I have been reading my sons’ blogs for several years and enjoyed them. It was always a unique way to know what they were thinking about topics that we would not necessarily discuss. Parents need to remember their children are no longer 8 or 18 or even 28. So I have enjoyed them and when Bruce started about a year ago, I read his with interest too. I tend to want to edit/proofread his — a holdover from the two and a half year stint in that capacity while he finished college. Add 25 years as a high school English teacher, and the editor/proofreader role becomes second nature. I always have ideas floating around that I discuss with myself, some I share with my beloved husband, Bruce, who thinks everything I do is wonderful (“Thank you, Heavenly Father for sending me such a man!”) and some ideas stay dormant. My point is — I think the ideas of other people are fascinating; maybe they’ll think mine too are worth a couple minutes of their time. Either way, it’s a way to keep in touch.
I love to write, however, years of time crunches, had pinched that. I realized that especially last year when I wrote a long email letter to my dear friend, Connie, back in Nebraska. It was my birthday gift to her. Gift? Wow! That seems odd. But think about it. How often have we said, “I have more money than time.” So we pay for the things that we don’t have the “time” to do. My number one motto is: we value what we pay for. Our time is valuable and we need to spend it wisely because it is such a precious commodity.
I thought that I would have all kinds of time when I retired. And in some ways, I do. I now can sleep until 7 or 8 or even 9. However, my days seem just as busy as always, just with different activities. No more alarm clocks or bells. No papers to grade, no lunch duty or hall duty to do or lesson plans to turn in. My meetings are few and far between and generally involve me and a member of the medical community. All it used to take to ruin a perfectly lovely day was one lazy student and one whining parent (so that’s where they learn that?). Now almost nothing ruins a day; there’s too many other good things happening to offset it. Sometimes the meals I fix aren’t as wonderful as I would like, however, there’s always another day to try again. Additionally, my husband is not a fussy eater. He and I, from the same generation, enjoyed the same types of meals growing up. We also both came from the Clean-your-plate-there-are-children-starving-in-Asia/Africa/South America generation. Except for me growing up in the Mid-West and him in the South, I sometimes think we might have lived next door to one another. Just now, when I realized that we had used all the carrots and I was making pot roast, Bruce jumped up, grabbed his hat and was out the door to the grocery. What a guy! When we started going together, I told several friends that he washed the dishes and cleaned up the kitchen. Really? was their reply. I could see the envy. I was proud. What a catch!
So what does blogging and writing and time and meals and dish washing have in common? Nothing except the diversity of ideas. Our thoughts make those leaps. I used to think there was something wrong with me, however, I now realize some people are divergent thinkers, others are linear thinkers. That’s okay. Vive la difference!
