One day, I was cleaning up the house for my parents out of town arrival, when they unexpectedly trounced in an hour early. My extended family doesn't knock (no one would hear them over the noise anyway), so they just made their way through the door, luggage in hand, and announced, “We’re here and we're on our way to the restroom”. I hurried to check the premises: Too late! I stopped short of a sprinkling of paper and small items all over the floor near the entryway. Not surprised, but disappointed, I sighed, “I swear, that was NOT there when I left the room—I don’t know where it comes from? It’s like confetti after New Year’s Eve; you clean it up and it just keeps falling out from unknown places for the rest of the year”.
But let’s back up about, say, 7 years. The internet was taking off, we were in the midst of a surge of technological growth, the housing market was rapidly reaching its peak, and I bought my 1st laptop. Our country was still suffering the after effects of September 11th, and we were newly involved in multiple wars. The very controversial election of George Bush was still a common topic of conversation and I had, for the 1st time, heard the word “blog” on the radio. Radio DJ’s were still discussing what blogs were and why anyone would want to put their thoughts and ideas online for everyone to see? Most of the population was still in the dark to blogging. The next day, I accidentally ran across a blogger symbol online and clicked on it. I was already a writer, and to me, I was intrigued by what might come of me letting others read what I had to say. I had NO idea what I was doing, but I figured, what the heck.
I blogged for a couple years and then I just could not seem to write anymore. I became too involved with expressing my ardent spirit to the entire world only to be crushed by others who didn’t agree or understand. They liked to read it, evident by the amount of comments which kept me busy, but I dove so deep into responding to every statement, question, and argument, that I began to think about nothing else. Eventually I would blog all night, I wouldn’t sleep, and I was perpetually frustrated with the idea that not one person on earth understood me. My mind was going nuts; so I quit.
Seven years later, blogging is just a normal thing. However, when I decided to begin again, I discovered all of the amazing technological updates which had passed me by over the years. I was overwhelmed and it was no longer so easy. I created my blog about a year ago and it has sat vacant ever since.
Having a 7 year old girl who is an advent viewer of the Disney channel pre-teen shows, I was drawn to one of Disney’s recent made-for-cable movies they put out. The “blog” part got my attention; so I watched. Harriet was having MY problem--light bulb moment! She was writing great stuff, but it was not stuff that HER audience understood or related to. Her nanny commented that Harriet should write about stuff she knows, but maybe she could find something that she knows AND that others would be interested in. “She’s right, I thought! I wasn’t even reaching the audience in which I originally intended to write to because I was writing about the WRONG thing”! No wonder I was so frustrated!
So now what can I write about? That led me back to something my dad had expressed to me many times over the years: My family: 5 kids (ages 24, 15, 13, 7, and 3), a husband, a dog, a cat, puppies, and a new daughter-in-law, who’s soon having my 1st grandbaby, is a crack up or irritation to almost everyone. My dad and step mom love to come and see the kids, but they soon can’t wait to leave either. It’s loud—very loud—and my dad is used to the quiet of their quiet, retired life. He commented that the volume here, crazy interactions among such a large busy household, along with the silly things that seem to happen, the things I experience every day, could give me material for entire books of humor and life lessons. Oh, I yell a lot, have a BIG responsibility chart, and play ridiculous tricks on my kids. We’re sort of a cross between the Cosby’s, Everybody Hates Chris, Hanna Montana, and Malcolm in the Middle. You never know what sort of parenting technique will be revealed next. Then, the confetti event happened.
I had always tried to hide my crazy family away from others, so the thought that it might bring a laugh into others lives, was a thought that never crossed my mind. That was it! Maybe I can use this blog as a stress reliever, therefore, what I blurt out here is going to be off-the-cuff and raw; when and as it happens. If it offends you, or I express things shocking the sheltered world, I apologize ahead of time. I will respect your opinions if you do the same, but if my expressions offend you frequently, you might want to read another blog—not mine. I've experience over the years that others who do not have children, cannot even come close to understanding my life--heck I didn't "get" my childhood and all my parents must have endured until not too long ago. So here it goes.
