Risk It All

I found the bracelet that articulated my philosophy for this adventure when I attended the Austin Fine Arts Festival in April 2003. As we neared the end of the displays, we passed by a small booth in which silver jewelry crafted from childhood iconography was displayed, i.e., Magic 8-Ball necklaces, Scrabble letter earrings, etc. Since I've always been a fan of silver bracelets, my eyes were immediately drawn to a collection of bangles that had interesting phrases stamped on them. I looked at a few and then found the one that had the message RISK IT ALL.

I tried it on and turned to the woman to buy it. She looked at me and said, "oh, I don't know if you're the kind of person who can wear this bracelet...that doesn't seem like your kind of message." My friend Craig was standing behind me, heard the comment, and before I could respond told this woman, "don't judge a book by it's cover, you have no idea how perfect this bracelet is for her." So, that being said, I bought it and have worn it every day since that hot Sunday in April 2003. Many people ask me if I wear the bracelet as a reminder to myself. I laugh when I answer "no, it's a warning to others."