Something I've noticed since finishing college (and even a bit during college)--I've felt a significant decrease in my creativity. Ask my friends who knew me in high school; I liked to sketch pictures and stuff, sure, but I loved to make up stories--primarily Lord of the Rings fan-fiction (go ahead and laugh, it was pretty silly)--to entertain them at lunchtime and beyond.
I'm going to be purposely vague here, partially because I don't want anyone to steal my idea, but also to avoid awkwardness if this doesn't lead anywhere. I've been kicking around this idea for a story that would probably fall under young adult fiction. A type of original fairy tale (original in that I am not putting a twist, spin, or implementing an "modern-day version" techniques to Grimm, Disney, or any other existing fairy or folk tale. I won't wax philosophical about the meaning of "originality" because I'm tired and really, no one wants to hear about that right now.). It's something I came up with about four years ago, and aside from some outline notes and an attempt to start the story, it's mostly just been stewing in the back of my head (and on my external hard drive and a scrap piece of paper in a notebook) ever since.
So, about that blog post title up there... The inspiration came after reading an entertaining article on The Mary Sue about a story in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Silmarillion. I am ashamed to admit, as a self-professed Tolkien geek, that I own but have never read The Silmarillion. (I tried once in high school and got about 10 pages in before giving up. Now that I'm so much older and wiser (HA!) I'd like to give it another go... eventually). So, this humorous run-down intrigued me.
The inspiration came from a piece of artwork the author linked from a user on DeviantArt that piqued my interest. I followed the link and couldn't help but spend a ridiculous amount of time perusing a number of the artist's other pieces. Here's just a couple examples to give you an idea:
I am no man by breathing2004 on DeviantArt
fate of Beren and Luthien by breathing2004 on DeviantArt
For real, do yourself a favor and go look through this guy's gallery. At the very least, go look at the full-size image of that last piece.
(Side note: I'm pretty sure I love stained-glass and stained-glass-looking art because of the opening sequence to Beauty and the Beast. Side-side note: THAT MUSIC. My heart. Ahem... what was I saying?)
Anyway, when I was looking at his art, in my head I was going, man, when was the last time I drew something? Which turned into, when was the last time I wrote something? Like, an actual story?
All of this boils down to: I was feeling inspired today, and with an encouraging nudge from my husband to get back into drawing and actually intentionally practice at it, I sketched a picture for the story I have not written yet. Which sounds odd, when I see it typed on the screen like that, but here's my point...
There was a spark. I hope that I can push past my tendency to not follow through and finish things, and fan that little flame and actually commit to making something. Who knows, maybe a decade from now I'll have an illustrated fairy-tale book out on the market. Or I might not. Maybe I'll go in an entirely different direction. Maybe I'll do something that only a few people will ever see. But that's okay, because the important thing here is that I pursue something creative and actually complete something. Not for an ego trip, not to show off and say "LOOKIT ME! I made art! Tell me you like it!" But because I enjoy it, because I want to tap back into my creativity, because I want to create something that, hopefully, will bring something special to another person's life.
When I've had very little to no inspiration for years, mild inspiration goes a long way. If this does lead to more art-output (for lack of a better term), I will keep you posted.
Now if you'll excuse me, I feel the sudden urge to watch Beauty and the Beast... and also to make a sketch of the White Tree of Gondor...
Friday, January 16, 2015
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
We Rang in the New Year by Saving a Dog
This post will be brief, as I need to get back to work, but I just wanted to say that I hope everyone had a great holiday season and a good start to the new year. Stuart and I are looking forward to a bunch of different things this year, and I will update you as those come to fruition.
We had an interesting start to our new year. As we pulled into our driveway around 12:30 a.m. on New Year's Day, we saw an animal trotting along the curb toward us. Turned out to be an old, tiny, dachshund with a weird skin condition on its back legs that made the skin all hairless and saggy. Long story short, we snatched her out of the street and kept her until Friday, when the Humane Society was open. She was a sweet little dog, once she wasn't scared of us anymore, and cheerfully wagged her tail when we took her out for walks. The people at the Animal Control desk said her owner had called Friday morning and was looking for her, so we were thankful to discover she had a home.
This is the second time we've found a lost dog near our home, and even though we've lived here for over two years, this oddly only started happening after we got our dog, Copper. It'll be interesting to see if any other lost pups find their way to us this year. We're just glad we were in the right place at the right time, because we live on a very busy street and who knows how long these little dogs would last out there on their own.
Well, that's all for now. I think I'm going to take my work down to Starbucks to enjoy this bizarre, spring-like weather we're suddenly having. January in San Diego, everybody.
Happy New Year!
We had an interesting start to our new year. As we pulled into our driveway around 12:30 a.m. on New Year's Day, we saw an animal trotting along the curb toward us. Turned out to be an old, tiny, dachshund with a weird skin condition on its back legs that made the skin all hairless and saggy. Long story short, we snatched her out of the street and kept her until Friday, when the Humane Society was open. She was a sweet little dog, once she wasn't scared of us anymore, and cheerfully wagged her tail when we took her out for walks. The people at the Animal Control desk said her owner had called Friday morning and was looking for her, so we were thankful to discover she had a home.
This is the second time we've found a lost dog near our home, and even though we've lived here for over two years, this oddly only started happening after we got our dog, Copper. It'll be interesting to see if any other lost pups find their way to us this year. We're just glad we were in the right place at the right time, because we live on a very busy street and who knows how long these little dogs would last out there on their own.
Well, that's all for now. I think I'm going to take my work down to Starbucks to enjoy this bizarre, spring-like weather we're suddenly having. January in San Diego, everybody.
Happy New Year!
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Beyond Black Friday
When I heard the different opening times of various retailers for Thanksgiving/Black Friday this year, my heart gave an involuntary pang. I'm not making that up for dramatic effect, I swear. I'm not even a full year out of the trenches of retail, and after four consecutive years working Black Friday/Christmas season, I haven't forgotten the unbelievable frustration that comes with working during what's supposed to be a joyful time of year, surrounded by loved ones, and being thankful for what we already have. I don't even have to get Biblical to point out how LUDICROUS this whole thing is.
I know some people don't mind working Thanksgiving or Black Friday (though I imagine after dealing with some of the--let's call them intense--customers, they're just as glad as anyone else when it's over), and to go on a rant about how greedy and disgusting American culture has become and how we've lost the true meaning of the holiday season would be just beating a very dead horse... And yet every year, I'm surprised at how much farther people are willing to go to make a buck/save a buck (corporations and customers alike) at the expense of other people's personal lives, values, and sanity.
Not to mention the ridiculous back-to-back overtime shifts many overworked, understaffed retail employees have to do just to make the store BARELY survive the weekend (Have you SEEN a department store after a big sale? A tornado does less damage.). Companies try to dress it up for their employees (read: subjugated masses), make it fun, give you goodies to show they really appreciate you... but I don't buy it, and I don't think a lot of retail employees do either.
If a company truly valued their employees over profit, we wouldn't have this never-ending, one-upping battle between department stores and others over who can open the earliest and get the most business. If one store opens at 6PM on Thanksgiving, then all of their competitors "have" to open at 6PM or lose valuable opportunities to screw over the Black Friday shoppers with all these "deals." Given the trend of the last few years, I wouldn't be surprised if there were Turkey Day Doorbusters starting at 9AM by 2017.
The first time I remember hearing anything terrible about Black Friday was when that first, poor Wal-Mart employee got trampled several years back. Maybe I was blissfully ignorant, but up til then I'd never really heard of the shopping frenzy beyond a brief mention on the news alongside the weather forecast. And the funny thing is, I'm pretty sure this is a strictly American phenomenon (Although I know there are some countries which are starting to promote shopping on that day as well. Wikipedia told me so.). How strange it must be to foreigners watching people shoving their way into a store, demanding they get what they want (or else), and throwing LUDICROUS amounts of money at helpless sales clerks.
When will people wake up? Will getting all the latest-and-greatest in fashion, toys, gadgets, gizmos, cars, etc. really make you happy? Black Friday is such a hollow, shallow, superficial display. I'm pretty sure your friends and family will appreciate one thoughtful gift (or even no gift at all--just BE with them) for Christmas over a bunch of stuff you had to punch someone's grandmother in the face to get at a low, low price.
Meanwhile, all these retail workers have to put up with a tremendous mess; rude, impatient customers and their cranky children (who should be sound asleep in their beds after a big Thanksgiving meal); managers hounding them to open credit cards as if there is a Hellmouth in the stockroom and the only way to close the gates to hell is to get EVERYONE and their mother a credit card... And on top of it all: obnoxious, tasteless Christmas music, played on a loop, often with several variations of the same song. I'm not saying all Christmas music is bad--I quite like it under normal circumstances, provided it isn't cheesy or some permutation of "All I Want for Christmas Is You"--but the stuff that played when I was in retail? Shoot me.
I guess this rant all boils down to...
STOP. THIS. MADNESS.
A friend and former manager of mine made a very good point in an EPIC rant she posted on Facebook. The only way this stops is if people stop. Stop shopping on Thanksgiving, or even Black Friday. Stop making people work when they should be home with their families (and before you argue that healthcare and law enforcement don't get a break, I'm talking RETAIL here.). I don't know much about Trader Joe's, other than I love to shop there and their employees are always super nice, but the fact that they close for major holidays--including Thanksgiving--tells me something about how they think of their employees.
Employees = people. Not numbers. Not a bottom line. Not a profit-generating machine.
Maybe if companies start treating people like...well, PEOPLE, things will change. Maybe if we start valuing time spent with friends and family and enjoying a good meal over camping out in front of Best Buy to get that 54 inch flat screen at 75% off, things will change.
Until then, I'll be exercising my freedom from retail by eating dinner with my husband, my sister, and my brother-in-law on Thanksgiving, not shopping for a "can't-miss-it deal." And I'll be thinking about all my friends and former coworkers who still have to deal with the madness, and hope that things change soon.
And can someone please come get this horse out of here? I think it's had enough abuse.
Peace out.
I know some people don't mind working Thanksgiving or Black Friday (though I imagine after dealing with some of the--let's call them intense--customers, they're just as glad as anyone else when it's over), and to go on a rant about how greedy and disgusting American culture has become and how we've lost the true meaning of the holiday season would be just beating a very dead horse... And yet every year, I'm surprised at how much farther people are willing to go to make a buck/save a buck (corporations and customers alike) at the expense of other people's personal lives, values, and sanity.
Not to mention the ridiculous back-to-back overtime shifts many overworked, understaffed retail employees have to do just to make the store BARELY survive the weekend (Have you SEEN a department store after a big sale? A tornado does less damage.). Companies try to dress it up for their employees (read: subjugated masses), make it fun, give you goodies to show they really appreciate you... but I don't buy it, and I don't think a lot of retail employees do either.
If a company truly valued their employees over profit, we wouldn't have this never-ending, one-upping battle between department stores and others over who can open the earliest and get the most business. If one store opens at 6PM on Thanksgiving, then all of their competitors "have" to open at 6PM or lose valuable opportunities to screw over the Black Friday shoppers with all these "deals." Given the trend of the last few years, I wouldn't be surprised if there were Turkey Day Doorbusters starting at 9AM by 2017.
The first time I remember hearing anything terrible about Black Friday was when that first, poor Wal-Mart employee got trampled several years back. Maybe I was blissfully ignorant, but up til then I'd never really heard of the shopping frenzy beyond a brief mention on the news alongside the weather forecast. And the funny thing is, I'm pretty sure this is a strictly American phenomenon (Although I know there are some countries which are starting to promote shopping on that day as well. Wikipedia told me so.). How strange it must be to foreigners watching people shoving their way into a store, demanding they get what they want (or else), and throwing LUDICROUS amounts of money at helpless sales clerks.
When will people wake up? Will getting all the latest-and-greatest in fashion, toys, gadgets, gizmos, cars, etc. really make you happy? Black Friday is such a hollow, shallow, superficial display. I'm pretty sure your friends and family will appreciate one thoughtful gift (or even no gift at all--just BE with them) for Christmas over a bunch of stuff you had to punch someone's grandmother in the face to get at a low, low price.
Meanwhile, all these retail workers have to put up with a tremendous mess; rude, impatient customers and their cranky children (who should be sound asleep in their beds after a big Thanksgiving meal); managers hounding them to open credit cards as if there is a Hellmouth in the stockroom and the only way to close the gates to hell is to get EVERYONE and their mother a credit card... And on top of it all: obnoxious, tasteless Christmas music, played on a loop, often with several variations of the same song. I'm not saying all Christmas music is bad--I quite like it under normal circumstances, provided it isn't cheesy or some permutation of "All I Want for Christmas Is You"--but the stuff that played when I was in retail? Shoot me.
I guess this rant all boils down to...
STOP. THIS. MADNESS.
A friend and former manager of mine made a very good point in an EPIC rant she posted on Facebook. The only way this stops is if people stop. Stop shopping on Thanksgiving, or even Black Friday. Stop making people work when they should be home with their families (and before you argue that healthcare and law enforcement don't get a break, I'm talking RETAIL here.). I don't know much about Trader Joe's, other than I love to shop there and their employees are always super nice, but the fact that they close for major holidays--including Thanksgiving--tells me something about how they think of their employees.
Employees = people. Not numbers. Not a bottom line. Not a profit-generating machine.
Maybe if companies start treating people like...well, PEOPLE, things will change. Maybe if we start valuing time spent with friends and family and enjoying a good meal over camping out in front of Best Buy to get that 54 inch flat screen at 75% off, things will change.
Until then, I'll be exercising my freedom from retail by eating dinner with my husband, my sister, and my brother-in-law on Thanksgiving, not shopping for a "can't-miss-it deal." And I'll be thinking about all my friends and former coworkers who still have to deal with the madness, and hope that things change soon.
And can someone please come get this horse out of here? I think it's had enough abuse.
Peace out.
Saturday, October 25, 2014
Hawaii, a Dog, and a Pumpkin Hat
Hooray! Another self-explanatory title! Sorry for the gap in posts. To say things have been hectic is an understatement. I'm super tired, so this will be a relatively brief post.
Two major things from this month: Stuart and I went on vacation in Hawaii for about a week, and we've adopted a dog. I'll elaborate on these things later (read: when I've had enough sleep and caffeine). Hawaii was great, and we're excited to finally have a dog (we've gone back and forth on how we feel about getting one for over a year now). More pictures from both to follow! But for now,
here's a plane pic from when we flew into the sunset on our way to Hawaii:
In the meantime, I'm still sitting here, pining away for rain and cooler weather. At least it's been getting colder at night, but it's hard to be all, "Yay, fall! Let me wear that pumpkin beanie I crocheted last year!" when it's like 85 degrees during the day. I may just wear it in defiance and shake my fist at the weather. I mean, what's the point of making a pumpkin hat if you don't wear it before Halloween?
I mean, I can't run around with this thing on any other time of the year:
That would just be silly. Unless someone threw a squash-themed party?
Anyway, I am going to go to bed now.
Until next time...
Two major things from this month: Stuart and I went on vacation in Hawaii for about a week, and we've adopted a dog. I'll elaborate on these things later (read: when I've had enough sleep and caffeine). Hawaii was great, and we're excited to finally have a dog (we've gone back and forth on how we feel about getting one for over a year now). More pictures from both to follow! But for now,
here's a plane pic from when we flew into the sunset on our way to Hawaii:
(Thankfully, no monkeys were present on our wing.)
And a picture of our newly adopted dog, Copper:
(Insert obligatory: "Such doge. Much wow.")
In the meantime, I'm still sitting here, pining away for rain and cooler weather. At least it's been getting colder at night, but it's hard to be all, "Yay, fall! Let me wear that pumpkin beanie I crocheted last year!" when it's like 85 degrees during the day. I may just wear it in defiance and shake my fist at the weather. I mean, what's the point of making a pumpkin hat if you don't wear it before Halloween?
I mean, I can't run around with this thing on any other time of the year:
That would just be silly. Unless someone threw a squash-themed party?
Anyway, I am going to go to bed now.
Until next time...
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
A Brief Update: Moving Toward Fall
I would say that summer has flown by, except for two things: 1) I don't have kids, so "summer vacation" isn't really a concept in my brain anymore, and 2) it's still effing hot outside. Despite that, I'm really looking forward to fall (even though I miss leaf-changing weather). Pumpkin-flavored everything shall soon be here, and I will have an excuse to watch The Nightmare Before Christmas, bake pumpkin pies, and run around in the little pumpkin hat I crocheted last year (yes, I totally will do that--just you wait!).
Just as I'm looking forward to the new season, I'm also transitioning into a new season of life in a way. Last month I got a second part-time publishing job, doing more of what I do, also working from home. Something I tend to forget until after the fact: prayer works. We've been praying for me to find another job, and after a few applications and interviews went nowhere, this one (much like my first publishing job) literally just fell into my lap when I was least expecting it. And with the acquisition of some new furniture (like a chest of drawers and a desk), Stuart and I are making our house feel even more like a home (having a nice desk in the study has helped me be more productive too--no more working where I eat!).
Something I'd like to do as we head into fall: balance my life better. I want to figure out a good structure for my week, now that I have two publishing jobs, a marketing class, a social life, church, and housekeeping to balance, to name a few things. Sometimes I have a hard time resting on the weekends and on weeknights--partially because I'm not as diligent during the day, feel guilty, and then feel like I need to do everything before bed. I'm trying to get in the habit of getting all my work done during the day, on weekdays, so I can have afternoons, evenings, and weekends free to hang out with my husband and with friends, to read, practice archery, crochet and knit, cook, or play video games (Skyrim is my current addiction).
Well, I think I'll leave it at that for now. Hopefully my next post will include progress in those areas. Until then, happy September!
Just as I'm looking forward to the new season, I'm also transitioning into a new season of life in a way. Last month I got a second part-time publishing job, doing more of what I do, also working from home. Something I tend to forget until after the fact: prayer works. We've been praying for me to find another job, and after a few applications and interviews went nowhere, this one (much like my first publishing job) literally just fell into my lap when I was least expecting it. And with the acquisition of some new furniture (like a chest of drawers and a desk), Stuart and I are making our house feel even more like a home (having a nice desk in the study has helped me be more productive too--no more working where I eat!).
Something I'd like to do as we head into fall: balance my life better. I want to figure out a good structure for my week, now that I have two publishing jobs, a marketing class, a social life, church, and housekeeping to balance, to name a few things. Sometimes I have a hard time resting on the weekends and on weeknights--partially because I'm not as diligent during the day, feel guilty, and then feel like I need to do everything before bed. I'm trying to get in the habit of getting all my work done during the day, on weekdays, so I can have afternoons, evenings, and weekends free to hang out with my husband and with friends, to read, practice archery, crochet and knit, cook, or play video games (Skyrim is my current addiction).
Well, I think I'll leave it at that for now. Hopefully my next post will include progress in those areas. Until then, happy September!
Friday, August 8, 2014
Books!
Because who doesn't love books?
I once read somewhere that some people read, but don't "see" what they are reading in their heads. This blew my mind when I first heard of it, because for me, it is totally and completely normal for epic scenes and faces and landscapes to play across my mind's eye as I'm reading a good bit of literature. That's just the way it has always been with me, and probably at least part of the reason why I have loved to read for as long as I can remember.
Something I discovered this week about loving to read is that no matter how long it's been since you've had time to pick up a new book (or an old favorite), when you run into someone else who loves it as much as you do, you suddenly have SO much to talk about. It's like that C.S. Lewis quote: "Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: 'What! You, too? I thought I was the only one.'" I had a wonderful, engaging conversation with a woman and her teenage daughter this week all because of our mutual love of books (and mutual distaste for a certain popular vampire book series, but that's another story).
The beauty of books doesn't just lie in their story-telling or in the way they can bring people together, but in their ability to change people's minds, to give a new perspective, to help you understand exactly what it means to empathize with and think about the Other, and sometimes, to turn book haters into avid readers.
So here's where I'd like to hear back from you. What are some books that have stuck with you long after you turned the final page? How about books that you can read over and over again? Books you just really enjoyed reading? Or books you want to read? Some of mine overlap these categories, as I'm sure yours do. To kick things off, here are a few of mine, and this list is definitely NOT exhaustive:
Books that have stayed with me:
The Road, Cormac McCarthy (and by "stayed with me" I mean "haunted me")
Harry Potter series, JK Rowling
The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien
Little Women, Louisa May Alcott
The Dead, James Joyce (technically a short story, but I was surprised how much I enjoyed it, despite my hatred of Ulysses)
Books I can read over and over:
Harry Potter series, JK Rowling
The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien
The Princess Bride, William Goldman (Yes, there was a book before there was a movie; you should go read it!)
Books I want to read (or re-read!):
Dracula, Bram Stoker (re-read)
Good Omens, Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman (re-read)
The entire Sherlock Holmes series, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (I've only read a few of the novels and stories)
The Wise Man's Fear, Patrick Rothfuss (in progress!)
Anansi Boys, Neil Gaiman
The Sandman, Neil Gaiman (graphic novels and comics count!)
Even though this post focused on fiction, I'd love to hear if you have some non-fiction titles on your lists! Also, let me know if you have any book recommendations. I'm always looking for new books.
I once read somewhere that some people read, but don't "see" what they are reading in their heads. This blew my mind when I first heard of it, because for me, it is totally and completely normal for epic scenes and faces and landscapes to play across my mind's eye as I'm reading a good bit of literature. That's just the way it has always been with me, and probably at least part of the reason why I have loved to read for as long as I can remember.
Something I discovered this week about loving to read is that no matter how long it's been since you've had time to pick up a new book (or an old favorite), when you run into someone else who loves it as much as you do, you suddenly have SO much to talk about. It's like that C.S. Lewis quote: "Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: 'What! You, too? I thought I was the only one.'" I had a wonderful, engaging conversation with a woman and her teenage daughter this week all because of our mutual love of books (and mutual distaste for a certain popular vampire book series, but that's another story).
The beauty of books doesn't just lie in their story-telling or in the way they can bring people together, but in their ability to change people's minds, to give a new perspective, to help you understand exactly what it means to empathize with and think about the Other, and sometimes, to turn book haters into avid readers.
So here's where I'd like to hear back from you. What are some books that have stuck with you long after you turned the final page? How about books that you can read over and over again? Books you just really enjoyed reading? Or books you want to read? Some of mine overlap these categories, as I'm sure yours do. To kick things off, here are a few of mine, and this list is definitely NOT exhaustive:
Books that have stayed with me:
The Road, Cormac McCarthy (and by "stayed with me" I mean "haunted me")
Harry Potter series, JK Rowling
The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien
Little Women, Louisa May Alcott
The Dead, James Joyce (technically a short story, but I was surprised how much I enjoyed it, despite my hatred of Ulysses)
Books I can read over and over:
Harry Potter series, JK Rowling
The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien
The Princess Bride, William Goldman (Yes, there was a book before there was a movie; you should go read it!)
Books I want to read (or re-read!):
Dracula, Bram Stoker (re-read)
Good Omens, Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman (re-read)
The entire Sherlock Holmes series, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (I've only read a few of the novels and stories)
The Wise Man's Fear, Patrick Rothfuss (in progress!)
Anansi Boys, Neil Gaiman
The Sandman, Neil Gaiman (graphic novels and comics count!)
Even though this post focused on fiction, I'd love to hear if you have some non-fiction titles on your lists! Also, let me know if you have any book recommendations. I'm always looking for new books.
Thursday, July 24, 2014
Through the eyes of children
Today was a scorcher, and as such, I took my work to Starbucks this afternoon for the air conditioning and the promise of free refills of green tea. I sat toward the back, at a long table near an outlet, facing the windows that look out over the small patch of grass between the coffeehouse and a main stretch of road. At one point in the evening, when the sun was low enough to cast a shadow over the lawn, I saw a young girl and her mother sitting on the grass with their drinks. The mother sat in quiet conversation with her friend, but the girl didn't look like she wanted to sit down. She had things to do.
By the looks of her, I'd say she was around 6 or 7 years old, dressed in a hot pink tank and shorts. She stood at the top of this little mound of grass, intermittently sipping her drink and holding out her other hand in front of her, facing the road. To me, it looked like she was pretending to control the cars, or direct traffic. Later on she planted one hand on her hip, held her other out toward the road, and occasionally pointed in the direction the cars were driving, as if to say, "Yes, it's safe to go now, move right along."
I am 26 now. I would look very silly if I were to do what she was doing. I have two decades of life experience on this girl. I am very aware of the horrible things happening across the world, and in our own country. I struggle with doubts and worries and fears. Sometimes, and I think we all have moments like this, I wish for the simplicity of seeing the world through the eyes of a child.
The funny thing about life is there's no going back to that, once you've grown up. But this little traffic director girl got me thinking, so here I am.
Ever since I was little, I knew I wanted to have kids one day. There are many reasons why, but she reminded me of one of them...
You can never go back to being a child, but you can remember what it was like and experience it with your own (or other people's) children. I'm not talking about living vicariously through your kids, or imposing things on them you missed out on, regardless of whether they actually have interest in the activity. I'm talking about being amazed when they learn how to do something new, or running away from scary dinosaurs and rescuing their friends while you driveon your couch in your firetruck. I'm not a mom yet, and I know things will be exhausting during that season of life, and those little moments won't be so easy to notice or appreciate. I just hope that I will remember to take note of them when I see them, to live with my kids in those moments. Even from watching my friends' kids, I know how quickly they grow up. They learn new things and don't always need you to swoop in to help them anymore. There's a time and place for that, but there is also a time and place for just sitting back, watching them use their imagination, and marveling at their creativity and honesty.
If that sounds lofty and idealized, oh well. Maybe you should go lay in the grass and try to find shapes in the clouds for a while. Better yet, bring a kid with you and look together. You might be surprised at what you find.
By the looks of her, I'd say she was around 6 or 7 years old, dressed in a hot pink tank and shorts. She stood at the top of this little mound of grass, intermittently sipping her drink and holding out her other hand in front of her, facing the road. To me, it looked like she was pretending to control the cars, or direct traffic. Later on she planted one hand on her hip, held her other out toward the road, and occasionally pointed in the direction the cars were driving, as if to say, "Yes, it's safe to go now, move right along."
I am 26 now. I would look very silly if I were to do what she was doing. I have two decades of life experience on this girl. I am very aware of the horrible things happening across the world, and in our own country. I struggle with doubts and worries and fears. Sometimes, and I think we all have moments like this, I wish for the simplicity of seeing the world through the eyes of a child.
The funny thing about life is there's no going back to that, once you've grown up. But this little traffic director girl got me thinking, so here I am.
Ever since I was little, I knew I wanted to have kids one day. There are many reasons why, but she reminded me of one of them...
You can never go back to being a child, but you can remember what it was like and experience it with your own (or other people's) children. I'm not talking about living vicariously through your kids, or imposing things on them you missed out on, regardless of whether they actually have interest in the activity. I'm talking about being amazed when they learn how to do something new, or running away from scary dinosaurs and rescuing their friends while you drive
If that sounds lofty and idealized, oh well. Maybe you should go lay in the grass and try to find shapes in the clouds for a while. Better yet, bring a kid with you and look together. You might be surprised at what you find.
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