100 minus 96 things about me.

Many of the blogs I read have a page dedicated to 100 Things about the writer and I really dig that. It’s fun to read the list and see how much in common I have with the person and also it makes his or her writing voice more unique in my head and lord knows I am all for anything that helps me distinguish between the voices in my head.

I, however, don’t have a 100 Things page on my site. When I first set up my space (not to be confused with MySpace) back in August 2006, I began a 100 Things About Myself List in the back page of one of my writing journals. And from time to time, when I think of a somewhat unique or interesting factoid about myself, I add it to the list.

Now, nearly two years later, I have a list of probably less than forty somewhat unique and/or interesting factoids on my list because that’s just how unique and/or interesting I’m not.

Anyway, since I may not amass a complete list to share with my readers prior to the commencement of the sweet, sweet rapture, I thought I’d share a few highlights with you today. And we’re off…

Keep reading . . .

Someday, I will NOT look back at this and laugh.

I know it’s such a cliched thing to say but WOW are my kids growing up.  Jake (15) will be getting his driver’s permit soon, Jenna (13) is flying through the bra sizes, Emma (6) can put her own hair in a ponytail, and Katelynn (4 next month) is starting ALL DAY PRE-KINDERGARTEN in the fall.  Some days I look at them and think oh my god where did the time go?

And other days I think oh my god the time isn’t going fast enough.
Take yesterday for example.

My internal clock roused me from a good night’s sleep at 9:15 a.m. The downstairs was very quiet and I could hear water running in the upstairs bathroom.

Unbeknownst to me, Rob had left for the gym at 8:30 without so much as a warning that the only people awake and in charge of the three- and six-year-old were the three- and six-year-old. And the dog.

Keep reading . . .

Silent Lucidity

Our son Jake, 15, began football conditioning camp today which meant my day started at 7:00a.m. I’m going to be honest and admit that I haven’t seen 7am in many months, probably since I left my job at [MAJOR COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION].

A thunderstorm had blown through town in the wee hours of the morning sending Emma into Rob’s and my bed and Katelynn into Jenna’s. Everyone was still fast asleep as Jake and I headed out to the high school football stadium.

Outside, the skies to the north and east were that deep shade of dark purple-blue that warns of so much more to come, while pastel pink and blue clouds that might have been oil-painted by the masters (or by THE Master) filled the western and southern skies.

The city streets stretching the three-and-a-half miles between our home and the school were polished ebony and traffic on them was non-existent as the rest of our busy metropolis either slept or readied themselves for another Monday. In a haze of drowsiness, Jake and I rode in silence.

I dropped him off and took the long way home, driving more slowly than is my habit and pulling over briefly in some doctor’s office parking lot to really take in the absolute natural beauty of a scene Hollywood uses millions of dollars in technology to reproduce.

And the stillness was inspiring.

I could climb a mountain . . . write a book . . . run a marathon . . . cure cancer . . . raise four children into happy well-adjusted adults.

In the quiet, anything was possible. IS possible.

In the moment.

Yesterday is history.
Tomorrow is a mystery.
Today is a gift; that’s why they call it the present.

Oogway, Kung Fu Panda (2008)
Eleanor Roosevelt (1884 – 1962)

Squeeze your babies and have a great weekend.