About - Angels Wear Plaid

Hi, I’m Beth

Professionally known as Beth Lee-Browning, most often greeted as “Miss Beth” by small children.

Did you know that when a nine-part carbon form and a frustrated office manager produce legible copies on a manual typewriter, it makes a very specific sound? I’m here to tell you it does, and you can hear it through a closed door from three feet away. I’m also here to say that even the most mundane can turn out to be magnificent if you look hard enough. Ok, so sometimes it’s still just mundane, but I’m willing to bet there’s something funny about it, too.

Noticing the little stuff in life, the nearly invisible connections between people and things, is my jam, and people never cease to amaze, delight, and sadly, sometimes disappoint me. All in all, though, I believe people are innately good; I believe we stand stronger together than alone, and I believe that every day each and every one of us can reach for the stars. All we have to do is remember that Small Tasks Are Real, and every single one of them is a step in the right direction.

Who is the Angel Wearing Plaid?

“Not one to pay attention to the weather forecast (that is, until I moved to Upstate NY), I had no idea there would be snow on the ground. I pulled back the curtain and groaned. The depth and heaviness of the snow were obvious from my upstairs window; the thought of shoveling the long driveway sent me straight back to bed. I pulled the covers over my head, closed my eyes, and hoped the snow would melt before I woke up again.

I was in that haze one feels between being fully awake and deeply asleep; a familiar yet unfamiliar sound came from outside. I couldn’t sort it out, so I made my way to the window once again; the sound I didn’t quite recognize was a snowblower.

My neighbor Bill, from across the street, wearing a plaid jacket and matching fur-lined cap, was blowing snow off my driveway. I remember thinking something to the effect of, ‘he’s an angel.’ Although truth be told, his daily disposition might suggest otherwise.

At any rate, that morning I certainly felt like he was one.”

In June of 2011, that memory inspired me to publish my first post and to name my blog Angels Wear Plaid.

A Bit More About Me

I was born in Bismarck, North Dakota, and moved nine times before I was 15. Cities and towns in North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, and Minnesota contain the geographic markers of my childhood and early adult years.

My “grown-up” years have taken me from Nebraska to Pennsylvania, and just because I said, “I’ll never live in Omaha again,” I got a bonus boomerang move back to the big “O” before moving to the frozen tundra, aka Syracuse, NY. Syracuse, if you’re not familiar with it, is the Fargo, ND, of New York State.

I truly thought Nashville would be my final stop; in fact, I announced to more than one person, “Y’all are going to have to bury me here because I am DONE moving.”

The Universe must be from Missouri, because wouldn’t you know it, my most recent move landed me in St. Louis, where the Arch welcomes everyone to the Show-Me State.

I guess you could call me a modern-day nomad, a renaissance woman, or more than a little nuts, but let’s call it adventurous.

A few things come in handy when you’ve moved as many times as I have. The first one is an insatiable curiosity. Paying close attention to the who, what, how, and why around you is about the quickest way I know to figure out who really calls the shots and where to find the cleanest restroom. Two of the most important things to know in any new situation.

The second, and this one isn’t easy to teach, is taking in another person’s truth without assuming it’s the same as yours. It means asking, not assuming; discovering, not dismissing; shedding light, not throwing shade.

Last, not least, and more than likely most important, is a sense of humor. As I have been known to say to my kids on more than one occasion, “Life is too short not to be able to laugh at yourself.”

I am in love with the moment the invisible becomes visible, when the connections click into place and when the ludicrous becomes obvious to all, even better when that moment happens in the midst of both laughter and learning.

My superpower is translating, which sounds funny since my days of speaking German fluently are a long way behind me. But for as long as I can remember, in every situation I’m in, my role quickly becomes interpreter, storyteller, and keeper of the lore.

From teaching swimming lessons to piercing ears to influencing a multi-million-dollar software decision, the discovery, assessment, planning, and refinement steps are identical. Only the size of the problem or opportunity differs.

For me, curiosity extends beyond the boardroom, and remaining humble smooths the waters for truer navigation. I know it sounds cliché, but so be it. I also believe we’re never too old to try or to learn something new.

I’ve never tangled with the law or any nefarious organizations, but in March of 2012 I was framed for something most unexpected. It took a universal conspiracy to make my feet cross the threshold on my first day of an art class through Artists of Yardley, but I did.

My creative self exploded. Handmade paper. Ink trees, flowers, collages, and oh so many dots. And so it stands to reason that my writing also took flight.

Sometimes it’s just plain hard to be human. The winter of 2011 may go down as the toughest of my life.

The cool thing about those tough times is that if you look close enough, and sometimes you don’t actually have to look all that hard, some amazing things come your way. Angels Wear Plaid is one of mine, and I hope it becomes one of yours.

Pull up a chair, settle in, and let’s explore together; being weird is not only welcome, but it’s also practically a requirement.

I won’t make you wait; picture a squirrel with a jackhammer and a manual typewriter, and you’ll understand why I could hear the keys clacking from behind a closed door.