Up until a year ago, I used to drive a little Honda Civic.  It was a pretty economical car with cloth seats and basic amenities. I would bring my big dog Sylvie in that car a lot too, so I’m sure it smelled like—well, dog.  All of that was fine until I would show up for a speaking engagement at a country club or fancy shmancy place and have to use valet parking.  Drat, I thought.  Why didn’t I vacuum out my car before I came—get rid of some of the dog hair—or at least spray some Febreze to cover the dirty dog smell. But it was too late. I’d pull up alongside the shiny BMW’s and Range Rovers, feeling a little self-conscious, and promise myself to tip the valet generously to make up for the dog smell. And as the valet held open my door for me, I had that niggling feeling that somehow my car defined me, that there was a tiny part of me that didn’t fit in here. This feeling came flooding … [continue reading...] about How To Show Up As Yourself