A Little Bit About Me

March 31, 2009

I borrowed these Finish the Sentence statements from a friend, and I thought I'd share them here:

1. My ex.......is a good dad and a good person. He just wasn't a good husband for me.

2. I believe.....in the basic good nature of people. I believe it's important to find a partner who makes you laugh every single day. I believe a kindred spirit transcends time and geography. I believe it's important to teach kids to do good for others even when there's no pay-off except knowing you've done what's right. I believe we cannot control the behaviors of others, but we can control the way in which we choose to respond. I believe in second chances.

3. I love...... my children, my husband, my job (most days), and all of my extended family. For those of you who have read my description of who all I consider my 'family,' you know that probably means you, too.

4. People would say that I'm…… easy-going, diplomatic, verbose, and (at times) funny.

5. I don't understand why people think I am……..outgoing. I still see myself as a very quiet and shy individual who has trouble breaking the ice in unfamiliar situations.

6. When I wake up in the morning.......I hit the snooze button a couple of times before I get up and check out the morning news.

7. I've lost......both of my parents and my brother. That makes me the oldest of my immediate family, which is strange, I think, at my age.

8. Life is full of......people just like me, sometimes on unstable footing, not sure of the next step. Sometimes it's important to remember that no one has all the right answers all the time.

9. My past is........ how I became who I am today. It is filled with people and events who have made an indelible imprint, and I am grateful. I don't believe in living in the past, but I do believe that one has to acknowledge its part in the journey.

10. I get annoyed when people....are too close-minded to listen to others' perspectives.

11. Parties are.....all about a theme (Brianna) or LaserQuest (Nicholas and Danielle). Unless of course, it's a party hosted by Dennis and Val, and then that's something altogether different.

2. I wish.......to live a long, healthy, happy life, surrounded by my equally healthy and happy family.

13. Dogs.........I miss having dogs. We always had them growing up, and someday I'd like to have one join the family again.

14. Cats..........I never thought I was much of a cat person until we met Kelly. Don't tell her this, but I believe she's a cat with the soul of a dog.

15. Tomorrow........is a chance for a new opportunity.

16. I have low tolerance for.........people who are mean. It's just not necessary to go out of one's way to make someone else feel small.

17. If I had a million dollars......there would be charitable contributions involved, but there would also be some vacations as well.

18. I'm totally terrified......that some illness or injury would befall one of my children.

19. My spouse......is a person with whom I can be the best me that I am.

20. The coolest person I've ever met is.......my Great Grandma Martin. She was way ahead of her time. The coolest famous person I've ever met was Bob Hope--got to shake hands with him and everything. Talk about an icon!

My life.......is an adventure, and I am looking forward to whatever's around the bend.

Meandering

March 26, 2009

I'm out of town on a three-day business trip, so I've been pulled a little out of my normal routine. Having the night on my own last night was pretty novel--no homework to supervise, no practices to shuttle kids to, no dinner to have to cook. No, my night was my own last night, and that's okay every once in awhile.

Without some sort of pre-scheduled responsibility, I found myself at the end of the day wondering how to spend my evening. I headed down the elevator of my hotel room, trying to decide on a plan. By the time I got down to the lobby, I had made my decision--my plan would be...no plan.

So I walked out of the hotel with no particular place to go, and no schedule to keep. It was a little after six, so it was still light outside. I walked wherever my feet decided to move, no objective in mind but to enjoy the sights I encountered in an unfamiliar city. (Those of you who know my less-than-stellar sense of direction know that this was a somewhat risky proposition; there was great potential for me to end up completely and hopelessly lost.) Walk I did, though, and as I meandered up and down the streets, I let my mind wander as well.

I don't do this often enough--listen in on the stream of consciousness. Like my feet, my thoughts traveled from one street to the next, one idea to the next. I listened to my inner self commenting on the architecture, the skyline, the quaint little neighborhood I passed through. I found myself looking carefully at the intricate pattern on the roots of a gnarled old tree at the park I passed, and noting the various expressions of the passersby. I took in far more than I usually do when I am headed somewhere with a purpose or a goal.

Because it was just me, I could let my thoughts aimlessly wander across the landscape, attaching my observations to random bits of memory and knowledge and emotion. Incomplete sentences, fragmented ideas, half-remembered experiences, fleeting impressions, seemingly disjointed connections, all bubbled to the forefront of my consciousness, vivid mental snapshots to be filed away later. I suppose we usually take in these images in this way, but we don't always know they're there, because we don't take the time to listen in before they slip into the realm of the subconscious.

Sometimes I let my feet move in the most familiar direction out of habit. They know the path and the plan, and I get where I'm going on autopilot. Honestly, sometimes that's necessary. Routines and schedules and plans are important. But you know, when I let myself go down another path, an unfamiliar one that reminds me take it all in and to listen in on my journey, I remember how much I miss out on when I'm not hearing my true voice. I need to remember when I get back home to sometimes point my feet in a new direction.