I laughed at the irony of answering 'you're too serious' with a ten-point plan, mostly because I'd have done exactly the same. Having fun versus being fun is a distinction I hadn't put into words before. Enjoy the Friday dance parties 💃
Love this Leslie! I learned innerchild work has been so important in my life. Even working as hard as I do, my fiance reminds me of the importance of play time too.
Sounds like you found a perfect life partner! We all need more balance in life and the people who support us in getting there! Sending you much ❤️ my friend.
9 pm sounds great to me! I don't drink too much either, but I do partake in some edibles instead and boy that does make me fun. Not too much, just a little 😉
Such a beautiful and relatable reflection, Leslie. We spend so much of our lives learning to be responsible that we sometimes forget to let ourselves simply be. I love your reminder that we don’t have to choose between wisdom and playfulness. May we all find the courage to dance a little more, laugh a little louder, and embrace the joy of being imperfectly, authentically ourselves.
Molly, you offer such a beautiful perspective on balance. It certainly sounds like you’ve done the hard work to create that for yourself. I honor you for that. It’s not easy, and it’s not for everyone. The fact that you’re here sharing your experiences makes it even more admirable. I look forward to reading your work and learning more from you.
Hoffman offered me an opportunity to really reevaluate how much time I give to my intellectual self, often at the expense of playfulness, creativity and fun, not to mention my gut and intuition.
I had a really introspective conversation with my writing coach last night about leaning more into my intuition. I’m looking forward to seeing how my work unfolds as I create more of this magical balance in my own life.
Thank you again for your willingness to be part of this article and for your friendship and support. I am deeply grateful to have met you. ❤️🙏
“Since I’m not running for office, I consider myself in the clear.“ 😂 I think about that too sometimes when I divulge things from the past. :-) but, what if we should decide to run for Office in the future?
Awww, thank you so much for the shout-out! Joy and fun are so important, but be careful what you wish for. Let me explain. (Forgive the long comment)
I’m a professional fun person. As a musical theater actress and composer/playwright, I’m literally paid to entertain: parties, flashmobs, and for seven years, elaborate industrial-style musicals for Netflix in Silicon Valley. It’s what a working creative does to make ends meet.
But I also have a major immune disorder: my body makes zero antibodies. I started getting sick around 18 and wasn’t diagnosed until 39. Weekly plasma gives me other people’s antibodies, which is a godsend, but I still live with daily flu-like symptoms, headaches, stomach trouble, and a stubborn, antibiotic-resistant infection. It’s also why Broadway wasn’t in the cards. I work on the West Coast, where my body is happier, writing things like Real Housewives: The Musical. Fun!
Ten years ago, Paxil, prescribed to help with the grief of being so sick, triggered a year-and-a-half hypomanic episode and a Bipolar II diagnosis. Given the history of bipolar and schizophrenia on my mom's side of the family, I wasn’t shocked. Mood stabilizers made me feel like a shell of myself, so I did three years of hardcore therapy to learn to temper my cycles. I don’t really get depressed. I get sick. I wrote a solo musical about it, Molly Bell’s Hysterical, where I play me, my therapist, and all my doctors. See? Fun!
Which is why people like you, Leslie, are so fascinating to me: calm, collected, well EDITED (see what I did there?), and... what’s the word? Poised? Unflappable? I envy anyone who can stay calm in a room. I have to talk myself out of being the center of attention, and people gravitate to me because I’m hired to be fun.
We all carry something. I love being fun, and I love that you find me fun!
That’s why I love Substack: it’s a place to write about the world Between Sick and Well, and to meet people like you. Thank you again. I love reading your work. It’s a thrill.
Here’s to being more fun on both of us!!
Exactly!
I needed this. Thank you, Molly
I laughed at the irony of answering 'you're too serious' with a ten-point plan, mostly because I'd have done exactly the same. Having fun versus being fun is a distinction I hadn't put into words before. Enjoy the Friday dance parties 💃
I was out of bed yesterday 💃💃💃
This really resonated for me! Wonderful piece.
Thank you 🙏 I am glad it found you.
Love this Leslie! I learned innerchild work has been so important in my life. Even working as hard as I do, my fiance reminds me of the importance of play time too.
Sounds like you found a perfect life partner! We all need more balance in life and the people who support us in getting there! Sending you much ❤️ my friend.
Loved this piece today! I feel like Im less fun because I dont really drink anymore and love being in bed by 9pm! 😂
You’re not alone on that one. A 5:30 dinner reservation isn’t beneath me either. Early nights and early mornings are my vibe.
9 pm sounds great to me! I don't drink too much either, but I do partake in some edibles instead and boy that does make me fun. Not too much, just a little 😉
Those were the days. It’s probably a good thing edibles didn’t exist in my teenage years! I limit my intake to 🥂 these days.
Such a beautiful and relatable reflection, Leslie. We spend so much of our lives learning to be responsible that we sometimes forget to let ourselves simply be. I love your reminder that we don’t have to choose between wisdom and playfulness. May we all find the courage to dance a little more, laugh a little louder, and embrace the joy of being imperfectly, authentically ourselves.
I did have my Friday morning dance party! Turns out it’s actually worth climbing out of the comfort of my sheets for, even at 6:30 in the morning. 🙏❤️
🙌🏻
Molly, you offer such a beautiful perspective on balance. It certainly sounds like you’ve done the hard work to create that for yourself. I honor you for that. It’s not easy, and it’s not for everyone. The fact that you’re here sharing your experiences makes it even more admirable. I look forward to reading your work and learning more from you.
Hoffman offered me an opportunity to really reevaluate how much time I give to my intellectual self, often at the expense of playfulness, creativity and fun, not to mention my gut and intuition.
I had a really introspective conversation with my writing coach last night about leaning more into my intuition. I’m looking forward to seeing how my work unfolds as I create more of this magical balance in my own life.
Thank you again for your willingness to be part of this article and for your friendship and support. I am deeply grateful to have met you. ❤️🙏
“There was never a line item for fun” is a sentence I wish I’d written, and a spreadsheet I recognize. You’re not alone in the beige square.
“Since I’m not running for office, I consider myself in the clear.“ 😂 I think about that too sometimes when I divulge things from the past. :-) but, what if we should decide to run for Office in the future?
Awww, thank you so much for the shout-out! Joy and fun are so important, but be careful what you wish for. Let me explain. (Forgive the long comment)
I’m a professional fun person. As a musical theater actress and composer/playwright, I’m literally paid to entertain: parties, flashmobs, and for seven years, elaborate industrial-style musicals for Netflix in Silicon Valley. It’s what a working creative does to make ends meet.
But I also have a major immune disorder: my body makes zero antibodies. I started getting sick around 18 and wasn’t diagnosed until 39. Weekly plasma gives me other people’s antibodies, which is a godsend, but I still live with daily flu-like symptoms, headaches, stomach trouble, and a stubborn, antibiotic-resistant infection. It’s also why Broadway wasn’t in the cards. I work on the West Coast, where my body is happier, writing things like Real Housewives: The Musical. Fun!
Ten years ago, Paxil, prescribed to help with the grief of being so sick, triggered a year-and-a-half hypomanic episode and a Bipolar II diagnosis. Given the history of bipolar and schizophrenia on my mom's side of the family, I wasn’t shocked. Mood stabilizers made me feel like a shell of myself, so I did three years of hardcore therapy to learn to temper my cycles. I don’t really get depressed. I get sick. I wrote a solo musical about it, Molly Bell’s Hysterical, where I play me, my therapist, and all my doctors. See? Fun!
Which is why people like you, Leslie, are so fascinating to me: calm, collected, well EDITED (see what I did there?), and... what’s the word? Poised? Unflappable? I envy anyone who can stay calm in a room. I have to talk myself out of being the center of attention, and people gravitate to me because I’m hired to be fun.
We all carry something. I love being fun, and I love that you find me fun!
That’s why I love Substack: it’s a place to write about the world Between Sick and Well, and to meet people like you. Thank you again. I love reading your work. It’s a thrill.