Sufficiently Annoyed

How did she do it so well? To act as if nothing could ever penetrate her soul in that way? To not only play the game – but overcome everything to win? To stand there time & time again, and smile brighter than the Mona Lisa? To pretend that what everyone else around her knew – did not exist. 

Today the phone has rang once.

I’ve gotten a few things accomplished at work.

The cookbook was sent off yesterday so I’m just here.

275 recipes. 23 pages of ads. Color cover front & back. Plus a 9 page write up on the inside.

I would think I would be ecstatic – but I’m just not.

The day is passing so slowly. Plenty of time to remember the things I keep forgetting…. but then plenty of time to forget again before the end of the day.

 

 

What do I want to be when I grow up? 

Yesterday, I was a wife, lover, mom, housekeeper, taxi driver, maid, cook , babysitter, trash woman, car detailer, laundry cleaner, waitress, kitchen show planner & website developer. 

Today, I am all of those things plus —> a hairdresser, secretary, office manager, accountant, receptionist, demolition crew leader, inventory specialist, graphics designer, mail clerk, travel agent, best friend-that-never-receives-calls-but-only-makes-them, best sister ever, divorce lawyer liason for abused women, bank teller, CEO of two upcoming businesses, and writer.

I used to want to be a lawyer.

Then I changed my mind to want to become a Kineasiologist.

Then I became a fitness instructor.

Then I became a retail clerk to put myself thru school to become a liberal arts major.

Then I became a young mom & household manager.

Then I became a soccer mom, soccer coach, soccer director & finally a Vice President of the local Women’s Civic Club.

Today I want to find out how much more education I need to become a “something other than what I have become” person. Any suggestions? 

I was just speaking with a dear friend of mine & we were discussing the weather. I said something about how it was kind of hot in the elevators in our building. She said, “yea that humility outside will get you. They say it’s going to be about 99 percent humility today so. Whew!”

 

I just smiled.  I love it!

 

 

Do you remember the sound of the wind blowing across the mouth of a glass bottle? Or the way a glass bottle feels in your hand? Or the way a red creme soda in a glass bottle tastes? 

What about the smell of honeysuckle blowing in the breeze as you walk down the dirt driveway to check the mailbox?

I remember my granddaddy sipping his coffee from a saucer.

I remember the smell of diesel on my granddaddy b/c he drove a tractor everyday.

Did you ever smell the new potatoes in the field? or smell the figs on the trees?

I remember swinging so high that I thought I was touching the clouds – and I remember watching the clouds move & trying to figure out what picture they made.

Do you remember?

I do.

 

I live in the South. It’s such a life changing thing to be here – living in this craziness. My husband made a comment recently that “thanks to technology – we have complicated our lives so much.. that it’s difficult to bounce back after something like this.” I agree. I went about 4 days without knowing if my parents & brothers & sister had lived thru this tragedy. It was like living in one of those twilight zone episodes that you see sometimes on tv. There was no communication with anyone you knew unless they were already with you. My sister-in-law actually thought to mail a letter shortly after the storm, when she could finally make her way to a post office. The letter arrived a few days ago.

Days have been flying by now. There is nothing normal around here anymore. I think everyone has adapted to a “new normal” and somewhere deep down… we are all hopeful that the old normal days will return.

Everywhere you go around here, there are lines… Grocery stores, gas pumps, restaurants, pharmacies, video rental stores, schools. It’s crazy. If you have to shop – use the internet if you have access. It’s so much easier and way less stressful. (let someone else fight the traffic)

Alot of people I know lost their homes and everything in their homes. My family & I have roof damage and some water damage in the upstairs of our home. We have alot of tree damage. There are so many days lately though that the stress of the repair & cleanup sort of makes you wish you had lost everything. So you could start over. But then, that’s another stressful thing. Picking up the pieces, no matter what your story is… is still traumatic.

So have you ever made a list of things to do – so you won’t forget something…..and then you forget where you put the list? How about you start looking for the lost list…. and a few minutes into the search, you forget what you are looking for. I’m having one of those days. Again.