Skip to main content

Signs of the Times

It's amazing how much a decade can change a person. I was thinking yesterday about my life ten years ago, and I hardly recognize the old me. Practically every element of my life is different than it was just a few short years ago. Here are some of the things I recognized:

1) Then I thought I didn't want to be a mother. Now I'm so happy God trusted me to be the mom of a 10-year-old boy and almost 9-year-old girl.
2) Then I was quite private and dignified about bodily functions such as using the restroom or adjusting my underwear. Now terms like "fart, wedgie and poop" are completely normal everyday language.
3) Then I was lonely a lot. Now I can't even remember the last time I was lonely.
4) Then I had a career that consumed my life and I loved it. Now I can't imagine returning to the job that required so much time and energy for something so insignificant.
5) Then I didn't have very many close friends because I worked too much and they all had kids. Now I can't even count the number of good friends that I have, most of whom I met through my childrens' school or activities.
6) Then I didn't have a church that I thrived in. Now I have a church where I get spiritually fed and and supported every time I attend. When I don't attend, several people check to make sure we're okay.
7) Then I shopped almost every day to combat boredom. Now I don't even remember what being bored felt like.
8) Then I thought PTA moms had no life. Now I just finished a two-year term as PTA president contributing to the education of mine and other people's kids.
9) Then I never bothered going to parks. Now I rarely miss a week going to a park, sitting in the sunshine, watching my kids enjoy the beautiful weather.
10) Then I was 10 pounds lighter, but I thought I was way too fat. Now I'm 10 pounds heavier, and I think I look pretty decent for a chick my age.

It's weird how time changes us, mellows us, makes us richer, deeper people than we were before. Even if life isn't perfect, it's still generally very good if you stop long enough to take a peek.

Comments

Unknown said…
You are such a hoot! Ah, I can't say the 'f' word but have another term for that which I will keep to myself. You on the other hand have such a way of expressing yourself that it all seems dandy and makes me chuckle.
7/19/2006 3:03 PM
Anonymous said…
You hit that one 100% dead on! When I used to come visit you from the suburbs of NYCity ten years ago I would go home and tell Rick how sorry I felt for you because you were so lonely - by the last time we visited you, about five years ago, you were so happy. You were happy before, just because you are the kind of person who chooses to be happy in whatever state you are in and you had a good hubby, but that last time it was a different happy - Mommy, church, friends, etc. had made your life complete. So glad your life evolved into the current one.
7/19/2006 4:23 PM
Susannah said…
What a wonderful post, and equally wonderful comments. Wow! I feel so honored to evesdrop on all of this. Oh, by the way, pleased to meet you. Sounds like you have a very fulfilling life. Thanks for sharing.
7/22/2006 2:37 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Stickin' It Out

I got married today. Well, not exactly today. It was Friday, June 2. But the year was 1989 - 17 years ago. "Amazing", people say. "Good for you", they comment. "You must have picked the right one", the add. Amazing? Yes. Good for me? I'll admit it. But it has nothing to do with picking the right one, really. It's not because I found the perfect boy, and it's certainly not because he found the perfect girl. It might sound a little unromantic, but there never really is a 'right one' floating around out there waiting in the cosmos for the other 'right one' to crash and connect. There may be 'better ones'; there may be 'more easily compatible' or something or other. But the real story is you start becoming the right one the moment you vow that "you do". When I married, I had been 20 for a whole 33 days, we had just completed a 2-year long-distance realtionship and HE was five years older tha
19 comments
Read more

Too Close For Comfort

Depressing: Def., "Realizing that you and your Dearly Beloved are entirely to close to wearing the same pant size. Case in point - Hero Guy came ' har har-ing' out of the bedroom relating that he had accidentally been wearing a pair of my jeans for the last 15 minutes. He wondered why they felt so weird (translated - TIGHT) until he took them off and inspected the tag. He gloated that at least he knows he can fit into a Ladies Size ___ (you really think I'm going to tell you the number?!). My Observations: 1) He had a MONSTER wedgie, so the jeans were entirely too small for him. 2) They are my "fat" jeans, a size bigger than what I actually wear, but I just like the broken-in feeling of them. Or the roominess or something. 3) They were the stretchy kind of jeans, so an elephant could have painted itself into them. 4) What's he bragging about having a girlish figure for anyway? Not very macho if you ask me. Hmph.
11 comments
Read more

Mixed Feelings

It's been a long time in coming, but as of this morning, I'm no longer a medical transcriptionist. I'm not sure how I feel about that...a little bit relieved, a little bit sad, a lot bit uncertain about whether I'll regret this decision. For the last year or so, I've found that the transcription work isn't fulfilling the need I once had to stay at home with my babies and have an income. I've increasingly felt that I need more interaction and less monotony. I've also felt the pressure of work that constantly needs to be done, with no sense of ever being really "finished." No matter how much work you've done for the day, there's always another note waiting to be transcribed. That goes for sick days, holidays, vacations days or any kind of days. This year, I've dabbled in substituting as a school monitor and office staff, and kind of found my niche in the last few weeks. I'll be working a couple of hours a day in one of the
13 comments
Read more