A bit of a disclaimer...these first couple of posts are writings that I found in a drawer and as best as I can remember, are at least a year old. The past two years have probably been the absolute most difficult and trying for me and for my family as a whole. It is a true testament to the faith and commitment that my husband and I share that we are moving even closer to each other now than we ever have been. Without those two factors, faith and commitment, we most likely would have fallen victim to the divorce statistics. This revelation is probably quite shocking to just about everybody who knows us. The concept that one never truly knows what is happening in another person's home will be one that I am sure to revisit many times throughout the life of this blog. But, I digress, disclaimer...yes...these writings come from a dark and difficult time in my life. Although I have experienced growth and healing since I put these thoughts to paper, I find that the thoughts are valid and relevant if for no other reason than simply to acknowledge that life is not always rosy and to emphasize the gravity of where I am today in comparison. So, if you don't mind a bit of dank cynicism or if you can relate to a bit of despair regarding the plight of mankind...read on.
I have never been one to enjoy trite expressions. Don't get me wrong, I love a good pun or play on words but honestly, who has ever truly had their whole day instantly bettered by happening upon a bumper sticker covered in smiley faces and "Don't Worry, Be Happy" in bold orange letters?
As I have gotten older and possibly more cynical, I find such bumper sticker philosophy to be extremely annoying and borderline insulting to my intelligence. Think about it, how many times have you heard someone emphatically and obviously much to their own amazement declare that the lost item they had been searching for was in the last place they looked? Really? Well, aren't they the sharpest tool in the shed. So many of us would have kept right on looking!
Yes, cynical and maybe just a bit annoyed at the mass lack of common sense that seems to be sweeping over mankind. Sometimes I wonder if we really ever think about or hear what we say, or do we just move through life repeating the same old conversations that are not conversations at all but meaningless banter used as buffers to avoid real engagement with another person. I once heard a friend ask, "Why do people bother saying, 'How are you?' when they greet you when they really don't care and never hear a response anyway?" So very true, how many of us would answer that question with a true and honest answer? By rote, we answer as if on auto-pilot...'Fine". Too bad for us. We have become a society that is afraid to engage, afraid to feel, afraid to show vulnerabilities so we hide behind the meaningless and trite. I honestly feel that to say nothing at all is more respectful and heartfelt than to spout a line form a .99 greeting card. Please, spare me the awkward moments and just remain silent.
As I sit and contemplate my performance as a wife and mother, so many of these trite, over-used and under-felt expressions spring to mind. Once a woman gives birth her heart lives outside her body. Okay, it takes a certain type of person to not feel a true connection to another human that she carried in her body for 9 months. Usually, a person with major issues.
No comments:
Post a Comment