Measure Corn Casserole (Seriously, if you mess this up, you shouldn’t be in the kitchen)
INGREDIENTS
1 can cream style corn
1 (8 oz.) carton sour cream
2 eggs, beaten
1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix
1 stick butter, melted
Managing Monday: The Thanksgiving Networking Opportunity
The turkey is in the refrigerator, the pumpkin pie is on the counter and my family is on their way over! Can you believe that it is already Thanksgiving?! I have no idea where this year went.
Thanksgiving presents a wonderful opportunity for each of us to review the things in our live for which we are grateful. However, it also presents a wonderful networking opportunity.
One of the most crucial components of successful networking, is keeping in touch with your industry contacts. Generally, many industry contacts are those individuals for whom you previously worked or who were your professors. Given the busy nature of many of our lives, it is very easy to fall out of touch with these individuals, and subsequently, miss out on networking with them.
Enter Thanksgiving.
The holiday season presents a wonderfully organic opportunity to reconnect with former employers and professors. All you need to do is shoot these people a quick email with a subject line like, “Thanks.” In the email, express what gratitude you have for this person. Did a project you worked on for them come in handy later in your career? Is a tool you gained from their class something that you rely on heavily day-to-day? Then, update the individual upon what you are doing currently. Afterward, ask how they’ve been and wish them a happy holiday season. Quick. Simple. Effective.
Everyone expects to receive correspondence during the holiday season, so your message will be met with gratitude. It will not come off as you are trying to gain something by reaching out. Rather, it will show that you remember what this person has done for you and hope to stay in touch. Give it a try and let me know how it goes!
Managing Monday: How to Land an Internship
Weekly, I receive emails from law students around the country seeking an opportunity to intern for RulingSports.com. Recognizing the number of law students (and students in general, for that matter) that seek internships on a near continuous basis, I wanted to provide some information on how to ask for an internship.
Stick your neck out
We are living in a digital era. This is good news, as the internet allows us to communicate with one another in ways that many imagined to never be possible. The downside of this digital era, though, is that it causes some to become lazy when it comes to their job search. I have many friends who limit their job searches entirely to the internet. Subsequently, many of these people find themselves unemployed. The problem with an online-only job search method, is that you are competing with everyone else that has a computer and access to the internet.
Thus, even though the internet is a solid tool to use in your job search, in order to land an internship that you really want, you must stick your neck out. How do you go about doing this? While the following is not an exhaustive list of methods by which one can stick their next out and land an internship, it is a solid guide to getting started.
1. Never stop networking
Networking, networking, networking. You’ve heard it before, and I am here to tell you again: The easiest way to find a job is to network.
I come from an incredibly middle class family. Neither one of my parents graduated from college. Although my dad has numerous friends who played in the NFL, when it comes to connections in the sports world who could get me a job, they were not going to come from my family. As such, it became clear to me early on that I was going to have to blaze my own path if I wanted to work in sports.
Because of my background, I was led to believe that the saying, “It’s not what you know, but who you know” had negative connotations. Yes, it is unfortunate when unqualified people get their jobs solely because of who they know. However, the truth of the matter, is that more often than not, when you want to climb the ladder in the competitive world of sports business, it helps to know somebody.
So then, how do you get to know people? The simplest way is to start putting yourself out there and networking with others in the industry. You can do this one of several ways. For starters, you can attend industry events and conferences. At events and conferences, make a goal to connect with at least three people. At industry events and conferences, attendees expect to interact with others. As such, professionals at these events will not be miffed when you approach them, stick out your hand and introduce yourself. Ask them where they’re from, what they do and what they are interested in learning at the event. Share with them what you are excited to take away from the event. Always ask for a card at the end of your exchange and follow up within the week sharing the pleasure you had in meeting them. In that follow-up exchange, ask if you can set up a time for lunch or coffee to further pick their brain upon some of the topics that were discussed at the conference or other items which they expressed interested them.
Does this process seem unnatural? Yes, it probably does. But the truth of the matter, is that this is the way the business world works. Just like it probably felt awkward the first time you followed social norms in asking out a date, with time, professional networking will become easier. However, it only becomes easier if you stick your neck out and practice.
Truth be told, it is easier to ask someone you have developed a professional relationship with for an internship than it is to ask a complete stranger for an internship. By taking time to engage with professionals and showing an active interest in what they do, you begin to lay the foundation that is important for a professional relationship to flourish. As the professional relationship grows, you will become able to reach out to this person for advice in your job search. And, if things work out the right way, the person may even have an intership to offer and think of you for the position!
2. Inquiry letters and emails
There are only so many conferences to attend. On top of that, many of these conferences are in far away places with price tags that exceed a student’s budget. However, these factors should not prevent you from networking and meeting industry professionals.
As I laid out at the outset, the internet is an expansive and impressive tool when it comes to job searching. However, it must be used efficiently and intelligently to reap its full benefits. One way to do this, is by sending inquiry letters to people with careers that mirror the one you are interested in.
One of my RulingSports.com interns, Kaitlyn, mastered this practice. Kaitlyn and I have never met face-to-face. In fact, Kaitlyn lives nearly 2,000 miles away from me in Pennsylvania. However, because of an inquiry email Kaitlyn sent me several months ago, Kaitlyn not only has an internship with RulingSports.com, but is also someone that I am constantly looking out for when it comes to finding other job opportunities.
So, what set Kaitlyn apart from the numerous other law students I receive emails from seeking internships? It was Kaitlyn’s expressed interest in what I was doing with RulingSports.com, clear definition of her goals and follow-up that set her apart from the pack.
Emailing or sending letters to professionals in the career field you’re interested in is definitely one way to strike up a professional relationship. However, you must be smart in your communication. When sending your first email or letter, be cognizant of the old saying that you only get one chance at a first impression. As such, you must be calculating in your approach.
So, what should you say in an inquiry letter? First, you need to explain why you are contacting the person. You need to expect that this person is receiving countless emails weekly that are largely crouched in the same proposition: Give me a job or help me. What makes your contact or request different? Likely, what makes yours different is that you are more passionate than every other person who is filling up my inbox. However, you need to tell me this. What makes you more passionate about this career path? Is it an experience you had? A class you took? A goal you had? Spell it out early in the correspondence so that the recipient becomes hooked.
Next, you need to explain how my responding to your email can benefit you on your career path. Does something in my career mirror something you are looking to achieve in yours? Is there guidance I can lend you? Do I work in an industry that you someday hope to? Again, you must answer the following question: Why am I contacting this person?
The important thing to take away, is that more likely than not, the person you are reaching out to is incredibly busy. You need to make it worth their time to read your correspondence. You do this by showing interest, finding a shared connection, and laying out a reason for further correspondence. Remember, the person that you are reaching out to does not owe you anything–let alone a response. As such, you need to give it your all when drafting your correspondence to them.
If you receive a response from the person you reached out to, you must then make it your goal to stay in touch with that person. Reach out to them every couple of months and update them on your job search or progression through school. Ask if they read an article or heard about a story that relates to their industry. Again, by building this relationship, chances are that somewhere along the line, a door will open.
3. Think outside of the box
I maneuvered through my first year of law school under the belief that the only internships that were available to me were housed in law firms. To this day, I still kick myself for this type of closed-minded thinking. The truth of the matter, is that the types of jobs that exist in the world are only limited by your imagination.
What is it that you really want to accomplish with your career? Spend an afternoon and write down everything that interests you about your chosen profession. Then, make a list of jobs or companies that mirror some of those interests. You will likely find that there are a wide variety of job and internship opportunities that exist which will fulfill your various passions.
What, though, if a job doesn’t exist? This might be the most perfect scenario of internship searching. Say that you think of a job function, do research on companies offering an internship in this area and find that none do. Do you just give up then and accept that you cannot find work in this area? No–absolutely not! Rather, you begin reaching out to companies and proposing an internship built around your idea. Some may tell you no and others might not respond. However, the real innovators will at least give you a shot to hear out your idea. And if you can convince them it’s worth their time to allow you to come into their company and do something that nobody else does, you likely just secured post-internship employment for yourself.
The Take-Away
Searching for internships is time consuming and sometimes frustrating. The key to success, though, is what I noted above: stick your neck out. Remain patient, but persistent. If you give your internship hunt all that you have, you will eventually find something that allows you an opportunity to further build upon your skills.
The Book
I’ve been sitting on a book idea for some time now. The plot is as clear as daylight in my mind. Upon the prodding of some friends and an absence of creativity in my life, I’ve decided to give it a go. In the grand scheme of things, it is a fictional sports-based love story.
I’ll be sharing snippits of the book throughout the writing process. I would love all of your feedback on it. This is its first page!
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The thin white numbers on my iPhone read 5:04 a.m. “This better be good,” I thought as I listened to the chiming sound of my phone ringing on the nightstand next to my bed. I tousled off from my chest the Hudson Park bedspread my agent, the ever-so-shrewd but apparently polite, Eric Bassow, sent as a housewarming gift when I moved to Los Angeles last month. The only signs that morning was near were the faint hint of the streetlight and building sound of traffic rolling in through my apartment window on Hollywood Boulevard.
They say that once you’ve “made it” your phone never stops ringing. In the last month, I’ve been told by more people than I can count that I’ve “made it.” The barista at the coffee shop on Santa Monica Boulevard that I frequented until I realized it was a “celebrity hotbed.” The bartender who served up Westsides like they were made out of water at Bar Marmont. The fit goddess in Lulu Lemon apparel who led me through the tortuous rigor of bar class every Saturday morning. They all said it. “You’ve made it, Abigail Grace.” I know that everyone is saying it these days. I still haven’t heard him say it, though.
Whoever said your phone never stops ringing once you’ve made it wasn’t lying. The problem though, is it’s not like your best friends are calling you all of the time to chuckle over your most recent disaster date. No. It’s agents. Managers. Publicists. Stylists. That kid you gave your number to in 8th grade who apparently never lost it. And then there’s my Dad, who every day this last month has called to say, “Hey Abs, it’s me. Just calling to see how you’re doing. Call me back.” Yes, I’ve made it. But even though I’m here, my heart is still fragile. My father, though, unlike the thoughtless person calling now is at least considerate enough to wait until there is no question that I am awake before calling.
I reach my hand over to my nightstand, unplug my phone from the charger and maneuver it, dressed in its flowery Lily Pulitzer case, so that it is just inches above my face. I squint, annoyingly trying to learn the identity of my early morning caller. Throwing my head backwards onto my pillow, I see “HILARY BUSBY” in bold letters spanning the space of my phone. Although it took everything in me not to hit the red “ignore button” and fall back into the sweet dream where his face was grazing mine, I hit “answer.”
“This better be good, Hil.”
I met Hilary during my first week of college at Georgia State College in Macon, Georgia. The two of us and what would become our other best friend, the ever-so-sophisticated Reagan Brand, ended up pledging Alpha Zeta Sorority together. Through designing a series of skimpy outfits for fraternity exchanges, competing in make out contests on 21st birthdays, losing our morals on spring break trips to Panama City and jumping around in short skirts every Saturday morning as GSC cheerleaders, the three of us became an inseparable trio. Yet, given all that we enjoyed together, truth be told, we each couldn’t be more different from one another.
All Of These Things
Truth be told, I’m dealing with a bruised heart right now. My friends would likely tell you it’s more of a bruised ego, as from May through October they all waited patiently to tell me, “I told you so.” I’m an optimist though, and a consistent giver of second chances. So I hopped on airplanes, put myself out there and ultimately learned my lesson the hard way.
The thing about hopping on airplanes to chase someone, is that you can’t do it in secret. Your friends know you’re leaving town. Your parents drop you off at the airport. When things don’t work out, when radio silence hits, when the feeling isn’t returned, you can’t just play it off like nothing happened. It’s not like a dinner date with someone local, where your friends would never even need to know you went and subsequently, you’d be able to save face if things didn’t work out.
In recent weeks, I’ve faced the question of “What happened with so-and-so?” repeatedly, although often packaged in different ways. Once I give my answer, which generally goes something like, “I really have no idea,” I typically receive a standard response. First, the response was, “I think you intimidate guys.” Sometimes it’s, “Alicia, you have your life together. That freaks guys out.” A favorite of mine was, “Alicia, you are a good girl who’s going to heaven and that’s scary for a lot of dudes.” Another constant gem is, “Guys might be turned off by your professional success.”
I’m not sure how much I believe any of these things factored into my current situation. I think the current situation turned the page that it did just because the timing wasn’t right, and more likely, that it just wasn’t supposed to work out. Yet, when your closest friends say things like those mentioned above, it makes you think. And when you’re mending a bruised heart, these comments swirl around in your head a lot faster and dwell in deeper than they would if you weren’t, say, mending a bruised heart.
Yesterday I had enough of it. Late in the day, I looked at myself in the mirror and literally said, “Why can’t I be all of these things?”
Why can’t I be a lawyer and a lover?
Why can’t I be smart but relaxed?
Why can’t I be sexy yet wholesome?
Sometimes I think society places an unfair precedent upon women. It’s a precedent that largely tells us we can only be one thing. You can be sexy, or you can be smart. You can be a mom, or you can be a career woman. You can be a wife, or you can explore the world.
I’ve never subscribed to any of these notions. From a young age, I always jumped into life with the belief that I could be everything I wanted to be. A driven career woman with lofty goals. A devoted wife who catches her husband’s eye. A caring mother who bakes cupcakes for her kids’ classes. I know I can have and be all of these things.
I think there are a lot of young women like myself who hit roadblocks in dating and have their hearts pounced on more often than they like. As young women do, they might then find themselves in a cocoon, questioning what they could have done differently or what they did wrong. They might then try to shed some of the layers that make them whole. “Well, maybe if I didn’t act intelligent, he’d still be around” “Or, maybe I should try to be more sexy to keep him interested.” “Perhaps I shouldn’t have let on that yes, I do want to start a family and he wouldn’t have bailed.”
You can’t do this. You are all of these things for a reason. These things are your makeup. They are your whole. They are you. And someday, someone will see all of these things and he will become a part of them.
Who Is Alicia Jessop?
The neat thing about having a website, is you can see what search terms someone used to get to it. Today, someone got here by searching, “Who is Alicia Jessop?” Initially, when I read this, I laughed. However, after thinking about it for a couple of seconds, I thought, “That is a really good question!” Who am I?
I’m pretty convinced that one’s mid-20s are some of the weirdest, most difficult and confusing years of life. I am searching more for my identity right now than I was when I was battling through puberty. And the truth of the matter is, most of my friends are too. If you looked at my computer screen right now, you’d see me playing counselor via GChat conversations between me and three of my closest friends. Each one has a different issue they are trying to sort out in their own lives: work, love, children. We are all trying to figure out who we are.
So, I think it was perfect timing, maybe serendipity if you will, that some stranger typed into a search engine, “Who is Alicia Jessop?” I think it was the perfect question, because it is something I needed to answer for myself today.
Alicia Jessop is someone who prides herself on giving the most of herself to others. She is a devoted daughter. She is a constant confidant to friends. She is a mentor to many. She is a smile to a stranger.
Alicia Jessop is someone who wears her heart on her sleeve. She is someone who believes in old-fashioned love and values. She is someone who will cross the street to help someone she sees in need. She is someone who will tell you how she feels and you know that it is coming from a place of truth.
Alicia Jessop is someone who subscribes to the belief that one can do anything they set their mind to. She knows that hard work can take you places you never imagined. She knows that when you give yourself fully to others, you will get everything you gave and more back. She is someone who is determined to get the most out of this life and make the most out of what’s been given to her.
Alicia Jessop is someone who lives her life by faith. She is someone who utilizes her choices to demonstrate the commitment she has made to Christ. She is someone who follows the golden rule. She is a person who doesn’t judge people for what they’ve done, but loves them for who they are.
Alicia Jessop is someone who has a zest for life. She is someone who is unafraid to sing karaoke. She is the person who gets the laughs rolling at the party. She is the friend you call when you have a crazy story to share–and expect her to have one just as good.
Alicia Jessop is someone whose name means “truth.” She is someone who if she says it, you know you can believe it. She is someone who doesn’t believe in sugar-coating things or niceties for the sake of being nice. She is someone who believes in laying everything on the line for the things and people who are important to her.
I think the reason why many people my age have such a hard time defining who we are, is because we secretly are aware that there is so much more to life. Many of us are at this juncture where life really is just beginning. Most of us don’t own houses. Some of us still haven’t met “The One.” Lots of us haven’t seen the faces of our children.
I know that for many of my friends and I, we let our unwillingness to define our identity get caught up in this minutiae of what we don’t have or what we haven’t accomplished yet. However, I realized today how unfair that is. Each of us on this planet is somebody to someone. We do things that nobody else does in ways that nobody else can. It’s sad, but true, that it took a stranger asking a search engine, “Who is Alicia Jessop?” to remind me of this.
So, today I ask, who are you?
Gratitude
November is here! I cannot believe how quickly 2012 has passed by. It seems like just yesterday I was clinging glasses with friends ringing in the New Year.
With November comes the start of the holiday season–one of my favorite times out of the year. November is particularly special to me, as I appreciate its emphasis upon finding gratitude for the day-to-day things in each of our lives.
To recognize this gratitude, I’m going to share one thing over the next 30 days that I am grateful for with all of you! I will also be posting gratitude inspired pictures on my newly launched Instagram account. My username is RulingSports.
I hope that each of you will follow along throughout the month! You can bookmark this post, as I will be updating it daily. Additionally, I’d love to hear what you’re grateful for! Please feel free to tell me in the comments section below.
I’m grateful for:
1. The generosity of my friends to help me achieve my dreams. My agent always says I need TV experience, and my friend, Ryan Peck, is going out of his way to help me get some experience. Thanks to Ryan, I will be an in-game reporter for the University of Denver men’s basketball and hockey teams this fall.
2. Friends for life. I’m an only child who always dreamed of having a sibling. I’m lucky for the fact that I have so many people I can call my “best” friends, who over time have become more like siblings. I’ve known some of them for as long as we’ve been born and others since the first day of kindergarten. We all live in different corners of the world, but they are always there to lend a hand or shoulder when I need it. Their presence in my life is one of my greatest blessings.
3. Celebrations. There are so many great celebrations this month. Yesterday was my high school friend, Brit’s bridal shower (yes, I am going to be a bridesmaid for the seventh time!). What an event that was! There were sixty women there and her sister, the Pinterest Queen, put together the most amazing spread. My mom turns 60 on Saturday and we are going to be celebrating this milestone all week long. I’m grateful to have wonderful people and special moments in life to celebrate. It’s a nice reminder that life is precious.
The dessert table at Brit’s bridal shower! There was also a build-your-own caramel apple bar and mini grilled cheeses over mini cups of tomato basil soup! Way too much fun!
4. Sunday mornings. Sunday mornings are one of my favorite times of the week. I either begin my day by going to church or studying the Bible on my own. Then I head to Starbucks for a a nonfat Chai latte with one of my girlfriends or with my laptop to catch up on work. After that, it’s time to watch Broncos football with my family at home or friends while enjoying lunch. In my life, Sunday’s are simple and for that, I’m grateful.
5. New beginnings. For some time after college, I thought all of the fun in life was over. To put it mildly, I had a really good time in college. I could not imagine how life could be better than being surrounded by all of my friends, all of the time. I’m grateful for finally taking adulthood in stride and for the new beginnings I’ve been given in my personal life. I’m blessed for the new people of great character that come into my life on a near daily basis. I’m thankful for the chance to learn a new person’s story and to begin building new friendships with the various people who find their way onto my life’s path. It is these experiences that make this growing up thing fun!
6. America. I’ve always been proud to be an American. However, going to law school and studying the Constitution really sealed the deal for me. Looking at framework of that document, it is so amazing what a group of men were able to do nearly 300 years ago to secure our life, liberty and pursuit of happiness today. I truly believe that the United States is the greatest country on the planet. I’m grateful for the opportunity that the Constitution gives me, as a young woman, to wake up every single day and pursue my dreams to the best of my ability.
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For Jen
I remember the first day I met Jen like it was yesterday. It was the first Friday of the first week of school in the fall of 2004. She was a freshman and had just pledged Sigma Kappa. That year, I was recruitment chair and as we all gathered for our Bid Day activities that night, I had the greatest sense of pride. I was so proud, because I knew my chapter accomplished what it set out to achieve during sorority recruitment: recruit women of character.
At our Bid Night activities, we first met at our newly built house. Everyone gathered in the living room to sit and introduce themselves before we headed out for our activity. Jen sat on the couch closest to the doors leading to the Alpha Phi house. When the curly redhead said, “I’m Jen!” with the greatest of smiles beaming across her face, I knew we had somebody special amongst us.
I’m grateful that I got to know Jen better after that first simple and innocent introduction. As I got to know Jen more throughout the seven years I knew and called her a friend and sister, it became clear that her life was about one thing: Love.
Jen would often speak to her Sigma Kappa sisters and friends about her desire to get married. She was an incredibly bright soul whose mind would allow her to do anything in the world. Yet, her dreams were simple and pure. The greatest thing she wanted, was to be loved and love others. I think I speak for everyone when I say how lucky Jen was to find Logan and to marry him. Jen found one of the most solid and caring men on the planet. They were each other’s rocks and Jen got to live out her dream on earth. She loved.
As chance would have it, Jen was diagnosed with leukemia on the day set specifically on our calendars to recognize love: February 14, 2011. That date would foreshadow the way that Jen battled against leukemia and how she lived out the days with her life.
Throughout her courageous fight against cancer, Jen fought with love. As Jen underwent tests and hellish procedures, she never cried out, “Why me?” Rather, she kept on loving others and kept her own pain and fears quiet. She proudly shared about her brother Steven’s acceptance to Yale. She would share pictures of his costume design work with friends and wrote the kindest tributes to him as he prepared to make the move back east. She celebrated the birth of friends’ children and changed her Facebook picture to commemorate their arrival on earth. She visited other soldiers in the fight against cancer and stood at their bed sides wishing them peace on their journey when her own was in full-force. Even as she faced the toughest battle of her life, life was not about Jen. Rather, for Jen, life remained to be about loving others.
Jen was love.
The greatest gift Jen gave me as a friend was serving as an example of what complete faith in Christ as our savior looks like.
During a 20-month battle against cancer, Jen never said, “Why me, God?” Rather, she woke up and fought against cancer everyday with prayer. Each day, friends across the country would set their alarms to 7 p.m. and all join in prayer for Jen. Her mother, Shelley, wrote a beautiful online journal about Jen’s journey, and no matter what happened on a given day, Shelley ended each post with “We are thankful for today!!” In the face of such an awful disease, I truly believe that the reason why Jen and her family continuously gave thanks, was because of their complete faith in Jesus Christ as our savior.
Jen, your complete faith in Jesus helped bring me back to Him. In part because of you, I open my Bible now every single night and turn its pages. That you found peace during your battle is a reminder to each and every one of us of that promise that was made on the cross. I’m still working at it, but I want that absolute faith that you knew. I know, that because of your absolute faith in Christ that today, you are celebrating in heaven. You are free from the pains of this world and are surrounded by the only thing you ever wanted: love.
Jen’s legacy is love.
Throughout her battle against leukemia, Jen became a vocal advocate for others to become bone marrow donors. Because of Jen, many of her friends and those people’s friends have signed up to become bone marrow donors. Even as she was undergoing what can only be described as exhausting and draining medial procedures, Jen hit the pavement to get the word out about bone marrow donorship. Jen hosted bone marrow donor drives from places like her alma mater, the Colorado School of Mines, to the Chick-Fil-A owned by her parents. While Jen accomplished much in her life, save for her wedding day, I don’t think I ever saw her look more proud than when she met in the hospital with a donor who signed up at one of her drives after he donated bone marrow.
Jen worked alongside Love Hope Strength, a foundation dedicated to finding new bone marrow donors at rock concerts. CBS This Morning even documented her passionate work with the organization. Jen’s mission to encourage others to become bone marrow donors has only just begun. Our sorority committed itself to the cause last night, making Love Hope Strength its local philanthropy. I think it’s safe to say, too, that each and every one of Jen’s family members and friends will continue to support bone marrow donor drives.
Jen, I’m going to miss the simple grace by which you lived life. You were a gem on this earth–a young person who lived life unadulterated. You gave more of yourself than anyone could have ever asked of you to everyone you came across. You did this throughout your entire life–never stopping once to put yourself ahead of your concern for others. Your spirit for life shined through your eyes and that beautiful red hair.
You’ll live on always, Jen. Because you were so loved.
–
You can donate to Love Hope Strength in memory of Jen, here.
Where You Need To Be
I needed today.
One of my favorite quotes is by Saint Therese of Lisieux, a Catholic nun whose life was devoted to her faith. It goes as follows:
“May today there be peace within. May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith. May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content knowing that you are a child of God. Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us.”
This quote came alive for me today.
I feel like in the timespan of 12 hours today, my life came full-circle.
I started today by sitting in my old house in Corona del Mar and writing a blog telling others to give life their all, inspired by my wonderful friend Jen’s life. In the blog, I wrote about this sign I saw in Laguna Beach yesterday with a quote that I’d previously never seen before:
After writing the post, I finished getting ready, gathered my bags and went to visit my old law firm. Exactly a year ago today, my old law firm flew me to San Francisco to meet with the firm’s partner there. The game plan was for me to move to San Francisco and begin working in our office there. The job would have been a promotion and they were offering me a 15 percent pay raise. The problem though, was that I had just started RulingSports.com three months earlier and finally found a path that would lead me to solidifying my dream of working in the sports industry. I knew that moving to San Francisco and taking that job would essentially mean the death of RulingSports.com, because I would be working long, tiresome hours.
It was shortly after that trip, in November, that I accepted a job offer that moved me back to Denver. I accepted my current job in part to relocate to be closer to my family, but more so, to allow me the flexibility to continue building RulingSports.com and my sports media career.
Meeting with my old boss today was wonderful. It was nice being able to not only tell him thank you for the opportunity the firm gave me to launch my legal career, but that going out on a limb and chasing my dream was worth it. It was humbling to stand in his office today and know that the risk I took has paid off thus far.
From my old law firm, I headed up the 405 to the USC campus. In December of last year, USC opened up its doors to this new writer and took her on a tour of the then in construction John McKay Center. Today I visited with my friend, Senior Associate Athletic Director Mark Jackson, and had the neat opportunity to see the finished product of a building that just ten months ago, I wore a hard hat through.
As we walked down the winding halls of the McKay Center, looking at its impressive features, we came to a closed-door. Mark knocked once and then took me inside. There sat USC head football coach Lane Kiffin. He said, “Nice to meet you, Alicia.” The next thing I knew, I was seated in a chair, having a conversation with one of the most-recognized college football coaches of our day. It was one of those moments, where I realized that this journey I’m on is really going somewhere and the hard work I have put in is beginning to pay off. It was a time when I became even more grateful that I’ve chased this dream.
My visit at USC ended in Mark’s office where we finished up our interview. When I walked in there, I was nearly moved to tears. The first thing my eyes spotted in his office was that sign I saw in Laguna Beach yesterday that I blogged about this morning. That sign that reminds us that what we do today is important. That sign that tells us to live life to the best of our abilities. I told Mark about losing my friend Jen on Saturday and how I saw that sign for the first time yesterday. I told him I thought it was an absolutely crazy coincidence that he had it hanging in his office.
I love what I did today.
After leaving USC, I headed up the 405 some more to the Red Bull headquarters, which also is home to the Red Bull Media House. I’m currently working on a story about Red Bull’s innovative ways of using extreme sports to build their brand. They invited me to come and take a tour of their 100,000 square foot facility in Santa Monica.
When I walked in, I was greeted by six Red Bull executives. They told this young writer how excited they were to meet her and how they’ve been anticipating her arrival. I was quickly escorted into a theater and asked to sit in the third row, so that I could have the greatest view of the film we were about to watch. On the giant screen in front of me, were the faces of people telling me to actually live life–to be daring and extreme with the chances you are given in this one life. There were skiers flying down mountains, people on surfboards ripping through insane waves, a ten-year-old on a skateboard landing the first 1080 in history.
Then came a preview for the Shane McConkey documentary Red Bull is developing. McConkey was an extreme skier, who for lack of a better phrase, flew on skis. He would literally toss himself off of mountains while on skis and fly back down to earth. He was the epitome of fearless. His life ended on March 26, 2009 when he was performing a double back flip on skis and because he struggled to release his skis, his parachute was not deployed. McConkey truly lived to do what he loved and experience the most out of life. It’s a testament to him that his life ended doing what he lived for.
The preview featured images of McConkey’s life mixed in with comments from those who knew him. Each comment and image was moving. Then, skateboarder Tony Hawk came on the screen and this day became more than a coincidence. Hawk started by saying, “Today is a new day”–those words that were the title to the post I wrote this morning. He then went on to explain that we all are on this earth to experience an adventure and to push our limits. His words captured the message I tried to drive home this morning. They served as a gentle reminder to me to go out on a limb and get the most out of this one life.
I needed today.
After the movie preview ended, I was ushered into a film editing room. There, I was told, “Alicia, you are about to see something nobody else in the world has seen.” On the screen in front of me, never-before-seen footage from the Red Bull Stratos mission appeared. I watched as Felix Baumgartner free-fell to the earth and saw the majesty of the earth’s land beneath him. I heard silence at first and then the crashing sound of air as he broke the sound barrier. I heard the first words he said during the course of his fall, “Rock and roll!” I mused with those in the room with me as to how calm he looked. I quipped, “This is a man who is living.”
I thanked God for today.
Today is what I like to call a “full-circle” day. It was a day, where prior to it, some time had run a course where you question what you’re doing with your life. You question the decisions and sacrifices you’re making. You wonder if you’re following the right path–the one led by your heart.
But then, a full-circle day comes along and you know that all of those little instances are more than pure coincidences. They’re reminders from God that although the path you’re on is long, and full of twists-and-turns, that you’re on it for a reason. Those questions will soon enough have answers. Those sacrifices will soon enough have their payback.
I needed today.
I needed today to remind me what I’m on this earth to do: To share stories of life and living and freedom. To remind people that this life is a gift and to encourage others to do their best to make the most of it. God has given me this amazing, fantastic gift to meet others and learn their stories. I am so blessed that He has given me this opportunity. I am grateful that He gave me today.
Alicia Jessop 