Toot your own horn

8 July 2020

Today was a special day Rod. I found out that I have made the first cut for a prize in France for women in industry sponsored by a relatively famous trade magazine in France called “Usine Nouvelle”. I don’t know if i’ll win, but feeling pretty good about being nominated. This first cut means I’ll be in a special edition of the magazine that comes out in September. Yesterday, I was interviewed by a journalist and today I had a photo shoot. So, I prepared a nice suit and looked for a lapel pin in my jewelry box and there was the gold trumpet you bought me in HongKong..the next to last piece of jewelry you bought me.

As I was pinning it on, the thought came to me, that you always told me “you don’t beat your own drum, or toot your own horn”. Here I am going to be in a magazine! I know you would have been “busting a gut”! You were right and still are right, it’s hard to toot my own horn about that stuff. That is not comfortable for me..you even went as far to say “it’s a character defect” and I would say, well, that’s my mom Ruby coming out, can’t change that!” I Know it was a source of frustration for you all during our life together. Even though I love you to the moon and back, I couldn’t change that part of me…until today, for a brief moment! I pinned the gold trumpet, straight up and down just like I would have held it in the 202 KY ARNG band where we first met, and I whispered, smiled and cried..”I’m tooting my own horn today Rod, just for you”. Whatever happens with the prize and magazine in September is secondary..today, just for a few moments, I tooted my own horn, the horn you bought me 9 months before you died, the horn that signifies where we met, the horn that says I’m proud of you.

I will always love you Rodney, always. Today, only for a moment, I tooted my own horn..just for you in my heart, and by consequence the readers of the Usine nouvelle.

I’ll update you in September on this horn tooting experience Rodney. September..the month “we” became an item, our month, the month you passed away, so many emotions coming in that month. That is not today..deep breath, stay in today Sarah, toot your own horn and enjoy the moment.

Love,

Sarah