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drink to make and I am obsessed. Obsessed I tell ya. It is whipped espresso with whipped cream. It is sort of like coffee mousse. I sip and reflect on my life, the good and the difficult.

The good things are bluff views from my cabin, coffee with high caffeine, my children, gourmet dinners, sending funny memes to my friends, driving my Mini Cooper, (driving might be an understatement, it’s more like shifting into high gear and zooming down the road), and going to the French bakery in Chattanooga.

Difficult things are unexpected bills, an ex-husband that refuses to leave me alone, (just how many restraining orders is it going to take dude?), and people that judge you up wrongly and act accordingly-secretly whispering and refusing to say hello. It can be frustrating and painful to endure. Have you ever been the victim of this? Most of us have.

You especially become a target if you are an independent and successful woman. Some men get intimidated by a powerful woman. Some women can become jealous. They seem to especially become jealous if you are happy with your own life. I notice that my closest, lifelong friends are achievers, they know how to enjoy life and have no need to be jealous of other women. Women that are suppressed by a domineering man are usually the worst when it comes to assassinating your character. They are not free to be themselves or pursue any personal goals.

It can be shocking when people are told something off the wall about you and immediately not only believe it, but feel they have a “moral obligation,” to pass it on to, “protect” others. Ha. I just have to laugh about some of the rumors that I have battled through the years. I am surely the most dangerous person you will ever encounter. A close friend of mine that has been a respected psychologist for over 40 years helped me greatly- she said, “Honey, you need to sew an S onto all of your blouses for “Scandalous woman!” HaHaHa. 

Yep, I reckon I’ll just own this reputation that some have given me-like I always say, “I have the reputation with none of the fun.”

Fortunately, I have a lot of awesome friends that really know me, I am respected in my community, so that small- and small-minded group that wants to persist in acting like I have hung my children off of the Empire State Building or God only knows what else will just have to continue on while I sip my espresso and zoom down the road. I ain’t looking back so go ahead and talk.

Check out Teresa Kindred’s columns in our Sunday editions.