A few years ago I did something with my aunties that many called crazy. In hindsight I would completely agree it was madness. Together we walked 50 kilometres across 12 hours around our home city.
My favourite part of this event, however, wasn’t the day itself. It was the training walks we did together, traipsing up mountains, winding around waking tracks, enjoying views and chatting about life.
On one occasion as the event was getting closer we were scheduled to walk 25km one weekend. I couldn’t join my aunties for whatever reason but committed to doing the walk solo.
My biggest worry wasn’t water. It wasn’t snacks and it wasn’t my sore feet. It was the fact that I was going to get bored doing this walk alone.
Having recently started listening to audiobooks I did a quick Google search on ‘entertaining audiobooks’ and Tina Fey’s Bossypants came running in to save the day.
I frolicked up and down hills and along tracks listening to Tina’s smooth and entertaining voice as she recounted stories of her career and life. There was a particularly intense part where she was describing the office behaviour of the men at one of her jobs where I was literally laughing out loud as I walked along.
It was at that particular moment that I realised a pair of hikers were overtaking me and were just behind me. They were probably trying to walk as fast as they could past me to get the hell away from the crazy lady laughing to herself and swinging her walking stick around in front of them.
Tina Fey is one of those powerhouse women that slogged her guts out to get where she is, and continues to put huge amounts of effort into her work, family and life in general. She does all this while making it look “fun” and “easy” on the outside. She is sharp, witty, honest and hilarious.
Born in 1970, Tina describes being called “bossypants” from a young age, because she was the child directing the other kids around when they were playing. More than that, all I can say is go and read or listen to her book. It is fabulous.
Her career has been insane, and in amongst it she has raised two daughters and held her life together. The lack of sleep, the requirement to create and be “on” at a moments notice… It isn’t something I could ever imagine myself doing. But I am so glad that she does it for us!
Just check out her filmography. Two of my favourites:
- She made 138 episodes of 30 Rock where she worked as creator, writer, executive producer and actor.
- 2004 saw Mean Girls, the movie that I and countless other girls/women of my time have watched again and again. Tina both starred in and wrote this one, too.
So, from the late 1990s to current day, Tina Fey has created, produced, acted, written, starred in, coordinated, managed, directed, [insert verb here] movies, TV programs, comedy skits, BOOKS… This woman is a creative genius and I am so pleased to be surrounded by her goodness.
Thank you to the following sites:
Immskar 