You want to take this Moxie challenge!

Surprise! We’re talking Moxie again!! Frankly it is too delicious a topic not to, not to mention I left you completely hanging by not resolving my old definition dilemma. Well dear Bliss fans, this is all about to change with the infusion of Moxie to be delivered from today’s guest blogger Kimberly Shulman McCormick. I asked Kimberly to chime in on our topic because I have always thought of her as a person who exudes the feisty trait. Check out her loud and wonderful blog My Soul in Shoes and see moxie in action. Interestingly enough, as is too often the case, this amazing woman did not see herself as having moxie.

What transpired next is nothing short of miraculous. Kimberly conducted a Moxie intervention on herself and took the time to research the topic and challenged herself to know her Moxie. In the post that follows, she shares that journey with us and invites you to the same challenge.

Due in great part to Kimberly’s exploration of the topic I have also been able to decide on the “official Bliss Habits Moxie definition” and I will reveal that to you at the end of  Kimberly’s story.

 

 

 

MOXIE.

WTF? It sounds like a weird word my Grandma would have used along with the phrases “Mind your P’s and Q’s” and “I’m going to see a man about a horse”.

MOXIE. I think I know the definition, but I don’t know if I can explain it or describe it to you in words because I’m not really sure what it means. In fact, I don’t even know if I have “the moxie”. It would be so much easier for me to say, “Moxie?Excuse me? You tawkin’ to me? Moxie is me. I am moxie. I am the epitome of moxie”. Or am I? If said all that, it would be a lie.

Kathy, our Hostess with the Mostest, asked me to write about moxie.

Don’t ask me why I chose to accept, but I did.

So, now that I have gotten myself in this predicament, please join me on a little fishing expedition and let’s see what we discover.

First – let’s examine what moxie is not.

1. Moxie is not short for Moccasin or Mukluks.
2. Moxie is not a mock turtleneck.
3. Moxie is not a distant relative of a Myleus schomburgkii (Disk tetra), Macrotocinclus affinis (Suckermouth catfish) orMetynnis argenteus (Silver Dollar fish). Nor is moxie related to a goldfish or a minnow.
4. Moxie is not short for chicken pox.
5. Moxie is not a rabbit and is not related to Flopsy or Cottontail.
6. Moxie is not a brand of epoxy.
7. Moxie is not what a young boy calls his best friend’s mother whom he thinks is foxy.
8. Moxie is not short for a marriage proxy.
9. Moxie does not stand for Mx, nor is it found on the Periodic Table of elements following Mg (Magnesium)

10.Moxie is not to be confused with Maxixe, the Brazilian ballroom

dance that resembles the two-step.

11.Moxie is not the next word most likely to be stolen by Paris

Hilton and then totally played out. “Impromptu bra-rides in a

convertible aroundLas Vegas are so totally moxie!”

So if none of these are moxie, what is?

 

“Most if not all women hate when their aunts flow comes to visit. Well, Moxie Products make it more glamorous. If you are the cutesy, pink loving, hello kitty type woman – you will LOVE this product! Moxie packages its products in a sassy & fashionable manner.  Some products are wrapped in pink striped boxes, accented with a satin black bow.  While the tampons come in tiny tin containers with an imprinted pink stripe and a black bow.”

Moxie has even made a series of TV commercials to be aired exclusively on MTV. “We have taken a ‘real’ approach to our catchy ads – no patronizing advertising with women frolicking on the beach wearing white pants or doing cartwheels.Our ads are based on those little ‘hell’ moments we all have (like a closet full of clothes and nothing to wear!); all the little things that only us women really understand. Watch the ads and you’ll see what we mean!”

MOXIE MOOD SWINGS

Is this girl supposed to have moxie? I’m not so sure. I don’t exactly throw a dish when I’m perturbed; I usually just eat ice cream. Let’s investigate some more.

How about we take a gander at how moxie is defined by those in the know…

From Wikipedia

Moxie is a carbonatedbeverage that was one of the first mass-produced soft drinks in the United States. Moxie originated as a patent medicine called “Moxie Nerve Food,” which was created around 1876 by Dr. Augustin Thompson of Union, Maine. It continues to be regionally popular today. President Calvin Coolidge was known to favor the drink, and Boston Red Sox slugger Ted Williams endorsed it on radio and in print. A new website, DrinkMoxie.com, was created to promote Moxie and recipes created with Moxie (called “Moxology“).

HUH?

 

Newsflash: I’ve already gone through menopause and I don’t drink soda…

Too bad there’s not an app for this… Oh, wait, there is one.

Oy, all right already. I get it. I can get a friggin’ app for moxie. But do I have moxie or not?

Here’s the definition of moxie:

mox·ie noun \ˈmäk-sē\

• Energy, pep, determination, know-how
• Active strength of body or mind
• Knowledge gained by actually doing or living through something.
• Strength of mind to carry on in spite of danger
• Sass, courage, spunk, determination, attitude
• Having moxie means having enough cleverness, skill,creativity, fortitude and cojones to solve (or, at least, to get out of) a difficult and personally threatening situation.
• Something or someone possessing the attribute of “coolness” or having “balls.”

Now I get it.

Ask me if I have moxie and I’ll answer you, “Damn right I do! Moxie is my middle name”. Here are some examples of my moxieness:

Moxie. When I was 8 years old I wrote, produced and did the casting for The Easter Egg, a stage play that took place in my parents back yard. “Backstage” was the playhouse my dad had built for me. Moxie.

Moxie. When I was 10, I took organ lessons and was good enough to play the pipes at church and for the dinner crowd at the neighborhood Chinese restaurant. Moxie.

Moxie. When I was 16 years old I got my first job, (other than babysitting), where I was paid on a piece of paper. A paycheck – get it? I worked in a young men’s clothing store ON PURPOSE so I would meet cute guys. Moxie.

Moxie. When I was a junior in high school, I tried out for Song Leader (which was the waaaay upper echelon of the cheerleaders), even though I had fat calves and the mean girls called me sausage legs. I won. Moxie.

Moxie. When I was in high school my family didn’t have enough money to buy me all of the “fashionable” clothes that I wanted so I learned to sew my own. When I was a senior in high school, the yearbook published a picture of me. Next to my picture it said “Best Dressed Girl”. Moxie.

Moxie. When I was 18 years old I ran away from home to Reno, Nevada, and married my high school sweetheart. He wore a powder-blue-snap-front-waffle-weave-leisure-suit, and I wore my Junior Prom dress. We had our best friends there to witness and we all went out to lunch in a casino afterwards. If you are my friend on Facebook, you will see a picture of us. If not, tough titties. Moxie.

Moxie. When I was 18 years old, I applied for a job at Macy’s. I had always wanted to be a buyer so that’s is the position I applied for. They told me that because I didn’t have a college education I could never be a buyer. Really? At Christmas, I started working 12 hours a week in the Giftwrap department. At 23 years old, I was the youngest buyer EVER in the history of Macy’s and was travelling to New York every month and Honk Kong and Korea 4 times a year. So there, Macy’s.Moxie.

Moxie. When I was 19 I made jewelry to supplement my giftwrapping job. I sold it at flea markets and my grandmother would take some to her office to sell. I cleared $200 – $1000 every week. Moxie.

Moxie. When I was 25 years old, I moved from California to New York City. I only knew 2 people. One was a fellow buyer at Macy’s and the other was my new boss. Other than that, I didn’t know a soul. Moxie.

Moxie. It was difficult to meet “nice” guys in New York. Although I was raised a Catholic, my dad is Jewish so I figured that entitled me to attend a Jewish singles mixer. I went, met a nice guy, and in the following year, he bought me dinners and I showed him how to open a clinical trials business. I didn’t even know anything about clinical trials. Moxie.

Moxie. After I broke up with Mr. Jewish Guy, at the urging of a friend, I answered an ad in New York Magazine singles pages. Out of over 200 women, “He” chose me. While I happened to be out, he called and left a message for me. His voice sounded nice enough but his name sounded like he was the owner of the pizzeria around the corner. I met him anyway and we dated on and off for the next 5 years. Turns out he IS one of the largest jewelry designers in America. I suppose I could still get jewelry at wholesale if I asked…

HA! Moxie.

Moxie. After the jewelry guy, I opened, (with a partner), my own business. We worked in the music industry doing pro-tools editing for all of the young rap artists in NYC. I couldn’t even carry a tune in the shower. I died my hair a bright, vivid, red and gave myself the nickname “Red”. Our first and biggest client was Puff Daddy. Who the hell knows what his name is now, but back then, I’m the one who had his cell phone number. Moxie.

I’m starting to see that I have been moxying along all of my life. Honestly you guys, this is not what I planned to write when I accepted this assignment. But I am writing it from my heart.

Moxie. When I led programs for groups of people who wanted to become leaders in their communities.

Moxie. When I took care of my dying husband.

Moxie. When I traveled to Ireland and worked with Werner Ehrhardt to bring peace to the Catholics and Protestants.

Moxie. When I traveled to Haiti, to serve on the board of a company that provided micro-credit financing to the poor.

Moxie. When I did programs for the children of 9-11 who, through their schoolroom window, saw the planes hit the World Trade Center.

Moxie. When I co-authored and led a 12 week program for women who were HIV+

I “moxied” when I created “Love Is…” a program that skyrocketed from an idea of helping just six children to a fully conceived event providing thousands of gifts, live entertainment, and hot Christmas meals for over 400+ underprivileged children and their families.

I’M A FRICKIN’ MOXIE MAVEN, DAMMIT!

OK, so why am I so excited?

Because I don’t think of myself that way, ever, that’s why. Sometimes I forget who I am.

Thank you, Kathy, for reminding me who I am. I just inspired myself.

I urge you all to take my Moxie Challenge and get to know yourself all over again. I bet you will love who you meet.

Have fun and Keep Singing!

Kimberly

http://mysoulinshoes.blogspot.com/

http://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberlymccormick

https://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Soul-In-Shoes-Musings-on-life-as-a-broadway-musical/176321115772394

P.S. “Mind your P’s and Q’s – definition:

1) This relates back to the age of little 12 year olds become printing apprentices. So when they used to set up the letters on the press it would be very hard to identify the p’s from the q’s. That’s where the quote mind your p’s and q’s came from. Now what it means is that you should not worry about knowing the difference between p’s and q’s. So just mind your business. Nowadays, it means, “mind your manners.”

2) In old England the pubs served their beer and ale in pints and quarts. As there was no legal limit or anything like that, the men in the pubs often got rowdy, belligerent, or started fights. The ‘bar tender’ would often have to shout over the chaos, “SIT DOWN! MIND YOUR PINTS AND QUARTS AND BE QUIET!” or something along those lines. Minding the pints and quarts meant don’t slosh them around and spill them. This came down to us as a reprimand for rowdy behavior: Mind your P’s and Q’s.

3) Other origin stories, some considered “fanciful”, could come from French instructions to mind one’s pieds (feet) andqueues (wigs) while dancing. However, there is no French translation for this expression. Another origin could be fromsailors in the eighteenth century who were reminded to pay attention to their pea (coats) and queue (wigs).

4) A possible origin or at least similar expression comes from seventeenth-century slang. “P and Q” meant “prime quality” or “highest quality”. It has also been seen as “pee and kew”, though it is unclear what either literally stands for. It seems unlikely that the phrase “P and Q” stood for “prime quality”, because that does not explain the presence of the word “and”.

5) It is also possible that the expression refers to the careful reading of Medieval Latin texts: the letters “p” and “q” had various abbreviation symbols for different shortened words. For example, “q” with a dot over it was the abbreviation for “quod” while “p” with a line through the tail of the letter was the symbol for “per”. Minding that these abbreviations were interpreted accurately (i.e. that one read “per” as opposed to “post” or “pro”) would ensure the correct reading of the text.

6) Another explanation suggests that “Ps and Qs” is short for “pleases” and “thank-yous”, the latter of which contains a sound similar to the pronunciation of the name of the letter “Q”. This phrase would be used by parents to educate their children to not forget to use those polite words when they speak to people. Possibly, it meant, “please” and “excuse me.” Young children would pronounce them as Ps and Qs.

PPS.To see a man, to see a man about a dog, or to see a man about a horse – definition: is an English languagecolloquialism, usually used as to apologize for one’s imminent departure or absence – generally to euphemisticallyconceal one’s true purpose, such as going to use the toilet or going to buy a drink. Any general business that needs attending to that you may not care to discuss with the present party. The original non-facetious meaning was probably to place or settle a bet on a race, thus dogs or horses. We can meet for lunch on Tuesday, since I’ll be in the area; I have to see a man about a horse.

PSPS. The hostess with the mostest – definition: Kathy Funke Sprinkle. A most dedicated hostess willing to please everyone. Also- the most groovy put out chick…

This is a groovy party and you are the hostess with the mostest.

If you’re really that interested, you can keep on reading for the non-Reader’s Digest version of “MOXIE, the definitions” and also see all of the references for the post. Go on. You know you want to!

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you so much Kimberly!

Wow. I am almost breathless after that! Can you believe this woman didn’t think she had moxie? Crazy. I suspect a few of you out there may also feel the same way, so do your self a favor and take Kimberly’s Moxie Challenge. Also, leave a comment and let her know how she has inspired you to find your Moxie!!

And now without further ado the new Bliss Habits Moxie definition is:

Moxie – Possessing the attribute of “coolness” and able to face difficulty with spirit and courage; sass, spunk, determination and attitude.