Girl, Wash Your Face summary

The author is often asked for the secret to her success. She gets up at 5 a.m. every morning to work. She isn’t afraid to ask for help. She’s happy to fail, over and over. But lots of people do all these things, but aren’t successful. So what’s the secret?

The author is successful because she never, ever, took no for an answer when it came to pursuing her dreams.

When the author first met her husband, she had about as much experience of sex as she did of hunting big game in Africa – none. And as is the case in many marriages, for a long time, her experience of sex was terrible. Out of touch with her own sexuality, and never having really had any education on the subject, she would agree to sex but not embrace it. Sensing her lack of enthusiasm, her husband wasn’t having much fun either.

But now? Her sex life is exceptional. She has more sex than a mother of four could reasonably expect! How did she manage it?

If you are a mom with kids and a job – or heck, even just the kids – then you know what chaos looks like. It’s an unexpected hospital visit with a five-year-old at the same time you’re supposed to pick up your oldest child from school, or a broken washing machine on laundry day.

We often despair when faced with chaos.

If you don’t have any issues with your body, weight or your relationship with food, then lucky you! But if you are one of the many women today concerned about their weight or body image, that’s not a surprise. It’s hard not to struggle with health and body image in this aspirational, social-media-obsessed society.

But here’s the rub. According to the author, if your weight is unhealthy, then this isn’t one of those areas in life where the answer is to accept and love yourself as you are.

The author had a sheltered upbringing in a small town in Southern California that was white, conservative and religious. So when as a teenager she went on a trip to Disneyland with her symphonic band, she was blown away by the diversity of the other guests. She saw men holding hands, friends of different races, goths and people with crazy tattoos. She barely knew what to do other than stare at them like she was in a zoo.

Since then, she’s grown up to understand how important it is to recognize that being part of a community with people who don’t look like you, vote like you, believe like you or love like you is important. It’s a way to stretch your character and become the best version of yourself.

As a teenager, the author fell in love with the actor Matt Damon. She watched Good Will Hunting over and over again and became convinced that one day she would marry him. She could picture in great detail their wedding and even what their kids would look like.

A few years later, after she moved to Los Angeles, she was working as an events manager for a Miramax event and she noticed Matt Damon approaching her from across the room. Her heart started pounding. It really was destined to be! When he reached her, he spoke. It’s happening, she thought! And then he said, “Can you tell me where I’m sitting, please?”