Bonnie Raitt

So I think I've earned the ability to be more relaxed from 36 years of work in a sobriety program, but also spiritual and therapy. And some of it is just the age. I can't separate the times we're in from having been a feminist. You know, I mean, if we were fighting what women had to fight in the 1930s. Oh, please. I probably look like my grandmother did when she was 74.

So I think I've earned the ability to be more relaxed from 36 years of work in a sobriety program, but also spiritual and therapy. And some of it is just the age. I can't separate the times we're in from having been a feminist. You know, I mean, if we were fighting what women had to fight in the 1930s. Oh, please. I probably look like my grandmother did when she was 74.

It was tougher to be a woman before. And I think we know more. We know how to get out of situations that are really unpleasant and not working. We're wiser. And we get the hell out of that situation and stop hanging out with people that are

It was tougher to be a woman before. And I think we know more. We know how to get out of situations that are really unpleasant and not working. We're wiser. And we get the hell out of that situation and stop hanging out with people that are

draining us right and that's a wisdom that hopefully could come earlier but for me it took a long time right so every decade I'm more I'm not putting up with any more of this crap and I'm more comfortable where I'm at and if I'm not comfortable it's up to me to move out of the way

draining us right and that's a wisdom that hopefully could come earlier but for me it took a long time right so every decade I'm more I'm not putting up with any more of this crap and I'm more comfortable where I'm at and if I'm not comfortable it's up to me to move out of the way

That was very well spoken, but... But, yeah, I think that I'm better at that than I was. I'm less at the mercy of other people. And I've heard a lot of women on your podcast and heard a lot of other women that I admire and read their books and have friends that are older than me. And they also have told me they are just more comfortable with themselves than they used to be. Mm-hmm.

That was very well spoken, but... But, yeah, I think that I'm better at that than I was. I'm less at the mercy of other people. And I've heard a lot of women on your podcast and heard a lot of other women that I admire and read their books and have friends that are older than me. And they also have told me they are just more comfortable with themselves than they used to be. Mm-hmm.

Yes, and that's diving deep early on, but why not? Yeah, let's do it. Yeah. The way those two uppercase and lowercase came up for me was in being asked about the balance of my life, you know? What bugs you? And what bugs me is...

Yes, and that's diving deep early on, but why not? Yeah, let's do it. Yeah. The way those two uppercase and lowercase came up for me was in being asked about the balance of my life, you know? What bugs you? And what bugs me is...

And what has driven a lot of, as I've learned over the years with therapy and in sobriety, working on my programs and finding out, trying to analyze why I do what I do and why I was moved to overindulge in this or pick the wrong partner or why do I, you know, why have I been the way that I've been when it's clearly not working? And that's something that comes with age.

And what has driven a lot of, as I've learned over the years with therapy and in sobriety, working on my programs and finding out, trying to analyze why I do what I do and why I was moved to overindulge in this or pick the wrong partner or why do I, you know, why have I been the way that I've been when it's clearly not working? And that's something that comes with age.

But one of the problems that I recognized early on was ever since I was little, I really... got more strokes and attention and love by performing outside of my family unit at school, even for my relatives. I became Bonnie the cute little redhead with temples.

But one of the problems that I recognized early on was ever since I was little, I really... got more strokes and attention and love by performing outside of my family unit at school, even for my relatives. I became Bonnie the cute little redhead with temples.

If I did a little Shirley Temple tap dancer and then later, you know, if I played the guitar for my folks' friends, I got a lot of positive attention. By being extroverted and I think that redheaded personality thing, you're born with that color hair and you're supposed to grow into it. So I got what I didn't get at home by being big Bonnie, you know, and I'll say that that became later.

If I did a little Shirley Temple tap dancer and then later, you know, if I played the guitar for my folks' friends, I got a lot of positive attention. By being extroverted and I think that redheaded personality thing, you're born with that color hair and you're supposed to grow into it. So I got what I didn't get at home by being big Bonnie, you know, and I'll say that that became later.

When I became professional, I'm more comfortable on stage and I always wondered why. Why when I come off stage, I don't have the same self-esteem or lack of self-judgment. So I was beating myself up a lot and privately as a little girl when I went back. And so I wonder when that started.

When I became professional, I'm more comfortable on stage and I always wondered why. Why when I come off stage, I don't have the same self-esteem or lack of self-judgment. So I was beating myself up a lot and privately as a little girl when I went back. And so I wonder when that started.

I was never that comfortable when I wasn't performing the version of myself that was a good little girl or the cute girl or the talented girl or the all A's or the... daddy's little girl and not cause too much of a ruckus. Then when I was just back in my room, I would pour my heart out and play the guitar and just sing these sad ballads and longing and look in the mirror and hate what I saw.

I was never that comfortable when I wasn't performing the version of myself that was a good little girl or the cute girl or the talented girl or the all A's or the... daddy's little girl and not cause too much of a ruckus. Then when I was just back in my room, I would pour my heart out and play the guitar and just sing these sad ballads and longing and look in the mirror and hate what I saw.