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I was just listening to this song by the Dave Matthews Band and laughing to myself about this very line:
“It’s a typical situation in these typical times, too many choices…”
Ellen has given up her nap. I know, I made it much farther than most. She was three in May. The thing is, she really still needs it. I mean, by 3 pm she is literally running into walls, crying at the drop of a hat, etc. I laugh at this lyric because I am sure it is just another stage and those of you who have multiple children and/or older kids have abslutely no sympathy for me. The funny thing is that a long time ago I thought I had this kid thing so figured out! I was a nanny in Harbor Springs, Michigan for a political family who had five kids, all of whom were nothing more than political accessories. I remember thinking so often that cruel thought that leads so many of us down a path toward ruin, “when I have kids…” and what is funnier still is the fact that even after I had Ellen there were days when the judgement just came spewing forth, like some sort of uncontrollable tourette’s syndrome of parenting. Now that I have a three year old and she is just in the absolute terrible three’s…well…
My father, who I think reads this, will hopefully not have cardiac failure or an aneurysm from anger before he reads this in its entirety.
I would love for all four of you who read this to look around you and figure out what you can do to make this world better for you, someone you love, your children, whatever. There is a lot of bad in this world, no way around it. There can be good, too. Whatever it is for you, find it, now. I have had so many conversations lately where the common theme seems to be how tired one seems to be of “insert any number of issues here“. Where we live, the theme usually centers around politics, especially in light of the recent 35W bridge collapse. In my specific case, it centers around how children wear us right out.
During an outing yesterday with The Girl I decided on a whim to stop down to a previously favorite spot of mine before I had her. It isn’t far from home and when we first bought the house we both marveled at how close we could be to nature while living almost directly in the heart of a city. It is a spot where you can get right down to the river and walk along what my daughter calls “kind of the beach”. We were walking barefoot, throwing stones in the water (to the count of ready, steady, go!!) and I began thinking about how I don’t live enough of the life I want her to remember. I am not yet instilling in her the things I think are important; like enjoying nature despite living in the city.
So, to wrap up, go outside! Or sit right there and search for something you haven’t thought about in ages, but had an impact on you. Or just go throw some money at a cause. Whatever you do, do it this week. Make it a goal.
Now, if you will excuse me, I have to go search ebay for some Girl Scouting books from my youth…or maybe find someplace to go camping…
We went on vacation over the fourth of July (I know, I am well aware that this was over one month ago. Bear with me…it is summer!) and I have to say, I live to travel. We set out on a trip to Mackinac Island with some friends. Turns out her parents own a”cottage” in an area they call Hubbard’s Annex, which is just one in about one million things about Mackinac that you truly have to see to believe.
When I graduated from high school I was not really a good candidate for jumping right into college. I have always possessed what my family affectionately refers to as a “wanderlust” that cannot be ignored. I had a cousin who worked on Mackinac at the fort (refer back to the original link) dressed in period costume and to me, this sounded like a great way to get away from home but not have to go to school. So I found a sweet little B & B and signed on as their housekeeper. After I arrived I got a second job as a waitress for a hotel down the street that served breakfast. I would get up around 5:30 am, toss my hair into a ponytail, and head off to serve tourists (called “fudgies” because Mackinac is known for its fudge production and nearly no one leaves without buying some) breakfast. Finishing around 11 I would head off to the B & B to clean rooms until about 3 or 4. About halfway through the summer I found a third job in the evenings as a hostess at a new bar (now non-existent) downtown. This sounds so ambitious to me now! I can barely crawl out of bed in the morning to chase my three-year-old!!! That was the first of nearly six entire May-October seasons on Mackinac. I made so many friends – some of whom even read this very blog! – and have a million stories. I decided on this trip that I really need to find a place to tell these stories.
When I first started blogging, my idea was to “write every day” in an attempt to actually do something with all of the junk that rattles around my brain. I am going to try to get back to that. Never fear…craftiness is within me. I am almost finished with a pair of toe-up socks with an afterthought heel that I will surely post about soon – if I can just find time to get all of these things done!!!!
